Thanks to the rise of social media platforms, as long as you have an internet connection and a smartphone, you are one step closer to your dreams of becoming a social media influencer.
First of all, what is an influencer, you might ask? Defining it is a matter of debate. Personally, I consider someone an influencer when they are able to influence the lives of others. It doesn’t matter how many people you influence, as long as they look up to you and they seek your advice. For others to call you an influencer, you might need to have a decent following of more than a thousand people.
Well, we’re not going to argue about which definition is right. Today, we’re going to talk about what it takes to be an influencer.
You need to achieve two things to become a respected influencer in a specific niche. (1) increase your followers and (2) build authority in your chosen field. The technicalities on how to accomplish these tasks would depend on which platform you’ll use. We’ll focus more on the traits you need to possess to be successful in this path.
Wisdom. You’ll find it much easier to attract an audience when you’re knowledgeable at what you’re talking about. This is why choosing a niche is important. Focus on one thing that you’re passionate about and master it. Learn everything there is to know so that you can share it one way or another, later on. Remember, you can’t give away anything that you didn’t have in the first place.
Generosity. By generous, I don’t mean giving away money to buy followers. What I mean is that you should never hold back when giving value to your audience. Aim to over-deliver when providing value to those who are hungry for knowledge. Help them get to where you are by teaching them everything you have learned. Don’t think that you’re creating future competitors. What you’re creating is a legacy. Everyone who’ll learn from you will talk about you with respect. This method will give you more fans in return.
Quality. Whatever platform you choose, there’s already so much noise that divides the attention of your audience. How can you stand out? Simple. Never post anything that has not undergone quality control. Whenever posting content, ask yourself: is this good enough for people to bother spending their time with? For example, a dim-lit, low-resolution picture isn’t worth your audience’s precious time. Study the basics of photography so you can post captivating images that people won’t resist liking.
Positive attitude. No one is exempted from stress. Life happens, and every day we’re facing problems of many kinds. Make it a point to always be positive, so that your audience would have some respite whenever they consume your content. How will people believe in you if you don’t believe in yourself? How will they listen to you if you always speak negatively? How can they look forward to hearing your success stories, if all you do is look back at your previous mistakes? Negativity is contagious. Spreading the negativity to your audience will only cause them to feel burdened or worse, you might even draw the haters.
Consistency. The more frequent you post, the more visible you are to your audience. This can help them recall your name whenever they need an expert from your niche. Aside from that, you’ll have more chances to reach your target audience and boost engagement in your posts.
Being an influencer might look extravagant on social media, but in reality, it’s hard work. It takes so much creativity to keep up with posting daily, or at least weekly. You don’t need to portray a lavish life just to gain followers. You only need to let your story speak for itself. So what’s stopping you from becoming an influencer? What do you need to change today?
