Social media is sweeping America away! 72% of Americans use at least one social media platform, including 84% of young people.
You can make a lot of money if you manage to reach out to just a few hundred thousand people. The best way to do so is to start social media influencing. But you can’t just start tweeting and expect to make money off of your work.
What platforms are best for social media influencing and brand building? How can you develop an audience for yourself? What sorts of content should you put out?
Answer these questions and you can start personal marketing in no time. Here is your quick guide.
Select a Platform
Many people think about Instagram when they think about social media influencing. If you’re familiar with Instagram, you should go for it. But you can pick another platform you are more familiar with or better suited for.
Keep in mind that each platform is different. Instagram and Pinterest prioritize visuals, and you must produce high-quality photographs and infographics. YouTube is a platform for videos, so you need to have video production skills for it.
TikTok is one of the newest platforms, but it is becoming very popular. You can become a TikTok influencer in less time than it takes to become an Instagram or YouTube influencer.
Do your research on each platform and take a look at the content creators on them. Think about how they produce content and what you can do to distinguish yourself from them.
Pick a Niche
A niche is the subject and themes you present in your content. Popular niches include fitness, fashion, and movies.
Some niches are more popular on certain platforms than others. Recipes and weddings are very popular on Pinterest while fashion is very popular on Instagram.
Your niche should be something you are passionate about and have a lot of knowledge in. But it should be something you can research and expand your understanding of. It should also be something that other people care about and lends itself to personal branding.
You can tackle a subject within a niche. Instead of making an account about food in general, you can make one based on Chinese or Indian food.
Hone Your Audience
In addition to a niche, you need to have a target audience to receive your content. The more precise your audience is, the more steps you can take to court them.
You should think about demographics. Consider the age, gender, and location of your audience. You should also evaluate how internet-savvy they are, as many older people aren’t familiar with social media branding.
Think about the problems your target audience faces. Within the niche of Chinese food, your audience may not be aware of how to cook dishes or buy cooking supplies. Your account can produce instructive content and promote kitchenware.
You should also keep in mind what motivates your audience. You should think about what qualities you have that would motivate them to follow you and what they need to engage with you.
Produce High-Quality Content
High-quality content can mean a few different things. Your photographs and your videos need to look good. You should use high-definition cameras and photographic techniques that generate emotions in the minds of your audience members.
Your content should engage your audience and encourage them to share your work. You should ask them questions that they answer in comments or direct messages. You can also share polls and change your content based on the results.
You should use hashtags when they are appropriate. Do not use more than ten hashtags for any given post. Try to use a combination of popular and new hashtags to categorize your content.
Optimize Your Account
You can optimize your account in several ways. You should switch to a business account once you start to develop a following.
Write a biography of yourself that tells your story in a few sentences. You should include your areas of expertise to encourage companies to reach out to you. You must include a profile picture of yourself as well as a cover photo of something in your niche.
Connect your account to its own email address. This lets you read notifications and updates about your account and platform right away.
Collaborate With Others
You should network with other influencers. Share their content and help them create their own posts. You can also leave comments on their posts, especially if you have constructive feedback to offer them.
As time goes on, companies may contact you and ask you to share posts about their products. Some companies will give you posts that you can share right away. Other companies may ask you to showcase or review products.
Take advantage of any opportunity to work with a company. Yet review their terms and make sure they are fair. You should be compensated with money for your work, not just exposure or free products.
Get Going on Social Media Influencing
Social media influencing can help you rake in a lot of money. Pick a platform and niche you can focus your attention on. You should also think about a particular audience you can appeal to and how your content can resolve their concerns.
Your content should have premium visuals and information that helps your audience. You should create a business account with your personal information attached. Network with as many people as possible, including businesses looking to promote their products.
Social media is more complicated than you could imagine. Read more social media guides by following our coverage.
