How to Become an Influencer
Brands Want to Work With
By
Alexandra Weiss

With social media now playing a major part in a brand’s marketing strategy, new ideas and tactics have emerged to take advantage of the consumer’s propensity to speak out online.  These strategies include components that target influencers with the greatest popularity and prestige, as measured by their impressive number of subscribers, blog page views, and social media following.  So how do you become an influencer that brands want to work with? Here are a few valuable pointers that will give you an edge above the rest:

Have A Unique Point of View
The best influencers create and distribute content that distinguishes them from the rest of the blogosphere.  They answer questions, solve problems, and entertain or enlighten.  Influencers have also built credibility over time, not only becoming respected figures to their followers, but more importantly, a trusted source of information.

Be Active on Social Media
Brands want to work with influencers who will help tell their brand story, generate buzz, and spread brand awareness to new audiences.  Being active on social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Tumblr is a great way for an influencer to connect with their audience and help a brand increase their exposure; consistency is the key. The top bloggers engage and publish content at least several times a day to the platforms where their followers are most active. A good rule of thumb is to create a content calendar to ensure that you are engaging with your followers every day.

Be Authentic
No brand wants to hire influencers who have purchased their social media audiences.  They want to work with those who have put in the effort and built a loyal, engaged audience. Some ways to cultivate an engaged and loyal audience include providing unique and relevant content, researching and finding the right channels to connect with the target audience, and responding to questions or comments consistently.

Curate Your Partnerships
Brands do not want to work with an influencer who agrees to every paid opportunity and promotion.  The most effective influencers work with brands that they actually support, and those that coincide with their area of expertise.  This filtration system will benefit both the influencer and the brand by allowing the formation of a deeper relationship and better results.

Be Professional
With influencer marketing becoming the most powerful tool in getting a brand’s message to an interested audience in an authentic and interesting way, it is important, as an influencer, to stay professional and maintain relationships.  Brands do not want to work with influencers who do not honor their agreements or miss deadlines. They will continue to work with you if you are reliable, responsible, and produce great content.

Working with influencers is a marketing tactic on the rise and big brands want to work with influencers that will provide the greatest impact.  With the bar set high, becoming an influencer isn’t easy; it takes talent, hard work and a lot time. However, if done properly and strategically it can be very rewarding, both creatively and financially.

 

Alexandra Weiss, partner, is a creative advisor and marketing expert who came out of Ralph Lauren’s global marketing division, where she worked on a vast array of initiatives from international development to internal website development. Following her time there, she and partner Carol Han launched CA Creative, focusing on working with clients to identify and reach target consumers, develop strategies that best reach them, and expand fan reach and acquisition.

 

 

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR