Being a social media influencer goes beyond promoting brands and products. Influencers are a source of inspiration and motivation. They tell stories of their lives and experiences, connecting with their audiences in a personal and relatable way. Influencers have a responsibility to be honest and authentic because people trust them.
Being an influencer can be a fulfilling career. If it’s something you want to pursue, you must be intentional about it. Many influencers are on top of their game, so it’s important to stand out. Here are some tips and tools you can leverage to build your personal influencer brand on various social media platforms.
The Basics of How to Become a Social Media Influencer
Growing a social media presence requires a lot of work. If you don’t know where to start, these three steps will put you on the right track:
Carve Out a Niche
It’s important for influencers to find their niche. You can’t be an expert in everything, so find a specialized area of focus. You can start with broad topics like fashion, travel, or health, and then narrow them down — like sustainable fashion, budget travel, and health & fitness after 40. The more specific you can get with your niche, the better.
Your chosen niche will help you create tailored content that’s helpful and relatable to your target audience. Pick a niche that aligns with your passions and strengths. That way, you can show off your expertise and gain your audience’s trust.
Choose Your Platform
Next, choose the social media platform where you want to build a presence. Dividing your efforts across many platforms can be time-consuming and ineffective. Instead, focus on one or two social media platforms that suit your niche and target audience.
For example, if you’re tapping the Gen Z market, get creative on TikTok because that’s where Gen Z spends most of their time. It’s also crucial to consider the type of content you want to publish. If your niche is tech or fashion, showcase your work on visual platforms like Instagram or YouTube.
Develop a Plan
Being an influencer may seem like a lot of fun — and it is! — but it also requires careful planning. You must have goals, structure, and discipline to stand out from other influencers on social media.
Ask yourself these questions to help you develop a content strategy and schedule:
What SMART goals do I want to achieve (SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound)?
Which social media metrics are the most important to me?
What tone and messages will best resonate with my audience?
Which format best showcases my content?
How often can I commit to posting on social media?
When is my target audience most active on social media?
It’s very important that you track your performance to see if you’re hitting your goals. If not, explore different strategies and see what works best for you.
How to Become an Instagram Influencer
Instagram is a highly visual app, so there is no place for dark or blurry photos. Fill your feed with high-quality images to captivate your target audience and win their trust.
But quality doesn’t just pertain to technical details like resolution and framing. It’s also about making content that resonates with your audience. Will they enjoy it? Is it relatable or informative for them?
In addition, craft captions that add value to your posts. Provide helpful information and include CTAs to guide your audience to the next steps.
While images will always be at Instagram’s core, creating Instagram reels will give you the visibility boost you need as an aspiring influencer. The Instagram algorithm favors this format, allowing you to tap a larger audience and grow your following. Produce high-quality footage and trending audio to capture viewers’ attention and keep them watching until the end.
Stories are another valuable format. They give you the chance to get closer to your audience and show them your more casual and authentic side. You can post behind the scenes (BTS) footage or share something spontaneous you’re trying out. You can also use it to get viewers’ feedback through poll stickers.
How to Become an Influencer on TikTok
TikTok is the trendiest social media platform and the favorite among Gen Z users. If you want to be an influencer on the app, you have to jump on the trends. It’s an effective way to get eyes on your content and grow your following.
But hopping on trends doesn’t mean just copying what everyone else is doing. TikTok is all about creativity, so put your own spin on your posts and do something out of the ordinary. Fortunately, most TikTok trends are simple to execute and work well with various niches. In addition, use trending audio to increase your chances of expanding your reach to new prospect’s feeds.
Aspiring TikTok influencers must also pay attention to engagement. The comment section is the best way to get your audience to interact with you and each other. Users love to look at the comments after watching a video, so join the banter and showcase your wit and fun side. TikTok even has a feature that lets creators reply to comments with another video.
Authenticity will also get you far on TikTok. The Gen Z audience values genuine influencers, so only partner with brands you trust and that share your values. Cash-grab content will not fly on TikTok.
How to Become an Influencer on YouTube
The barrier to entry is much higher on YouTube because you’re competing with highly skilled content creators. Some people churn out masterpieces that feature impressive filming and editing skills.
While you don’t have to invest in the fanciest equipment, it helps to have a high-quality microphone, camera, and editing software. That will help you make professional-looking content and get your foot in the door. You can also make your content visually pleasing by experimenting with angles, lighting, and editing styles.
But there’s more to YouTube than putting out aesthetically pleasing videos. Your content should provide value to your audience, whether by entertaining them, inspiring them with new ideas, or teaching them a new skill.
Consistency is another key to success on YouTube. You’ll notice that most successful content creators on the app have a posting schedule to give their subscribers something to look forward to. They’ll even update their community if they can’t post that day. Consistency will establish you as a trustworthy influencer who cares about your audience.
Lastly, take the time to engage with your viewers. YouTube communities are tight-knit, and subscribers are loyal to their favorite content creators. Show your audience you value them by responding to their comments.
Companies That Help You Become an Influencer
Being an influencer is a tough job. You must always put your best foot forward and stand out from your competitors — and make sure you’re attracting your target audience. Of course, you have to earn money, too. Fortunately, there are many tools you can leverage to make the job easier.
Canva
Graphic design is an invaluable skill for anyone who wants to be an influencer. With Canva, you can create stunning branded images and creative stories even with zero graphic design experience.
There are thousands of templates to choose from, which you can easily customize according to your brand. All you have to do is drag and drop the design elements you want to use.
CapCut
Video editing is another helpful skill you need to have in your influencer toolbox. With well-edited videos, you can capture your audience’s attention and get ahead of competitors.
CapCut offers a powerful video editor that can turn your raw footage into works of art. It has countless filters and effects and robust features like text-to-speech, video-to-text, a voice changer, and keyframe animation.
Mavely
Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money as an influencer and Mavely is the best platform to maximize your earnings. Mavely connects more than 70,000 influencers to thousands of the world’s most-shopped brands.
Through Mavely, influencers can access brand campaign opportunities, monetize their content, and enjoy competitive commissions. Users also gain access to events, business development sessions, and 1-on-1 coaching.
Hootsuite
Work can pile up quickly for influencers, making it hard to stick to deadlines and track performance. That’s where Hootsuite can come in handy. It’s an all-in-one platform where you can draft, schedule, and publish social media content. You can even bulk schedule your posts so you never run out of content to share with your audience.
Hootsuite also offers a calendar and list view of your scheduled posts, allowing you to map out your content and fill in any gaps. You can also see the best times to post and maximize your visibility and engagement.
Later
Later is another tool influencers can use to schedule social media posts. With Later, you can bulk post to multiple social media sites at once and edit each of your posts within the platform. You can even see what your Instagram grid will look like with your scheduled post, so you know that you’re staying consistent with your preferred filters and style.
How to Become a Social Media Influencer in 2024
Growing your social media presence is like growing a business. You must invest time and effort and develop your skills to become a trusted expert in your niche. With the right strategy, you can build a community of loyal supporters and work with your dream brands.
Also, don’t be afraid to leverage the tools around you. They can simplify the process and help you get paid.
Monetize Your Social Media Account with Mavely
Are you ready to start profiting from social media? Mavely can help! Our free platform offers you access to thousands of brands, including ones that are looking to work with micro and nano influencers. When you sign up, you get access to a variety of tools and resources, including real-time analytics, creator courses, and dedicated account managers. Sign up for Mavely and start earning!
