If there is one individual that can help a business organization tremendously then it has to be someone who can change the way their customers think. In today’s digital world, an individual with this power is known as an influencer. Business organizations turn to influencers in order to:
- Expand their markets.
- Enhance brand awareness.
- Engage with a larger audience and so on.
It therefore makes a lot of sense for you to examine the scope of becoming a professional influencer because truly, influencer marketing has become a powerful component in almost every business organization’s online marketing strategy.
It takes time
How to find social media influencers – At the very beginning, please remember that you have to invest a bit (read lot!) of effort and time into building your profession as an influencer. People don’t trust you simply because you have a blog. People trust you because you have opinions that are informed, unique, unbiased and helpful. In order to build such a reputation, you have to give it a bit of time and be consistent in the kind of content that you create and disseminate.
Take to social media
Social media networks are the natural habitats of influencers that business organizations want to connect with. Therefore, you really have no choice but to be on such networks! However, you can take it one step further and identify your niche area when it comes to influencer expertise.
For instance, if you are more comfortable talking about businesses, policies, industries and so on then you really must look at becoming an influencer on LinkedIn. But if your strength lies in areas such as interior decoration or photography then perhaps Instagram or Pinterest would be more to your liking.
If you do decide to become an influencer on every major social media platform then you should be equal amount of attention to them all. This is the only way that you will attract large numbers of followers and also attract business organizations who would be interested to tie up with you for their campaigns.
Starting a blog
This is another critical tool to help you get ahead in the influencer ‘business’. The number of blogs in the digital domain is pretty staggering but you have to make the beginning and then work to give the blog a unique and engaging persona.
This again takes a lot of time and commitment. Some of the things that you can do to make your blog popular are:
- Choose a great hosting platform.
- Invest time and thought in creating original content.
- Use images and video content.
- Invest in search engine optimization strategies.
- Link building – ensuring that all your links are active and link to high quality content in turn.
Value your authenticity
The online world can be a pretty unforgiving space. If your followers or fans get the feeling that you are selling out in terms of associations and are doing it simply because of material benefits then they are likely to stop following you. This will dilute your reputation as a professional influencer. In turn, this will reduce the number of business organizations who are wanting to partner with you.
Therefore do take the time to assess what you want to write about, even if a company approaches you for influencer marketing. Getting into professional partnerships which are based on mutual trust and respect is the only way to go when it comes to becoming a professional influencer and sustaining your online reputation.
Let your content speak for itself
Choosing a picture, description, title etc. are important aspects of your influencer profile of course. But most important is your content. Two things are key: consistency and quality. When you publish consistent posts that are renowned for their high quality, then you really need not worry about generating a large number of followers. It just takes very few individuals to note the quality of your content and they will automatically be your brand ambassadors.
Your content should therefore encompass:
- E-mail newsletters.
- Radio shows.
- Social media conversations.
- Guest blogs.
- Videos and images to name just a few.
You should also ensure that all your content is interlinked. So if you were to make a post on Facebook, your Twitter followers should get to know of the same.
Be part of the world
Being an influencer is not a silo-based job. You have to be a part of everyday conversation that is happening around you, especially if you are industry specific as far as your role as an influencer goes. You have to be the thought collector and information curator when it comes to all the different events and developments that are unfolding around you and in the industrial realm.
Finally, do pay attention to the conversations that are taking place about you. Listening to what your followers are saying and interacting with them gives you more credibility and professional stature.