How to Become a Social Media Influencer

The Rise of Social Media Influencers

Influencer marketing has experienced massive growth in recent years. According to Business Insider Intelligence, the industry already valued at $9.7 billion in 2020 is poised to reach nearly $25 billion by 2025.

And it‘s not just an opportunity for the Kim Kardashians of the world anymore. The breadth of social platforms today allows niche influencers to gain sizable audiences and incomes too.

But just what constitutes an influencer? As defined by Facebook IQ:

"A social media influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to a large audience and can persuade others by virtue of their authenticity and reach."

The key pillars here include:

• Expertise: Depth of knowledge in a particular subject matter
• Reach: The size of their following and content distribution
• Authenticity: The level of trust and connection with said following

There are tiers of influencers based on following size:

But follower count offers little insight alone. The level of engagement and connection with said followers determines overall influence power.

In fact, nano and micro-influencers drive higher engagement rates and ROI (return on investment) for brand partners on average according to Markerly data below:

Now that the concept is clearer, let‘s explore exactly how one gains influencer status today.

How to Strategically Become a Social Media Influencer

Becoming an influencer doesn‘t happen by chance alone. It demands carefully crafted strategy crossing talent, aesthetics, consistency and business savvy.

But first comes selecting your niche…

Select Your Niche & Build Expertise

To become an influencer, you must establish expertise and credibility around particular subjects. Thus, the first step lies in selecting your niche.

Analyze your unique experiences, skills, interests and passions. Established photographers, attorneys, stay-at-home parents and more leverage niche skills already built over years.

You need not be world-class nor famous already though! If say, French cuisine, scrapbooking or video editing pique your interest, start actively expanding your knowledge.

Study deeply, test techniques extensively and even take offline courses to master chosen topics. Document learnings through blogs, vlogs and beyond to position yourself as an expert.

Besides playing to your strengths, analyze gaps in competitor content too. If travel blogging feels oversaturated, narrow into Costa Rica ecotourism or RV roadtrip adventures for a differentiated positioning.

Getting niche early is crucial however. Rebranding a general personal growth account into niche fitness coaching proves exceedingly difficult so define selected topics carefully upfront.

Identify Your Target Audience

Alongside niche, identify associated target demographics. Analyze niches like:

• Age ranges
• Income levels
• Geographic locations
• Gender
• Pain points
• Behavioral patterns

Understanding core fans enables crafting the most resonant messaging and content angles from the start.

For instance for a 20-something, middle America guitar teacher, instructional TikTok videos may drive highest traction over long-form tutorials.

Google Analytics offers free audience analysis by age, gender and interests once sites or channels gain ample traffic. Third-party social media analytics tools like Sprout Social provide further intel once able to invest.

Get clear answering – who most needs my niche advice? Then orient all creative and community decisions around delighting that audience.

Select Platforms Strategically

With defined specialties and target demos, strategically select associated social platforms next. Resist spreading efforts thinly across every network from the start!

Consider where prospective fans already gather alongside content style and strengths. Leading platforms now include:

Instagram

Best for visually engaging content like photos, reels and stories averaging highest user session durations. Lends itself to influencers in style, travel, photography and food.

TikTok

Specializing in short videos with viral sounds, effects and transitions. Caters to young music, comedy and pop culture crowds.

YouTube

Lengthy vlogs, tutorials and commentary content. Top platform for gamers, reviewers and how-to style experts.

Twitter

Trending news commentary, hot takes and networking. Ideal for journalists, activists, professionals and comedians.

Pinterest

Discovering and sharing ideas visually. Made for crafters, recipe developers and DIYers.

Identify your best individual platform then create consistently amazing content there before expanding networks.

Craft an Effective Content Strategy

With niche and platforms solidified, crafting an effective content strategy proves imperative.

Map out monthly content ideas across different formats like posts, stories, reels and live videos. Consider evergreen versus newsy content like:

• Trending hashtag challenges
• Viral meme commentary
• Reviews of latest products

Balance with evergreen tutorials, confessionals, favorites lists and similar. Study competitors for inspiration recognizing most amateur influencers minimize pre-planning.

Yet data confirms strong content strategies pay off. According to a BuzzSumo study analyzing 100 million articles, these top-performing content formats emerged:

Lists and guides generate high engagement as they deliver truly useful, actionable advice to fans craving insights. Include these generously in plans alongside passion-driven confessionals.

Analyze competitor posting schedules too. Marketers recommend posting 1-3x daily across actively managed platforms for ideal growth.

Schedule content in advance utilizing platforms like Hootsuite too. Consistent posting proves challenging even for professional creators but queues alleviate pressure to craft content daily.

Distribute Content for Maximum Impact

Only creating content gets you halfway there however. Equally critical comes amplifying reach across networks old and new.

Share freshly made content frequently across owned channels of course. Yet limit to 20% self-promotion according to the 80/20 rule.

The remaining 80% should engage others‘ content to avoid seeming too self-interested. Comment, like, reshare and discuss other niche players‘ posts generously. Create value for broader communities through thoughtful interactions.

Inviting collaborations further expands visibility. Reciprocally cross-promote giveaways, content and products with other influencers.

Request testimonials or quotes from happy partners or clients to enhance authority too.

Savvy influencers also tap wider interest-specific platforms like Reddit forums and Quora spaces related to their specialties. Drop helpful comments with website links to prompt organic discovery.

Take advantage of licensing options also. uploading videos to stock sites gives brands access for ~50% commissions. Photos likewise get snapped up on sites like Shutterstock for solid residual payouts.

For maximum distribution, set aside monthly budgets to test paid social advertisements too. The more promo entry points, the faster potential to engage wider audiences. Thoroughly track conversions to double down on most lucrative networks.

Engage Followers for Community Commitment

Producing killer content means little without cultivating true community however. Humanize via personal updates, behind-the-scenes looks and responding to all commentary.

Like and thoughtfully reply to any new comments ASAP according to Sprout Social data revealing:

• Comments increase user-generated content and overall engagement by 551%
• ~97% of users prefer brands that respond directly

Make fans feel heard by asking engaging questions also. @PopSugar draws 1 million+ likes through probes like:

"What‘s a dessert that will instantly make you feel like a kid again?"

Such prompts averaged a .56% engagement rate for the mega brand far exceeding expected benchmarks.

Plus calls-to-action inviting users to tag friends or take polls further enhance response.

Hashtag campaigns also foster belonging by letting fans share their versions. Design creative hashtags then actively collab, comment and reshare submissions.

Relationship-building with both micro and macro influencers also expands organic community potential. Follow them, actively like/comment on posts and co-create content.

Such TikTok collab houses as Hype House or Clubhouse Next prove the power of influencer circles working together closely.

Monitor Performance Data

In parallel to creative efforts, tightly track performance through website and social analytics.

Key metrics to monitor weekly include:

Follower Growth:

Monitor overall gains/losses plus follower locations, age and interests via integrated platform analytics. Ensure audiences align expectations to inform content pivots.

Content Reach and Engagement Rate Per Post:

Calculates as:

Engagement Rate = (Likes + Shares + Comments) / Reach x 100

Benchmarks by network:

If rates consistently fall below benchmarks, reassess content style and platforms.

Sales or Lead Tracking:

Monitor affiliate links, digital products and services for traction. Cross-analyze highest earning categories to shape future business plans.

Regular performance tracking proves critical to continually refine platforms, posting style and products for maximum influencer success.

Monetizing Your Influence

The most alluring influencer promise comes down to leveraging hard-won followers into income.

When audience size and engagement metrics hit certain thresholds, abundant monetization options emerge.

Sponsored Content

Also known as sponsored social, this remains the most ubiquitous influencer model currently. Brands pay creators directly to showcase products or services through custom posts.

Compensation models vary widely by account size and industry, including:

• Flat rate for single promotional post
• Revenue share per lead or sale driven
• Content trade for free products only

Micro-influencers generally earn approximately $200 per sponsored post on average according to MediaKix. Those accepted into exclusive programs like Instagram‘s Creator Accounts additionally access perks like early product access.

For those hitting 20k+ followers exploring income transitions, nail professionalism in sponsored content negotiations.

Streamline process for potential sponsors via a media kit. Include key statistics like audience demographics, top content and average engagement rates.

Make clear why fans genuinely value suggestions also since 78% buy based sheerly on personalized recommendations.

Transparently convey pricing structure also, scaled by typical reach and results. Maintaining trust proves critical long-term over perceived quick wins.

Affiliate Marketing

Signing up for sites like Rakuten, CJ Affiliate, ShareASale and more allows collecting commissions promoting relevant brands naturally.

Whenever sharing organic style, beauty or other recommendations, insert tracked affiliate links and publish LouiseWasHere10 promo codes.

Income gets collected for resulting site clicks and sales with no extra work beyond link creation. Percentages range based on vertical from fashion‘s ~5% to personal finance‘s 50%+ margins.

Affiliate marketing delivers excellent revenues from early on through consistency and audience growth. Treat as passive backend stream while focusing passion project content upfront.

Digital Educational Products

Becoming an influencer involves regularly doling advice out for free. Yet packaging hard-won knowledge into premium paid offerings proves wise.

Consider digital info products like:

• Online courses
• Video tutorial bundles
• Ebooks/guides
• Member forums
• Virtual conferences

Sell these on your own site or via platforms like Podia and Teachable specialized in creator monetization programs.

These assets additionally boost credibility, positioning you as top expert fans pay for bonus access to. Allow raising coaching services rates over time too.

Physical Products

As brand authority grows, expanding into physical products comes naturally. Start with merch classics like custom tees, water bottles and other branding builds excitement.

For creators cultivating very niche audiences like plant care or tarot reading, consider manufactured tools and accessories improving associated hobbies.

Research potential manufacturers on Alibaba Express first modeling modest order minimums and skinny margins. Validating demand initially proves wise before major investments.

Dropshipping allows creators to skip upfront inventory risks also. Simply setup funnel pages promoting products shipped directly from suppliers once ordered. This helps test numerous product concepts before fully launching individual lines.

Memberships & Courses

Ultimate monetization involves selling access exclusively to you and your content itself through memberships or full comprehensive course series.

These represent standalone assets outside volatile social networks promising highly predictable recurring revenues.

Offer multi-tiered subscription packages like:

• $9.99 per month for bonus content libraries and member forums

• $99 annual VIP access with direct messaging and live coaching

Developing exclusive masterclasses around specific skills also allows people to work directly alongside you virtually over time through interactive lesson plans.

Hosting these on all-inclusive course marketplaces like Kajabi helps minimize product creation headaches also.

While influencer brand-building foundations depend on free social content, making money necessitates premium packages only your truest fans will pay for and engage through.

Should You Become a Social Media Influencer?

Before wholly committing to the influencer path full-time however, reflect deeply on motivations and expectations.

The reality is succumbing to sudden Instagram fame and fortune rarely happens overnight without fundamentals. Success springs from niche passion and audience service above all.

Additionally evaluate if you genuinely have:

• Niche expert insights to share
• Content creation and writing abilities
• Thick skin to handle critics
• Time to commit 20+ hours per week

The rewards for those putting in long-term efforts are well worth it though.

Imagine making a healthy living simply sharing your authentic thoughts and expertise from home. Building a global community who craves your unique thoughts. Landing exciting brand deals through just being you.

It takes immense patience, strategy and hustle but for the right personalities, waking up to a business centered around personal brand sounds dreamy.

If that resonates, take the first steps above to start responsibly building your influencer empire today!

I‘m happy to address any other questions that come up too. Feel free to reach out.