Growing as an influencer on social media is a lot harder than it looks. There are many different factors that go into the process, and there’s no one way to grow your following. With so much information out there about how to become successful on social media, it can be hard to figure out what works best for you. That’s why we’re here with some of the most important things you need to grow as an influencer online.
- Figure out your niche: This is one of the most important steps to take to grow your following. If you’re a fashion influencer, design clothes, or another creative career that has an audience on social media, it’s essential for you to know how best to reach them and what they want from you. Figure out who will be subscribing/following based on how much time they have available for different types of content (e.g., how many people are interested in short-form posts vs. long-form blog posts).
- Create a brand around it: People are attracted to brands because they know how the company will deliver a quality product. Well, you’re no different! Create an identity for yourself and your content so that everyone knows how it’ll feel when they follow or subscribe to what you do. Doing this will make it easier for you to find your target audience and will help them feel more connected to you.
- Invest in professional photos: There’s nothing worse than trying to scroll through someone’s Instagram feed only to see terrible pictures from 2010 of them at their cousin’s wedding. Make sure all your social media branding has appropriate images and graphics, which is one-way people can tell how serious you are about this process as well as how successful you may be already (or not).
- Join communities that are related to your industry: There are a lot of communities on social media that can be beneficial for influencers, where you have the chance to interact with other like-minded people. These include groups related to your industry or even conferences and events in real life! Make sure you join these groups and engage with them on a regular basis.
- Share other people’s content in addition to your own: As an influencer, you want to be seen as a resource for how-to’s and tips. You don’t have to share your own content all the time; if there are other guides or blog posts out there that can help people in their lives, then make sure you’re sharing them too! Plus, you can share your own content while you’re at it.
- Create engaging headlines: When creating social media posts with pictures and text, it is important to include captivating headlines. This way, those who land on your page will know what they should expect before scrolling down. Additionally, this helps when someone shares your post because the headline will often appear along with the caption (clickbait title).
- Research for growth strategies: Many social media agencies are creating courses and how-to guides for influencer growth. If you’re looking for a straightforward blueprint to follow, this could be your best bet. It is not always easy to grow on social media as an influencer alone; however, it’s possible with the right people by your side! Look into hiring an agency or consultant that offers services like blog posts creation, content curation, community building strategy, or how to get followers on Instagram if you are struggling in specific areas of growing online.
- YouTube tutorials: YouTube has some great how-to videos about how influential you are when marketing yourself and making sure you get ranked high enough, so others will find out who you are! These channels often have tutorial series available where they walk viewers through every step from how to start an account and how you can get followers, all the way through to how to build your brand.
- Be consistent with posting on social media channels: one of the best ways to grow your following as an influencer is by posting consistently. It’s not how often you post, but how regularly! Make sure that you are taking a day or two off in between every month-long campaign so people won’t get sick of your posts and stop following you.
- Build relationships with others: when it comes to influencers at least, there are many different channels for reaching out – Facebook groups, Twitter chats, Reddit boards, etc. Snapchat also has some great communities for building relationships and getting feedback on the content before actually publishing it publicly. And remember – if someone reaches out to you first, be nice! Building these sorts of connections can make all the difference when trying to spread your name around online because, most likely, you’ll find a mutual connection who will be interested in following your account when they see how you handle yourself.
- Foster relationships: the best way to build these connections is by being personable and friendly with people online, so take some time to comment on other people’s posts where appropriate. Initially, it might seem weird at first, but it tends to work! And even if no one replies, just know that as long as you’re posting good content consistently, then eventually, more and more of those followers are going to end up finding their way over anyway.
- Don’t spam comments or follow requests: this happens all too often – someone wants something from you (a follow or shout out), so they send you a private message asking for what they want, and then you get a notification of how many new followers/friends they’ve sent your way. It’s flattering at first, but it also turns into an endless cycle where people are just asking for more because if you have something that someone else wants, why not ask? A lot of the time, these messages come across as spammy, so don’t do it – instead, use all those notifications to be nice back!
Conclusion:
The key to growing as an influencer on social media is patience. There are many different strategies for how to grow your following, but there’s no one way that works for everyone. The best thing you can do is be patient and figure out what strategy will work best for you – because, in the end, it’s about making sure that whatever you’re doing feels right!
