To drive for Uber, you need a car. To register on Airbnb, you need a spare room. To become an “influencer”, all you need is your personality and social media account.
SummaryManufacturing He is a micro-influencer1. Brand yourself.2. Put quality over quantity.3. Embrace the video.4. Be generous.5. Tell great stories.Micro-influencers, social users whose followers vary between 10,000 and 50,000 on average, can earn a few hundred dollars per article. While they exist on all social media platforms, they typically earn the most on Instagram, where influencer marketing agency Mediakix found that nearly 70% of marketers plan to spend the most on content this year.
Luckily, you don't have to be a Kardashian to get noticed on social media. Many of my friends and acquaintances have gone from zero Instagram to five and six figures in less than a year, often by investing less than two hours each day.
Plot? Here are five tips for creating or growing your own following:
Take stock of your existing interests and areas of expertise. Don't force it – if you don't like going to the beach, don't pretend to be a surfer – but think about what interest or hobby you can capitalize on.
What if you find traction in an area other than your passion? Don't sweat it. Stanford researchers argue that “following your passion” is actually bad career advice because it prevents people from pursuing unknown fields. New passions develop, not discover.
Additionally, exploring small, overlapping areas of interest is what makes you unique as a micro-influencer. Your particular mix of skills and experiences is what attracts users and potential brand partners. Marketers appreciate genuine support and followers can tell if you are acting authentically or not.
As tempting as it can be to focus on your follower-to-subscriber ratio, it's not a good way to measure your value as an influencer. In fact, your value as the micro-influencer rests on the fact that you don't have millions of followers. The engagement you get from your followers depends on your image.
Instead of trying to increase your number of followers, focus on the quality of those relationships. Comment thoughtfully whenever a follower tags you. Post images and videos that show you interacting with real people in everyday circumstances. Explain your strategy to brands by pointing out that the ratio of likes and comments to followers peaks when an account has around 1000 followers.
There's a reason platforms from Facebook to Instagram have added video features:animated video producer Wyzowl notes that social media views have grown by double or triple digits in recent years, and Twitter videos are six times more likely to be retweeted than photo-based tweets.
Some activities lend themselves better to video than others. If you're a chevron whitewater, for example, you'll have no problem creating exciting clips. What if you like to play chess or read novels? Be creative:dress up as a chess piece and go dancing. Take a trip to the settings of your favorite book. Read while riding a unicycle.
Don't give away so many freebies that you can't make money as a micro-influencer, but be on the lookout for opportunities to give and share. The simplest and cheapest thing to give is information. If you're a backpacker, post a checklist for two-, three-, and five-day trips. Personal thanks are another free tactic:when a follower tags you in a post about themselves, publicly thank or joke with them from your account.
When is a gift or product sample appropriate? Save those expensive and time-consuming deeds for big favors. If another camping influencer talks to you, for example, you could send a handwritten note on a piece of tent fabric. Try to put strings on freebies that benefit both parties:a one-on-one tasting with another influencer in the craft beer space might be a good reason to send a 12-pack.
Human beings are wired to tell stories. That's why it's not enough to post a photo of a product and hope your followers will fill in the blanks. Don't be too nosey either:saying, "I like this product, and you should too," comes across as stiff and overly promotional. Your subscribers won't take you seriously, and potential brand partners won't find your content worth their investment.
What do the best stories have in common? Studies show that they are simplistic in wording, clearly show cause and effect, and describe relatable sensory experiences. If you post a Thanksgiving video of your little brother making mashed potatoes on the ceiling, for example, you might start by describing how sticky they were or how he threw them.
Don't expect micro-influence to replace your full-time job, but don't underestimate your potential either. Once you've attracted a few hundred followers organically, try sharing some product suggestions. If they are successful, email each brand's marketing team and tell them how much you love their product. When these marketers search for your account, they see loyal followers and genuine referrals.
And after? If brand marketers aren't offering an influencer gig, be proactive. Ask them if they would appreciate your help in further promoting the product. If so, ask for a postage fee of around $100. Otherwise, continue; many companies try to get attention on social media.
At the end of the line? You don't need fame or a fancy title to make money online. In reality, not being famous just might be the secret weapon you need to get ahead.
