Social Media Marketing Tips: 5 Steps To Becoming A Successful Influencer

In one of our past articles, we discussed some tips for brands that want to work with influencers. This week, we will be looking from the perspective of the influencer. Here are some ways in which you can become the influencer that brands want to work with and make an extra source of income Be Content Savvy Content is king! So says every brand that creates relevant and useful content. If you’re looking to become an influencer, then you should be creating content that is valuable to your followers. With every content you create, aim to provide answers to your followers; engage them in conversations about what problems they may be facing in their business endeavours and help them solve these problems. When you ask your audience about their problems, you get more ideas on what content you can create to solve these problems. By doing this, you convey the message that you are not just a promotional brand but equally a resourceful one. Also, think of more creative ways to share content like videos, photos, and stories. To be consistent in creating relevant content, you must have a solid content strategy to fall back on. Here is a previous article on finding the best content for social media. Be Engaged A good influencer is one who is actively engaged with his/her audience. This is why brands seeking to drive higher engagement would come to you in the first place. People always want to engage with brands that have a human feel to them. There are many ways to engage with your audience: share posts on a trending topic and how it applies to you, make use of Instagram Stories, create live videos, leave relevant comments on other pages, like other people’s photos and respond to questions. By doing this, you attract more likes and comments to your posts and in the process drive higher engagement. Be Dynamic For you to become a successful influencer, you must be conversant with the changes and updates that constantly take place on social media. Pay attention to informative blogs and videos in order to track innovations on social media – apps, social media algorithms, Instagram/Twitter/Facebook new features, etc. When you stay informed your audience finds you more interesting and sees you as an authority in your field. Be On The Lookout For Good Brands As a social media influencer, you should always vet the brands that contact you to work with them for the sake of your reputation and credibility. What kind of brand wants to work with you? Are their products of high-quality? Do their products resonate with what you stand for? These are factors you should always consider before working with any brand. Build A Tribe What is a tribe? A tribe, in this context, is a sub-division of people within a group who are bonded together by a common interest, share the same language or lingo and usually have a recognised leader. This is exactly what you should be aiming to achieve as a social media influencer. Here are two ways in which you can build a tribe:

• Create rituals for you and followers:

People are social animals and love to belong, hence you can leverage on this fact and use it as one of your strategies in building your tribe. For instance, you could set aside a particular day in the week on which you and your followers discuss social media trends or business tips. In this way, you’re creating a sense of belonging for them and driving engagement in the long run.

• Make Use Of Lingos

A lingo is the vocabulary or jargon of a certain group of people. Lingos are another powerful way to create that sense of belonging you want your followers to have. In a general context, these words should sound very random to outsiders but should be familiar to your regular customers. This is a very unconventional yet powerful way in which you can build a tribe within your social media following and drive higher engagement.

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• Examining how Youngsters are Affected by Social Media
• Expressing Yourself on Social Media Without Compromising your Values
• How Can You Protect Yourself from Social Media Abuse?
• The Rise of Micro-Influencers in Nigeria: How to Use Local Influencers for Big Impact in Your Business

This article was first published on 19th October 2018 and updated on November 20th, 2018 at 2:32 pm

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