How To Become A Social Media Influencer

I watched a video last week where a GEN Z was asked about what she wants to be and she said she wants to be a social media influencer. This video was coming right after the Twitter war between Gen Z and Millennials last week.

In the past, I would have rolled my eyes at the GEN Z who thought social influencing is a job, but I can’t do that anymore because her ambition is valid. If you are not keeping up with what is happening on social media, you are sitting under a rock. Social influencing is a career now and people are paying their bills and taking care of themselves via money made from social media influencing. It’s amazing because it involves getting paid to do what you love at your own pace.

There are a lot of young and even advanced people who are looking to be social media influencers and if you want to know how to become a social media influencer, we have something for you. At Postly, we love people and social media which is why we’ve created this guide to help you be the best social media influencer.

Who is a social media influencer?

A social media influencer is a social media user who has a dedicated audience and has established himself/herself as an authority in a particular niche. 

We have influencers in various niches. Tech, lifestyle, beauty, travel, skincare, health, writing, freelancing, toys, etc. One thing that stands out for me is the fact that these influencers have a dedicated audience that believes the influencer is an authority in a particular niche.

How can I start my career as a social media influencer?

There are a bunch of ways in which you can start your career as a social media influencer and that is what this article is about.

Choose a niche

In my definition, I mentioned that a social media influencer is an authority in a particular niche. If you mention Jackie Aina, we know you are talking about beauty. If we talk about Catherin Manning, we know her as an expert in YouTube growth and Algorithm, Erin on Demand is known as a business influencer. From these examples, one thing is clear. These influencers I’ve mentioned have one thing in common and that is the fact that they have a niche, they are known in a specific niche.

The first step in becoming a social media influencer is to choose a niche. Focus on something you are good at and start creating content on that. It might even be teaching. Maybe you are a content writer and you are good at it. You can create a social media page where you share content with regards to content writing and how to become a content writer with little or no experience. Choose a niche.

Create a social media page

The party doesn’t end with you choosing a niche, you also need to create a social media page where you share relevant content with regards to the chosen niche. There is an emphasis on quality content, content that people can benefit from, and not poorly written content that is not engaging.

Make use of social media tools

Various social media platforms have tools that can help you hack the platform and get more reach and engagement on your page. Instagram and Twitter have hashtags, they also have stories, fleets, Instagram in addition to a bunch of these also has Instagram reels where you can post videos. We have a post on how to make use of Instagram reels, click here. 

All I’m trying to say is that you need to make use of the tools and resources a particular social media platform comes up with to give your piece of content the reach it deserves. 

Don’t buy followers

Buying followers has always been a bad idea. When you buy them, the probability that most of them will not want to engage with your content is very high. Why have a lot of followers without engagement? This is one thing brands look out for. Grow your audience organically. You can do this by making use of the social media tools available and sponsoring some of your posts to reach your target audience. There is someone that wants what you are selling. We have to make sure we reach that person.

Engage with your audience

If you refuse to reply to the comments on your social media page, who is supposed to reply to the comments? If your followers leave comments, reply to their comments. Also, try to get them to engage with your content by creating polls and quizzes on your stories. You can also leave questions on your feed posts to drive engagement.

Be consistent

Consistency is key. You can ask any successful social media influencer and they would tell you that consistency is key. You need to be consistent; you need to consistently create relevant content in your niche. No, nobody is going to pay you immediately when you start creating content, but if you keep at it, you’d start attracting collaborations that would help you live your best life by being a social media influencer. If you are too busy, you can take out a day, batch-create contents, and schedule with a social media scheduling software like Postly.

Reach out to brands

Why are you waiting for brands to reach out to you first? If you have a small platform that is thriving in a particular niche, you can reach out to relevant brands in your niche with a proposal stating your analytics and what you’d do for them if they agree to work with you.

 That’s about that for this article guys. I hope you have an idea with regards to how to go about this with this article and I wish you the best of luck in your influencing career.