How-to for Influencers
So… you’ve decided to become an Influencer? Great decision. Influencer marketing is on the rise and growing exponentially. According to Adweek, Influencer Marketing, worth only $2 Billion in 2017, is expected to become a $10 billion industry in 2020.
An influencers main role is to subtly persuade people to buy products or services using their authority, position, knowledge or relationship with their audience.
But influencers also have the ability to shape minds, start movements and turn small ideas into multi-million dollar ventures (Behrman PR).
It’s virtually impossible to build a meaningful career these days without also building influence online.
But how do you do that if you’re not born into royalty or a celebrity? How do you do that if you’re virtually unknown?
Ready for a crash course? Here’s a quick how-to for influencers (or aspiring influencers).
1. Get Clear on Who You Are
Find your unique selling proposition. What’s special about you or your company?
- Is there something you offer that no-one else does?
- Or something you do better than nobody else does?
- Or do you have a better solution to a problem many people face?
- What are you passionate about?
- What are your skills?
2. Get Clear on Who You Serve
Now consider who would most benefit from your gifts.
Create an avatar of your ideal client, someone you will speak to directly.
Tip: Usually it’s someone very much like you. Someone struggling with the same challenge that you’ve already overcome. Someone who is where you were until you had an epiphany or gained knowledge and experience to become who you are now.
3. Start Offering Value
Now it’s time to figure out and how best you can deliver on your promises. And to spring into ACTION.
How will you present your solution? What will you create? Blog posts? Instagram Posts? YouTube Videos? Books? Talks? Courses? Podcasts? Interviews? Masterminds? Live Events? Music? Movies? Virtual Summits? Membership Sites?
You choose.
The trick here is to give, give, give of yourself and then give some more. People want to see you, they want to know your vision. People want to follow leaders.
Tip: Sometimes it takes a while to find the platform works best for you. You might launch yourself on one and then realise your skills are better suited to another. Or your audience hangs out on another platform. It’s okay to figure this all out while you’re building your authority.
4. Brand Yourself
Now it’s time to let your light shine. Brightly.
As your authority grows it becomes easier to pinpoint the exact point where your skills and passions meet. That special thing you do that you don’t even know you do. The innate magic that differentiates you from everyone else.
Your clients start telling you how you’ve helped them. Publications start citing your posts in theirs. Companies start approaching you requesting to work with you.
Suddenly you’re in demand. A hot commodity. Your posts start going viral.
This is when you become a brand. An Authority. An Influencer. A Thought Leader.
And now it’s time to let the world know who you are and who you serve. Now it’s time to tell your story.
5. Connect with other Influencers
Once you’re clear on your niche and you’ve started offering your clients or tribe solutions to their problems, you can start looking for other influencers in your niche.
Don’t be ashamed to reach out to them for support and mentorship, even if all this means is subscribing to their email list.
Start considering potential collaborations or joint venture partnerships with like-minded influencers who share your passion and serve the same audience.
One Last Note
Becoming an influencer is an evolutionary process. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Over time you become someone that people admire, that people want to follow. Be patient. Allow the process to unfold. You’ve got this.
