Did you know you can influence your audience by sharing your expertise? Developing a reputation for valuable content can lead to becoming an influencer in your space. Consumers are looking online more than ever to verify credibility before working with professionals. The more impressive your trail of content, the more potential clients will come to rely on you. Becoming an influencer for your brand demands a lot of time, energy, and effort. You might not know where to start, which is why many people look to their digital marketing team for support.
Influencing others requires believing your expertise has value and then successfully marketing your brand message. You must have a solid social media presence, and those social platforms should be ones your audience loves. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and others all have their own demographics.
Hone Down Your Many Choices
Once you’ve chosen one or two social media platforms that make the most sense, you’ll need to offer engaging content over a period of time. It takes more than a single blog post, video, or podcast to be an influencer. You’ll need to deliver relevant advice and a genuine message without promoting a sales pitch. People will only listen to what you have to say if they can relate to it on an emotional level.
Some social platforms primarily use images, video, or written text. Many use a combination. Consider the age and preferences of your audience to decide the best route to take. Test out different forms of messaging to see what gets the biggest reaction (likes, comments, and shares) and then remain active with regular posting. You may post once a month on one platform and several times a week on another. Fine-tune your message and think about the media channels you use, including:
Blog articles (and guest blogging)
Press releases
TV, video, or online magazine interviews
Sponsorships
Published books or speaking engagements
Hosting radio or podcasting shows (or guest)
Content vs Just Fluff
Well-done content will outperform competitor “fluff “ as Google picks up on original material incorporating Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with the proper keywords, hashtags, titles, and descriptions. Each piece of content also offers a call to action at the end so followers can work with you or learn more. Their next step is to reach out for a consultation, a monthly newsletter, a new program, or a downloadable resource to develop a relationship.
Blue Zenith uses SEO best practices for written content, podcasts, videos, and more to build the proper marketing foundation. Software tools increase website page speed, make sure design and content are mobile-friendly, and that consumer interactions are secure. Every business owner should know digital marketing basics, from choosing topics to the best media types or social platforms to reach your audience. We also look at Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to build awareness, optimize email campaigns, and offer automation through Artificial Intelligence applications (AI).
Expertise Expands Your Influence
Expand your client reach by sharing your strengths, passion, and solutions to specific needs. This is what drives you and makes clients want to work with you. Tell a story about what life looks like after you’ve solved their challenges. Repeat your narrative consistently. The more they see you and hear from you, the more they understand what to expect when they need you.
Your following builds as your message is seen on a variety of platforms. Each target audience has followers, too, reinforcing your online presence and expertise through their loyal friends and multiplying the number of people who recognize your name and reputation. Owning your expertise starts out small and builds up until you reach your goals.
Share your success with great customer testimonials. These back up your story about what it’s like to work with you using actual client experiences. You may need to guide clients to speak about the results and transformation they had with you rather than making generic statements about how “fun” it was to work together. We offer tips for good testimonials and how to use social platforms effectively to help you stand out. Have customers use specific examples of beneficial outcomes and positive changes. You can delve deeper by doing case studies that detail a project from start to finish with your client’s permission. Let’s not forget to ask for reviews on social media platforms as well. A five-star rating can grab a browsing consumer’s attention and add to your growing reputation.
Tools of the Trade
To increase your engagement rate, visibility, and followers more quickly, you may need to invest in expert guidance and a well-constructed strategy. As your brand grows, a team of experts creates imagery, integrates photos, video, and audio, and edits all media. There are many affordable tools and services to use on your own if you have the time to learn how to use them.
Digital marketing companies have the latest tools ready to use to generate high-quality, authentic stories. We use metrics to find what grabs your followers’ attention, increases engagement rates, website traffic, and visibility. Asking your audience directly or using surveys can also answer critical questions about what information, tips, or guides they want to see. Testing and learning require listening to feedback, requests, and insights. Thank your followers for new ideas that build relationships and make corrections involving negative feedback.
Tools allow you to identify other influencers in your niche, manage messaging on multiple platforms, and track the impact of your efforts. They help you find a targeted audience interested in your product that engages with you.
Reaching Your Goals
Becoming an influencer can elevate brand awareness and increase sales. However, you get to determine your brand’s needs, such as increasing your customer base in a different demographic or expanding into various user groups to introduce a new product instead.
Your focus should always be on quality rather than quantity. If you’re short on ideas, look at other popular content from similar brands and if the same approach might work for you. Partnering with other brands in the same space that can improve customer experience can positively impact your brand if they have the same values and philosophies. It’s important to be personable and authentic, approachable, and honest.
As you develop a dedicated social following, you are viewed as an expert within your niche. The confidence to explain your unique processes and values attracts followers and builds your expertise simultaneously. Trust encourages your people to come to you for recommendations and refer you to new potential customers. Contact Blue Zenith to help you research, set a budget, determine goals, find your audience, review, and revise.
*Source provided: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/362113
**Other sources: Barker, S., updated 2020. Apply These 8 Secret Techniques to Build Your Influencer Brand, https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/06/build-your-influencer-brand.html
Chen, J., 2020. What is influencer marketing: How to develop your strategy, https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing/