How to Become an Influencer

“Influencer” is a phrase that has increased in popularity lately, and it refers to a celebrity, usually on the internet, that has the popularity necessary to influence the behavior and shopping habits of their followers. There is substantial money to be made along this career path. However, success is far from guaranteed. There is a lot of work involved in becoming an influencer; here are some key steps you’ll need to take in order to become an influencer. 

Associate Yourself with a Product or Brand

Part of being an influencer is having well known tastes, and that starts with developing an association between yourself and certain products and brands. These tastes will form the basis of your influence later on, so find a product or brand that can become synonymous with your name and face. Becoming closely associated with a product may result in the brand that owns that product sitting up and taking notice, and then you’ve got your foot in the door. Try looking through some Le-Vel Thrive reviews, for example, to see if that brand is a good fit for you, and then you can begin cultivating a public persona in line with the brand in question.

Build a Following

Once you’ve decided on the persona you wish to put out there, you need to take to social media to develop an audience. Your online presence is a key part of the equation, and it will vary based on a certain set of criteria. For starters, your online persona needs to fit with the brand you wish to ingratiate yourself with, so keep that in mind. However, your personal brand will need to carry its own weight, as well, so here is where you’ll want to start broadcasting your own distinct image. Your online presence will also need to take into account what platforms you use, because your persona will naturally be expressed differently on different platforms.

Produce Content

An influencer is almost always wearing more than one hat, so to speak. The term “influencer” is typically associated with creators of various types of content, especially YouTubers, so you’ll need to bring unique content to the table in order to keep eyes on you. With the specific goal of being an influencer, you’ll need to tailor your content to fit well with the brand you want to associate with. Though the brand in question shouldn’t be the sole focus of your work, it needs to be a central focus in order to build the desired association in the minds of your followers. For example, a YouTube channel or Instagram account that focuses on makeup will be more likely to garner support from makeup and cosmetics brands.

Leave Your Options Open

While a good strategy is to tailor your online image to match a brand that you’re interested in in the hopes of garnering a sponsorship from said brand, you may incidentally attract attention and offers from other brands. These incidental brands will still typically be in line with your image to varying degrees, so be prepared to accept offers that are perhaps less than ideal, as long as they don’t compromise the image you’ve been building. While “selling out” may be tempting, a clear betrayal of your established image and goals may hinder or even halt growth, so keep that in mind when weighing your options.

Be Prepared to Fail

Gaining the clout necessary to gain sponsorships is a long road full of various trials. It would be unwise to dive headfirst into this endeavor as if success is guaranteed. Instead, make sure to have a backup plan, because this is not a surefire career path. Be prepared to work hard for what you want, but also be prepared to struggle, to fail, and to wait patiently for your time to shine.

Becoming an influencer would a dream come true for many. Fame, after all, is a goal many people strive for. However, statistically, most people never achieve fame. Therefore, it’s wise, if not necessary, to stay humble and continue working hard toward this goal, as well as toward the stability that enables you to pursue your dreams.