How to Become an Influencer

There are many experts in different fields in the world today. But have you wondered why some have a steady following while others do not? Why are some experts more trusted than others? In modern days, people make money through influencer marketing. Moreover, influencer marketing has in the last ten years skyrocketed to 80x since 2012. But how can one become an influencer? Why has it ballooned? In this article, we take a deep dive into steps and strategies a person can follow to establish himself amongst the greatest influencers.

1. Begin by establishing yourself in a niche field

Why do you need a niche? Why do you think most of the would-be influencers have not started yet? One of the best strategies for doing anything is to use the first principle. Is there anything you can do to get closer to your dream? Go ahead and do it even if you don’t know the second step. But most of us are caught in the rat of looking for perfection. We want it all figured out before we set out to do it. Now, if you think about any project you’ve done, starting is the difficult part. Once you start you can figure out the rest along the way.

At the initial stages of a company or product, it is micro-influencers who are more powerful. Though they don’t have followings of socialites and big names like Kardashian, they are very cheap and can reach multitudes of people. Moreover, research has shown that they generate more than paid ads and have a higher customer retention rate.

Does it suffice to pick the field you want to influence? Far from it. Patel; an influencer in digital marketing didn’t get to the top just by solely focusing on digital marketing, that’s a very broad word. Before learning content marketing, he familiarized himself with Search Engine optimization. Thereafter, he specialized in conversion rate optimization, influencer marketing, social media marketing, and other related Areas. Through all these struggles, he managed to get more than 300 thousand Twitter followers. One day you might get there as well, but do you have to work as hard as Patel did? No, you don’t. You can as well if you buy Twitter followers and establish your portfolio.

2. Create a content strategy

The fastest way of doing something is to do it slowly. Planning is very important for any given project. The same can be said about becoming an influencer. While at it, remember that there is no template for strategies as an individual has different goals and strategies. An example of a goal you can set for yourself is; Have a specific number of social posts on each network while maintaining the blog quality and working on the side projects. Once you are here, it’s better to select your channels.

3. Select your channels

Do you have a favorite social media channel? While there is no right or wrong channel, ensure that the channel you choose is aligned with your goals. As of 20th January, Facebook was on top of the list with 94% of marketers using it. Moreover, Facebook had a 61% market share as of 2016. Though you could be having your favorite channel while engaging with the audience, give it you’re all just so you continue having a stream of traffic. You don’t have to be active on all the channels during the initial stages. Pick one or two and get going.

4. Network within the industry

“Your network is your net worth “, they say. Connections are of prime importance if you want to become an influencer. But even more important are real connections. Most of us want to lie on the coach from morning to evening while connecting with influencers. Though you can follow and connect with your audience, event marketing is the new thing in the market. Why not benefit from it? Familiarize yourself with events related to your niche and get to connect with others with a similar mindset. You can also create blogs and websites to continue with conversations on social media. A tweet or an Instagram cannot accommodate all that a person has to say.

To become an influencer, be the topic of discussion amongst your audience. Instead of trying to market yourself, max out what you want and be so good at it that your audience markets it to their friends.