The field of influencer marketing has seen an exponential increase in its popularity over the last five years. Social media platforms have seen a lot of growth, and a large number of people are joining social media every day. In fact, according to a recent report for the global digital stat shot, there are more than 3.19 billion people in the world who use social media. That makes up about 42 per cent of the world’s entire population.
Social media platforms are instrumental and successful for marketing and advertising because of the massive number of users. And this is why social media influencers can make so much money.
For people who are new to the concept, here is a rundown of who an influencer is. For starters, influencers are people who build their social media presence and have a lot of followers. These people can then take endorsements and advertising deals from brands to promote their products and make money as well.
Becoming a social media influencer is a very lucrative career option, but the question is, how do you get started? What do you need to do to become a social media influencer? Today I am going to answer these questions. Here is a small guide, which will help you start your social media profile and become a successful and recognizable social media influencer.
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Determine the kind of content you want to produce:
Before you start a social media profile, you need to determine what the theme of the profile will be. If you’re going to be an influencer, you need to understand what your talents are and what you are good at. You need to analyze your skills and focus on the area on which you have a good command. It will help you to determine what kind of content you want to produce, and which audience do you want to target.
You could make an account of makeup products, and post makeup tutorials and reviews regarding new items. If you are a sports lover or play any sport, you can create an account related to games, and you can upload analytic posts about upcoming matches.
You can also create a profile about travelling and upload some aesthetic photos and travel vlogs on it. There are a lot of options to pick a theme for your channel. Hence, identify your skills, area of interest and make your social media profile accordingly.
Choose the right social media platform:
After you have determined what you want to upload on your profile, you need to choose the right platform. There are a lot of options to choose from, but the most popular social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
According to recent statistics, Instagram is the best social media platform to start an influencer account. Ninety-three per cent of social media influencers make their main accounts on Instagram. Instagram is also one of the most commonly used social media websites, so it is preferred for advertising and marketing.
Even though your main account is going to be on Instagram, you should also have a presence on some other social media platforms simultaneously. You could use YouTube and Facebook as an added tool to increase your Instagram followers.
Also read: How to Maximize the Power of Social Media for E-Commerce
Learn how to make high-quality content:
Now that you have decided on the type of content and the platform you want to post it on, it is time to start creating the content.
Many factors determine your popularity and success on a social media channel, but none of them is as essential as the quality of your content. You need to make aesthetically sound photos and meaningful videos if you want to start a career as an Instagram influencer.
You should start by investing in some gear, if you have a smartphone with a good camera, you can use it to create your content, but if you want to compete with the top social media influencers, you will need to get some professional cameras and lenses.
There are a lot of options for cameras available in the market, and the massive amount of choices can get overwhelming, especially for a person who is new to cameras and influencer marketing. You should check out these reviews written by George about cameras and camera lenses that can help you a lot in getting the right camera for your specific requirements.
You could also get some other gear like ring lights, microphones and drone cameras to increase the versatility and quality of your content.
After your content is made, you can create a schedule to upload your content, because regular uploading can be very advantageous when you are trying to build a channel. Most popular Instagram influencers upload 6 to seven posts a week along with going live and posting stories. Hence, you will also have to keep up this pace if you want to succeed.
Employ tactics to increase the engagement on your profile:
The next step after creating and uploading your content is promoting it. This is the step that makes a difference. If you know the right techniques, you can get a decent amount of followers within three to four months. Otherwise, it may even take years to increase your followers.
You should learn how to properly use hashtags and other promotional features to increase engagement on your social media profile. Instagram allows its user to add up to 30 hashtags with one post so you can get your post out there if you know how to use them.
You can also collaborate with other influencers to increase the traffic on your social media profile.
Also read : The Value of Social Listening as a Social Media Strategy
Be patient and consistent:
The most important tip that I can give you is to be patient. Nobody becomes a social media influencer overnight. So, you will need to be patient and consistent if you want to succeed.
The beginning is going to be the most challenging and many people quit within the first three or four months. And now the new Instagram algorithm has made it even harder for new accounts to gain some traction. So, be patient and stick to your ambition. I can assure you that your page will start to grow if you weather the initial storm.
It is also essential to be consistent. You should upload new content regularly even if you don’t get the engagement you want. The promotional algorithms favour more active users on social media platforms, so being consistent with your post will increase your chances of success.
Conclusion:
So, here was an essential guide for becoming a successful social media influencer, though many people may think that it is easy, social media marketing can be a very unforgiving business if not done correctly. It requires a lot of hard work and above all, patience. Still, if you use the guide mentioned above and stay resilient, you will succeed in becoming a popular social media influencer.