7 Easy Steps to Becoming a Social Media Influencer

EPR Editorial TeamAug 22, 20122 min read

Share

7 simple steps to becoming a social media influencer explained

OK, I give: the title is there to grab your attention. Practicing the following 7 steps is not that easy. Social media influencers are those people who manage to speak louder than others, without yelling. That's because their messages are echoed by their followers, with tweets on Twitter, with likes and reshares on Facebook, and so on. But what's the secret recipe that makes a social media influencer, and how can you become one?

1. Make your name a brand

You cannot be an influencer if your name is not known. So the first step is to become your own brand. For this, buy your own name domain, and start a branded site. Examples of name-brands: David Airey, Dave Fleet, Brian Solis, Jeff Bullas, and so on. Note that most of these people are marketers and PRs? There's a good reason for it.

2. Be a leader, not a follower.

Take a look at the top social media influencers in your niche, and see what they are sharing. Then, instead of just following what everyone else is doing, add your own personality to what you are sharing. Try to stand out by being unique and original. Set the trend instead of following it.

3. Gain the trust of your audience.

You cannot become an influencer if your followers don't trust you. And to gain their trust, you need to take ownership of your opinions, to be genuine, and authentic. Give your followers enough information to help them form their own opinions.

4. Don't compromise quality for quantity.

Again, if you look at the influencers mentioned before, you will notice that, despite all their followers, they never compromise on quality. Brian Solis still writes his lengthy posts, full of valuable advice, David Airey still finds the best designs, Dave Fleet never fails to be honest about his affiliations, and so on.

5. Respect, don't fear, your competition.

Fear is, more often than not, detrimental. It makes you rush your decisions, and attack your competitors. Instead of fearing them, respect them. Try to learn from them. Don't belittle them to gain more accolades for yourself. Show them your respect by appreciating their successes. Congratulate them, and play fair.

6. You are what you endorse.

Know that if you endorse low quality services and controversial people, you will be regarded as such. Don't go over board promoting yourself and your services. People tend to lose respect for those who constantly spam them with self-serving links.

7. Be human

It is important to convey a personality that is real for people to identify with you. A phony has less success than a genuine person, and sooner or later, people will see right through your act. Stay true to your beliefs, and do onto others as you would have them do to you. Can you think of anything else you would like to add, to improve this list?