8 ways to become a successful influencer

An influencer is an individual who has a high level of popularity or authority within their industry. Influencers tend to gain followership easily because they have significant experience, success, or expertise in what they do.

As an influencer, it is important to note that you don’t need to be known on a large scale like major celebrities.

Categories of influencers

Nano-influencer - 1,000- 10,000 followers

Micro-influencers - 10,000- 50,000 followers

Mid-tier influencers - 50,000- 500,000 followers

Macro-influencers - 500, 000- 1,000,000 followers

Mega influencers - over 1,000,000 followers

How to become an influencer in your industry

Find your niche

You first need to know what you want to major in as it will help you to focus on your area of specialization. To achieve this, your passions and strengths should be the first priority because choosing a niche that aligns with those areas allows you to show off and further hone your skills.

READ: 5 key attributes that have made Joy Kendi one of Kenya's most successful influencers

By doing this, your entire focus will be shifted to just one area of the industry, which will make it easier for you to establish your authority and hence attract your audience.

Examples of niches include travel, fashion & lifestyle, sports, food, skincare, gaming, movies & TV, tech, and career coaching.

Choose your social media platform

Choosing the specific social media to use for your target audience is key in case you want to grow as an influencer.

You should carry out your own research in relation to the social media platforms that your target audience uses most of the time. You will also want to look at which platforms other influencers in your industry use most often as it will help to pinpoint the direction that suits you most.

Social media platforms that most influencers use include Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Develop your content strategy

Providing high-quality and relevant content to your targeted audience showcases that you are an expert and valuable resource and it always helps in establishing your presence as an influencer.

You must decide what formats your content will take and how you will share this content across your social media platforms.

You might for example use Instagram for your audiovisual content while you post your written article on Twitter.

To make sure that people are engaging with you after posting your content, you should use online resources that can help you determine the best times of day to publish your content.

Build a portfolio

It is important for you as an influencer to have a portfolio where you showcase your work and the services you offer when people start searching for your profile online.

A website, for example, can serve as a link between you and your audience and it will automatically help them to get to know you easily.

Be consistent

To retain your following, publish high-quality content and provide it on a consistent basis.

Audiences appreciate consistent posts and are more likely to engage with them, which will also help you build stronger relationships with your followers.

Have an opinion

People may be more attracted and loyal to unique, authentic voices rather than those that just repeat the popular talking points.

Engage your audience

Your audience will only support you when you interact with them directly as they will feel valued.

Stay up to date on trends

Your audience has expectations that you will provide them with the latest news, trends, and other important information about your industry and you should not fail them as an influencer.

You can do this by following industry news sources, thought leaders, and other experts and sharing them with your audience, along with your perspective.

This can also help you grow your audience because you can post content based on what people are searching for at the moment and use social media hashtags to spread your content to people who don't already follow you.