This idea of utilising social media influencers is becoming more appealing to brands each and every day. But with this comes greater responsibility and investment. A few weeks ago, we did a review of the latest guidelines and learnings from the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s webinar on the “New Era of Influencers”. You can check out our tips and insights here. 

While the webinar was heavily geared towards brands that are using influencers, not much was said about the guidelines influencers themselves need to stick to. So, we decided to write Part 2, which is our quick guide to influencers that are starting out, so that you can stay ahead of the curb and ensure you are providing genuine value for the organisations you are working with.

70% of teens have said that they trust influencers on social media more than traditional celebrities and scarily it seems as though there are new influencers popping up out of nowhere each day, especially since everyone has been isolating or in quarantine. Whether it is on Instagram, Youtube or TikTok absolutely anyone is able to become an influencer now.

If you are just getting started in the ‘influencer’ category, here are a few tips and tricks to help you on your way.

Step one: Pick a speciality

If you are trying to emulate other influencers you see in your feed, then think again! You have to pick a niche or specialty that you have an affinity with and want to be known for. At the end of the day, it is an extension of your own personal brand, so pick something that will help you stand out to your followers or encourage influence. Whether it is travel, food, health, beauty, entertainment or anything extremely wacky, the choice is yours! Just make sure you can be remembered.

Step two: Choose your social media platform

Choosing a social media platform to post on is very important. Popular channels these days include Instagram and TikTok and depending on your niche, you’ll know what’s right for you. If you love taking photographs and building a beautifully aesthetic profile, maybe Instagram is right for you. If you’re looking to build up corporate influencer and traction, why not try LinkedIn or Facebook?

Step three: Post high quality content

Posting high quality content is the MOST important aspect to consider. You need to post unique and engaging content, regardless of whether its videos, photos, blog posts or general life updates. It is extremely important to decide early on how you characterise yourself and how it will make you stand out from other influencers and showcase value to your audience. 

Step four: Listen and grow with your target audience

Listening and growing with your target audience is essential. If you post content that your audience does not like, they will unfollow you or stop being interested, which is not what we are aiming for.

You are able to look into the analytics section of any social media platform to see which demographics are following and engaging with your content. And you can use this to your advantage.

Additionally, keep track of your comments and shares, as this will help you understand what people are liking and disliking about your content.

When you understand which posts are more relatable, then you will know what content you should continue to post.

Step five: Be consistent

It is essential to be  consistent on your social media platform. As said above, young teens rely on influencers to make decisions on what to do with their daily life, what to wear, how to act around friends, where to travel etc. So if you go off the radar when people are looking up to you for guidance, you will let down your followers or viewers. So, it is important to try to always be there for your audience.  

Step six: Be open to collaborations

You need to let brands and other influencers know that you are open to collaborations. This is one of the biggest ways to increase your following. A simple way to do this, is by writing in your social bio  that you are interested in collaborations and provide an email to contact. Another way is to do the hard yards and do not wait for people to come to you. You should message the brands or people you want to work with a pitch that will entice them to want to collab with you.

Step seven: Be transparent

More than ever, people are seeing through the influencer profiles that provide no value and are only looking for endorsements. In order to keep your audience engaged, stay transparent with your followers and invite them into your world. They will get a sense of who you are and the values you stand for – and this is what will resonate with them. When working with collaborators, its important to always be transparent and disclose if you have been gifted or paid for your opinions, therefore your audience aren’t being tricked into buying particularly products you’ve endorsed.

Although reading these seven steps may sound overwhelming, they are the best tools you can use to set you up for influencer success. It will take time and hard work, but it is worth it in the end…and who knows, we might be following you in no time!  

By Intern Agent Gabi and Agent Emilie

Agent99 is an award-winning PR and communications agency based in Sydney. For more information about our services, contact us at info@agent99pr.com.

Further reading:
The New Era of Influencers – What I Learned Attending PRIA’s New Code of Conduct for Influencers Webinar
Why Your Idea of Influencer Marketing is Outdated