How Do I Become an Influencer?

Many people ask themselves this question: How do I become an influencer? The multi-million follower numbers of online stars seem unattainable, especially when you’re just starting out.

But comparisons won’t get you anywhere. There have also been nano and micro influencers with fewer fans but a sharper target group for a long time.

Transformation is a Process

How do I become an influencer to make my interests and expertise visible in a profitable way? Many people ask this question and that’s why we’re going to answer it today: As a prospective influencer, you go through a transformation from being relatively unknown to becoming an authority on a certain topic.

You use the social media apps of your choice to strategically increase your visibility and then be offered cooperation. As a rule, your own website with a blog and a newsletter should be included in the mix.

These seven steps are your path to visibility:

1. Define Your Niche

Within your industry or area of ​​interest, there is a specialty that you are particularly passionate about. Within this knowledge, define your niche to stand out from the crowd and be recognized as an expert.

2. Create Quality Content

For your niche, you need high-quality content on a regular basis that offers your followers concrete added value and positions you as a reliable and credible source of information with a growing audience. ´

3. Interact With the Community

Social media gives you more options than just posts and comments. Interact with your followers, offer question and answer sessions in the form of live videos to create and maintain connections.

4. Search for Collaborations

Other influencers and established experts can interview you or have a guest appearance with you. The visible connections increase your visibility and mutual credibility, and your reach also increases.

5. Use References Strategically

Rave comments, positive reviews, and every nice mention of your channels by others is “social proof” you can use to demonstrate your authority and credibility to potential business partners.

6. Participate in Events and Bar camps

As a participant and above all as a speaker at conferences and other events, you can further increase your level of awareness and expand your network if you act as an authority with your specialist knowledge.

7. Perseverance is the Order of the Day

Each of these six steps mentioned above requires a plan, the implementation of several steps and perseverance, even if the big success is missing at first. You can assume that you will have to do 18 to 24 months of development work.

Influencers Need a Thick Skin

In addition to a strategy and perseverance, influencers should also familiarize themselves with the fact that visibility always provokes criticism. Sometimes someone will disagree on a product or expertise, sometimes someone just rampages.

Before you go public with yourself, you should think about what you will do if you are confronted with such behavior.

You also need a media kit : a presentation of your channels and follower numbers that shows what your customers and cooperation partners can expect.