Do you dream of getting millions of followers? The road to becoming a social media influencer can be long, but by following a few simple steps, you will be off to go a good start.
For the past few years, the universe of social media has thrived on the inspirational, and almost envious public displays of the best experiences that life has to offer.
It has allowed people to show off glitz and glam, even if those experiences only last a brief moment, boast a beautifully-filtered picture of their travels, share their thoughts on relevant (and irrelevant) topics and even boost their businesses, forever immortalized on news feeds and profiles.
The many social platforms have connected people in ways that previously were unthinkable and have allowed for interaction with an endless livestream of content for every mood and situation.
If you feel like some #fitspiration, you can save hundreds of never-skip-leg-day-videos in a minute. Want to spice things up in the kitchen? No problem, after a quick search, you can find the most creative recipes with appetizing pictures to go with them.
One may have assumed that the sudden onset of Covid-19 and the way it has interfered with everyday life would possibly slow social media activity because of the limits it has imposed on the experiences of life, but it seems to have done exactly the opposite.
This global pandemic has shown just how malleable social media platforms are and the major influence they have on life in any situation, making connections in times of isolation.
Present times may provide the best opportunity to try one’s luck and become a social media influencer in the field of one’s interest. This may seem like a daunting task, but do not approach it as though it is insurmountable; just put one foot in front of the other.
Due to the potentially lucrative and rewarding nature of trending on social media, here is a guide on how to become a social media influencer for any field of interest.
Niche, Niche, Niche
A common mistake when attempting to develop any social media presence is not taking into consideration how utterly saturated these platforms are with quality content relating to almost any field. Therefore, it is crucial to get really specific before starting.
You could, for instance, be a person who wants to get an Instagram account off the ground about cooking. This is a great start, but you will find yourself competing in a vast market, which will make it more difficult to get noticed. However, if you decide to focus on cooking mouth-watering gluten-free meals to help the Celiac community enjoy food just like everyone else, your account is much more likely to get noticed, and your popularity to grow steadily.
Find your niche; that gap in your field that you intend to fill with quality content.
Find Your Why
Why is this what you want to do? Why have you chosen to become a social media influencer? Why have you chosen to try to promote your niche in particular?
It is essential to be in tune with what drives you or your account individually and to communicate that to your audience.
People are looking to social media to be inspired and enlightened (okay, sometimes it is just for entertainment), and if you are fully aware of why you want to positively impact people’s lives with your brand on social media, the how will become a lot clearer to you, and your audience will be much more likely to trust you and rely on you.
Get to Know Your Audience to Become a Social Media Influencer
Your audience is your life force. They are the ones who will allow you to become an influencer, and they will be loyal to you as long as you remain connected to their interests and needs on social media.
Remember, a social media influencer is providing a service; one that needs to cater to the needs of their audience. Take the time to research the likes and dislikes of your audience within your particular field; what keywords are they searching for on social media and what type of content are they engaging with the most on popular platforms.
This will provide you with a content roadmap and allow you to feel and be more relevant to their needs. If we take the previous example of cooking gluten-free meals, take the time to see what that particular audience would be most interested in. It could be creative recipes for tasty gluten-free pastries or maybe sourcing the raw materials. Whatever it is, it will be something that is difficult to acquire in their lives and will most likely benefit them.
Lastly, and perhaps the simplest and most obvious way to get to know what kind of content your audience is looking for… Ask!
Set up a poll amongst your followers and see what kind of topics or content they would like to see from you next. This will ensure that they feel heard and that their interest is maintained.
Here is an extra tip; do not forget that most social media platforms will provide you with analytics about your audience; use these wisely.
Select the Platform You Want to Influence on
Depending on your topic, the audience may be more active on one platform than another. For example, fitness influencers are very active on YouTube and Instagram but have relatively low activity on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn because these audiences are looking for visual content, either as inspiration or as an explanation of exercises and different training programs.
In your research, you need to make sure that you choose the platform that is best for reaching and impacting your audience.
Content Strategy and Setting a Goal
This part may sound a little daunting, but it is very simple and will be really helpful for you as you progress.
A crucial part of any strategy is setting a goal. You need to know where you want to get to, in order to fully understand how you will be getting there.
Set monthly, weekly and even daily goals for yourself. If your goal is to make 12 blogs on YouTube within three months and get a certain number of new followers, you will have a clearer idea of what actions are required in that time span.
Take the time to come up with a strategy for your content, and always keep the ‘why?’ behind your posts in mind.
Make every effort to identify how posting a particular picture, video or caption will help you to garner popularity with your audience and how it will fit your goals.
Remember that your strategy can be adjusted as needed. This will allow you to keep your mind on the big picture and achieve your goal of becoming an influencer.
Consistency is Key on Social Media
It is important to keep a consistent flow of content going and posting this content at the optimum time.
In your audience research, you will have learned which days of the week and what hours are the best for reaching your intended audience.
Make sure to build your posting schedule around this information and post consistently. Doing so will strengthen your brand and help you build a loyal follower base that will discuss and share your brand with others and increase your reach.
Imprint Your Brand
The world of social media influencing is highly lucrative and can also provide a plethora of opportunities and experiences when executed correctly.
The social media landscape is dynamic, it is therefore important to develop a long-term approach to these platforms and look to building gradual and sturdy success through quality content.
A well-established brand will hold on to a loyal fanbase and reap the benefits the universe of social media has to offer.