Social media influencing: A new-age career path

We are currently living in a time when there is a mobile app, a website or a web portal catering to almost everything. As social media and networking platforms evolved, interactions between internet users also transformed. Tweets and posts on social media are no longer just for having a simple conversation with people; internet users are using the rising popularity of social media to explore a whole new world of possibilities and chart out a lucrative career for themselves.

At a time when pursuing creative jobs has finally become more acceptable, being a social media influencer is one career path that more and more youngsters are considering. Today’s youth spends enormous amounts of hours consuming information on social media and interacting with users and brands. While content circulated across different social media platforms grabs far more attention compared to other media, it will not be wrong to say that influencers on social media are now a brand in themselves and often leverage social media to build networks of other users and influencers.

Moreover, being an influencer means that brands will pay social media influencers big bucks simply for their social capital; thus, the most common way for influencers to generate revenue is through sponsored content. This enables brands and marketers to target and communicate with specific consumer segments through an already established voice that they trust and identify with. Product placements, endorsements, reviews, and event coverage are just a few methods that social media influencers employ to nudge their followers to purchase a product or try a new service, in exchange for which they receive payments.

Although the best social media influencers make it look easy, no one can become famous overnight. There is, in fact, a great deal of hard work that is involved. Any top influencer can tell you about the countless hours they have spent on social media, learning and un-learning progressively, building their brand and followers from scratch.

If you are aspiring to get started with a brand-new career as a social media influencer and explore a whole new world of possibilities, here are a few tips for you to begin with:

CREATE A NICHE

Reality check: Unless you are an established name in the films, sports, or business industry, most people on social media aren’t interested in your selfies, what you eat, or your fitness regimen.They are, however, interested in viewing content they can use in their personal lives. Which is why, influencers on social media must use their skills to offer their followers something they truly care about; something that can help their followers improve their lives in a unique yet accessible way. The first step, therefore, towards becoming an influencer is finding your voice amidst all the noise on social media and standing out among the countless other individuals and groups vying for attention.

A good place to begin is to research what other influencers are already doing, the content they share, and how they engage with their followers.

Next, find out if you need any additional skills to develop content that is authentic and creative. If you focus on where your real interests are, the content creation process will become much easier.

To be a successful social media influencer, you must develop your own unique brand and way of communicating with your followers in a way that should make your content unique, memorable and make it stand out among all other standard posts.

CHOOSE A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM

Like any successful influencer, social media platforms too have a niche that they cater to – like Instagram, Pinterest, or Roposo, for instance. Thus, becoming a successful social media influencer involves a bit of market research to find the right social networking platform that matches your profile or has users that would be your ideal target audience.

Once you have selected your preferred platform, create a content strategy by deciding on the information or message you want to give, attempting to establish a community of your own. Finally, schedule a content plan for two to three months and start posting!

KEEP CREATING CONTENT

Keep your content regular and engaging to attract more people and to maintain your audience pool. Regardless of whether you have created a niche or are still discovering it, the most important thing initially is to keep posting and enhancing the quality of your content; this way, you will find out what works, and what doesn’t. Optimise your content to make the most out the platform and the traction from your followers. Instead of editing and re-editing content, you will learn and improve best when you keep posting and receive feedback from other users or influencers.

STAY ENGAGED AND UPDATED

If you aspire to be a successful social media influencer, you must have information of all that is happening around you. Just staying updated on activities will not do the trick. You must connect, communicate, and create, and continue to do so. Find out what other influencers are saying, and how they are saying it to help you increase the credibility of your own content. Remember that engaging with your followers is as important as posting good quality content. Most top influencers are successful because they are accessible and always willing to give back to their followers in any way they can, specially like replying to comments. To be an influencer, you need to be ‘seen’. Hence, don’t forget, while good content defends itself, as an influencer, you will have to guide the audience to it by constantly being in touch with them.

Social media is all about the people on the internet, and therein lies your most valuable tool for success. The key to being a successful social media influencer isn’t about getting people to like you, but rather about sharing experiences, ideas, and information through creative content that will appeal to your audience. Keep the content relevant to your followers and other users on the platform.

Being a social media influencer isn’t just a one-dimensional practice to become popular. It is a bona fide career opportunity that is fast gaining credence, helping skilled individuals like artists, fashion designers, photographers, aspiring chefs, or bakers to showcase their talents and creations to larger audiences on amazing online communities, and build their own presence and brand online.