Original article by Yitzi Weiner
The word influencer is so new that it is still flagged by spellcheck as a typo.
What are these mythical creatures? We know that influencers are eagerly pursued by marketers and brands to endorse their products.
Influencers have two main features. One, they are perceived to be experts about a particular type of product or service.
Two, they have leverage within a certain community due to their personal engagement and rapport with them.
They are different than the celebrities of old because they have expertise in the product they are endorsing, and they regularly communicate with their fans and audience.
Because Influencers engage with a particular target audience, marketers seek to partner with them to engage that same community. This saves marketers and brands the trouble of trying to build that audience themselves.
While Influencers are often associated with fashion, or travel, Influencers have developed in nearly every interest niche.
I turned to more than seventy-five influencers from a wide array of disciplines to learn what it takes to “level up” to earn the mystical power of an “influencer”.
Jon Michail, Group CEO and Founder, Image Group International
My Top Tips To Become An Influencer
1. Remember what the goal is: Get your story right. If your number one goal is to attract more clients and generate sales then that’s the KPI. Some people get hung up on the fame, the glory and the attention. Although getting noticed is important the bottom line is to grow your sales.
2. Be credible. You’ll be found out soon enough if you don’t have factual evidence and examples to back up your ideas. In a world of fake news, your reputation is everything!
3. You have something to say — so say it. A good platform for sharing your opinion is a blog. Create one and share the hell out of it with the right niche audience. Yes, don’t bother converting the unconverted, you haven’t the time, energy or resources to invest in the unaware.
4. Speak at the right events, presentations, conferences. At first, start whenever and wherever you can to gain experience and confidence. Over time be selective — know your niche audience and grow it. Film it and publish it online. Get out there and make sure your voice is heard. (And remember the value of a pithy one-liner!)
5. Make meaningful connections. It’s easier than ever to network with the people who you admire — sometimes all it takes is a friendly tweet. Successful networking, online and offline, is a collaborative two-way street. If you get an opportunity to guest on someone’s blog, make sure you return the favour. Give value, say something meaningful, and protect your brand and reputation at all costs.
Read the full article from Thrive Global here.
Jon Michail and his team at Image Group International partner with ambitious individuals to achieve breakthrough results with contrarian and disruptive ways to grow and monetise their personal and business brands. A veteran, multi-award winning coach and author with a Who’s Who clientele, Jon is the CEO and Founder of Image Group International, an Australian-based corporate and personal brand image advisory and coaching organisation that conducts transformational seminars, workshops and one-on-one coaching in over four continents. He is recognised as Australasia’s No. 1 Image Coach.