“A Social Media Influencer is a user on social media who is expert on a certain topic or genre and shares their knowledge in the most professional and attractive way possible. They have an influence on a large population whom the influencer can persuade through their authenticity.”
Do you know that are more than 1.1M social media influencers in the world and it is growing every day? It is very easy to get lost in this ocean of social media influencers until you know the right tips and tricks to find the winning combination. You will find a lot of textbook tips online but the difference in this post of mine is, I have written it from my experience. I have failed multiple times and went up and tried again and again from which I listed down these helpful tips.
Find your niche
The first and foremost thing you need to do is to find your niche. It is what you like most and is an expert in it. Think what is that one hobby/passion of yours on which your friends and family consider you an expert and come to you for suggestions. It can be a broader category of a subject like beauty, fashion, lifestyle, travel, online marketing or you can choose a micro category under these like organic beauty, Haircare/Hair braid, Bohemian fashion, budget traveling, SEO, etc. If you take my blog, for example, I have chosen a micro category under online marketing which is social media marketing.
If you want to know which genres of blogging have been successful, here is a quick snapshot from Kristie’s blog:
- Fashion blogs – 18,100 searches a month
- Food blogs – 12,100 searches a month
- Travel blogs – 9,900 searches a month
- Beauty blogs – 5,400 searches a month
- Music blogs – 5,400 searches a month.
Create a plan
History is proof that if you do not have a plan, you FAIL! So first chalk out a monthly and a full year plan ahead of you. The first step is to set a date to get your blog live and DO NOT HURRY! It takes time to create presentable and engaging blog and patience to learn all about creative writing, design, logo, SEO, security, etc. It is better you learn and do it yourself to have more control over how you want to present your knowledge to your followers. The next step is setting up a content calendar (you can get some templates here), which will plan out your posting schedule.
Buy a PAID blog and start writing
The first MISTAKE that a social media influencer does is to create a free blog to see how it goes. NEVER do that! A free blog has many limitations and in future, as you succeed, if you want to collaborate with brands or put ads on your blog, you will face a lot of difficulties. Remember this is like a business of your own and the first rule of business is to invest in it. Believe me, from my own experience, I can say it will pay you back. There are many options to choose from, and you can know more about them by reading this post here. If you ask me, my favorite is WordPress.
The next step is to start writing. Creative writing needs practice and knowing how to keep your readers attached to it. Read other blogs in the same genre and see how they are writing. Make sure you are taking care of your SEO while writing. Include visuals, infographics (try Canva), external links to other valuable reads as well as internal links to your other posts too. There are many more good rules to follow which you can read here.
Create your social persona
The 2nd most important part of being a social influencer is setting up your social media accounts. Remember this is not your personal account, this is a business account which must meet some standards. It must have your business bio, your logos, pictures, testimonials and your brand name which discriminates you from others. Open accounts in all social media channels and link it with your blog and vice versa. Invite your friends and family to join your channels who can help you have a kick start.
Content is the Key
Irrespective of your blog or social media, content is always the key. The content consists of visual as well as your writing. Invest in a good camera, equipment’s, software, phone as they are the key items to create the best content. Post ONLY AND ONLY professional content and not blurry images and quick writing just for the sake of posting. Another key component is the story you are telling. The fans who do not know you will get attached to you based on the persona you are showing online. So be very clear on the tone and mood of your posts.
Interact with your community
Another key point in being a social media influencer is to build your community. This consists of your friends, family, fans, admirers, haters and fellow bloggers. Start interacting with all of them through social media, blogs, emails or even personal meet up. Make sure you reply to EACH AND EVERY comment you get on your blog and social media even if it is just a ‘Thanks’. Keep a watch on what your fellow bloggers or celebrity bloggers are doing and learn from them. It takes time to create a community who are loyal and will stick to you, so a continuous effort from your end is required to build it.
Do you have patience?
One key attribute you need to be a social media influencer is PATIENCE. It took me 5 years to be at this position where I am now. There have been times when I was frustrated but I did not give up. There were long phases where I was working hard but there was no income from it. Today I have to say no to brands because I do not have the bandwidth. Majority of bloggers quit in the first year because they lose patience, so if you are still doing it after 1 year, then you are going in the correct path. Do not chase after money or sponsored work after a few months, it takes time and if you continuously do your best work, eventually brands will come to you.
Choose your prime channel
Today I am going to share a trick with you which NO ONE WILL TELL YOU! Do not run to establish yourself in all social media channels. Believe me, it takes a lot of work and you can’t succeed in all. It also depends on the topic you are writing; some topics are best on certain channels. Like for example if you are into beauty, fashion, lifestyle Instagram is your channel since most of the social media campaigns in these genres happen here. If you are into cooking, DIY, makeup YouTube is your best bet. If you are into online marketing Facebook and Twitter are best for you. Research where most of the work happens in your genre and work on that channel every day. Keep the other channels running though, do not stop posting and close any channel, it puts a bad impression.
Followers Vs Engagement
In Today’s online world everyone is running behind followers. It does not matter if you have thousands or millions of followers, if they do not talk to you and engage with your content, they are no use to the brands you plan to promote. Engagement is, however, hard to get, and you have to continue to engage with your fans, put a call to actions in your posts and be part of their lives too. It takes time to build an engaged audience and if your content is great with your own touch, you will get there.
Reach out to brands
So FINALLY, after all the above points been taken care and once you see a good audience being build upon your blog and social media channels, it’s time to reach out to brands with the request of working with them. There will be many brands who will contact you slowly for blog posts and social media posts. Initially, you will get earned media opportunities. Work in those since it will help you build a profile and experience you can show to brands in the future to get sponsored work. Create a media kit which shows all your stats and experience in one place and a rate card to give to the brands. This makes it professional plus easier for brands to know you.
Although there are a lot more tips and tricks to help you become a successful social media influencer, I have listed above the ones which I think are most important. I will be talking on many of these topics in a detailed way in my upcoming posts, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, I must say being a social media influencer is a heavenly experience, so just go with it and I wish you all the best. If you want to know about me and my journey as a social media influencer check it out here.
XOXO
