Step 1: Download Instagram.
Step 2: Recommend a product..
Congratulations, you are officially an influencer!
I am kidding, of course. There is a lot more that goes into being an influencer than what is shown on the surface. But before we talk about what makes the top influencers stand out, I first want to go over the definition of an influencer.
According to Google Dictionary, an “influencer” is “a person with the ability to influence potential buyers of a product or service by promoting or recommending the items on social media.”
Thats it. There is no extra schooling you need to attend or tests you have to take, in order to officially become an influencer. All you have to do it promote a product on social media.
That being said, if you want to become a successful influencer earning a full time income, there are a few things you can do.
1. Figure Out Your Why
Why do you want to be an influencer? What is your overall goal with building an audience? Are you trying to build an audience to become famous? To make money? To go on free trips? Are you building an audience to try to help people? What value do you have to add to someone’s life? What incentive does someone have to follow you?
When you can figure out your “why”, it makes the “how” a lot easier.
2. Pick a Niche
What is it that you want to influence people to do? Do you want to inspire people to travel the world as a travel blogger? Teach people how to workout as a fitness trainer? Or introduce people to the latest clothing trends as a fashion influencer? Whatever it is you want to do, pick a niche that you are interested in and can talk about for hours on end. Your passion for the subject will come across to your followers on social media.
3. Build an Audience That Trusts You
Once you have decided on your niche, step 2 is to build an audience. In order to be able to influence others, you need to build up a following of people who trust you and your recommendations. The best way to grow your following us to post photos and write captions that reflect your passion.
If you want to know how to build an audience on platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok, you can read my post here.
4. Reach Out To Brands
Once you have build up your audience, it is time to find brands to work with. I recommend keeping a list of brands you would like to reach out to who you see working with other people. Start with the brands that fit your niche that you know your audience will love. If a brand is not willing to work with you or does not have a budget, ask them if they have an affiliate program or if they are willing to set up a custom affiliate link for you. Once you show a brand the value you can provide, they will be more willing to pay you for a collaboration in the future.
If you are looking for tips on how to reach out to and work with brands, feel free to check out my other blog posts:
How to Successfully Pitch Yourself to Brands
How to Rock Your First Brand Deal
How To Make a Sponsored Post NOT Sound Like an Ad
How to Land Your First Brand Deal as a Microinfluencer
How to Find PR and Marketing Contacts
5. Know Your Worth
Whether you have 100 followers or 1 million followers, you have value. There are many brands out there who will approach influencers who are just starting out and try to get them to work for free. This typically means offering a product or a service worth under $25 in exchange for a post. Know your worth! If you are genuinely interested in the product that they have to offer, by all means accept the collaboration as a resume booster.
However, don’t feel as though you have to accept every collaboration that comes your way. There is a lot of work that goes into every post. You have to come up with a creative idea for the photo, stage the photo, hire a photographer or recruit a friend to take the photo, edit the photo, think of a clever caption, and finally post the photo and engage with your audience. It is a lot of work and it is time consuming. So unless it is a product or a brand that you love and are excited to work with, don’t be afraid to politely turn them down.
6. Network
Community over competition. Believe it or not, a lot of my collaborations come from the connections I have made with other influencers. I have been involved in multiple collaborations where a brand will ask if I can suggest other influencers to work with and I of course recommend my friends! There are more than enough brand deals to go around so instead of working against one another make connections and work together.
Also, when you work with other influencers on a collaboration, it expands your reach. For example, if you are looking to work with a hotel or a restaurant you can combine your audience numbers to offer the hotel a greater reach.
7. Remember Your Audience
Once you have had some success as an influencer, it is possible to let it go to your head. Always always always remember why it is you started in the first place. What value are you providing to your audience? Are you accepting brand deals to recommend products that you would not genuinely use yourself? It is ok to expand your brand as you grow, but if you are a wellness niche all of a sudden recommending toxin-filled products you may want to take a step back and reevaluate. No matter how much money a certain brand may offer you, I urge you to always remember your audience. You wouldn’t be being approached by these brands without them.
For more tips on how to grow an engaged audience, check out this post here.
8. Have Fun
There are many amazing perks to being an influencer, but one of the best perks is that when you are posting about topics that you love, you create a community. Having a social media following is a great way to attract people into your life with similar interests and find your tribe. So have fun and enjoy all the amazing connections you are bound to make.
If you found this helpful and want to learn more about how to create your dream career as an influencer and entrepreneur, click here.
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