Consider your audience and share content that they’ll find useful. Post original articles, plus posts from other trusted sources.
Publishing on social media is a great way to share expert knowledge and develop your influencer status.
In this article I’ll share ten tips that can help you become a social media influencer.
Focus on one area and one specialism
To become an influencer, master a specific topic within your niche. If you cast your net too wide, it will be difficult to gain the level of knowledge necessary to be considered an expert. If your goal is to be an expert in the digital space and become known as an influencer, there are plenty of things you can do to raise your profile. Develop your expertise and use social media to raise yourself to influencer status. To help you find your focus here are some points to consider.
- What do you think?
- What is your niche?
- What platforms get the most engagement?
- How have you developed your reputation as an influencer?
- In what ways will you engaged your audience and shared your expertiseEither focus on one social media industry such as social media marketing or public relations, or on a single platform like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram. The Vine is also good for short video clips from your Youtube account.
Master one topic to become a true expert.
Start small and learn as much as you can about your desired niche through research and experimentation. That way, you’ll be able to discover the ins and outs of your specialty and form your own ideas, as opposed to simply restating others’ opinions. This is a very important step on your way to influencer status.
Oh and try not to drill down too much in your articles, more and more people access using a mobile device so think about what you would want to see if it was you reading someone else’s blog.Subscribe to Platform Blogs
Social media is unique because it is in constant flux. Stay on top of the latest platform updates, such as algorithm changes, new analytics and added features, as they can drastically change a social channel and the way it’s navigated.
Whether you want to be viewed as the authority on a social channel or a broader industry, read platform blogs regularly: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. There’s no better way to keep tabs on any social media channel.Familiarise and Read Relevant Blogs Daily
In addition to platform blogs, read other information outlets to gain valuable insights into your niche. Study news, expert opinions and case studies that are published or shared by people you trust.
Makes subscribing to and reading multiple blogs easy.
By using a tool like Feedly to subscribe to a variety of relevant industry blogs, you will benefit from different viewpoints and helpful advice.Do you use your Alert Settings
Reading press releases, news alerts and relevant posts is key to staying informed. When you know what’s happening, you can keep your followers in the know.
Since it is impossible to keep track of all of the information from platform blogs and your favourite outlets, invest time into creating alerts directly related to your specialism. A couple of tools that make it easy to stay on top of relevant news are Google Alerts and Social Mention.Populate Your Blog
There is nothing worse than a blog that is several weeks out of date! Write blog posts and publish consistently. You should shoot to publish at least two to three times each week.
To stay on track, create an editorial calendar and stick to it.
Partner with other influencers and reblog them. Interview them, (over the phone, on skype or send them 5 questions to answer. Invite them to contribute to your blog or run a promotion together that gets shared on everyone’s sites.Publish on LinkedIn
In addition to your own blog, re-create your posts on LinkedIn’s publishing platform. Cut and paste your previously published blog posts and add a headline, image and keywords. (I hope you have a linkedin account)
Remember, people generally assume LinkedIn posts are only from the most influential thought leaders. Now, when people in your network and beyond see your articles on LinkedIn, it is likely they will view you as an authority too.
Share your knowledge and get noticed by publishing on LinkedIn.
Through its publishing platform, LinkedIn has created a prime opportunity for influencers to get noticed.Use Sharing tools to share Valuable Content
I repeat again, share content. Once you’ve determined your focus and have implemented a system for keeping on top of the latest news and information within your niche, start sharing high-value influencer content with your audience via social media.
Seek out and Contribute to Other Sites
One of the quickest ways to gain influencer status is to contribute your unique content to other blogs and publications. Guest posting increases your visibility, bolsters your credibility and increases traffic to your own blog.
After your content is published, let people in your network know. Tweet a link, share it on Facebook, tell your other online communities and add it to your LinkedIn profile publications. Dare I say it but +google plus is fast becoming a really influential content showcase. Have you got your account set up yet?Be Seen Engaging Online
To be an influencer, you need to be seen and also be engaging. Social media influencers regularly take part in relevant conversations across a variety of networks. Attend and participate in Twitter chats and webinars (and host Twitter chats too), answer questions on Quora and share ideas in LinkedIn groups. Be constructive and you don’t always have to be controversial for the sake of it.
Safeguard your Reputation
This area is not often looked at, getting misquoted, having the wrong type of media attached to your blog can often flag up in the search engine above all of your positive content.
Make sure you sign up to a online reputation notify. They are good because they sweep the internet each week and give you a report on any new content found linked to you or uploaded by you. I use www.naymz.com It’s worth becoming a premium user.
Sharing your knowledge is how you’ll truly stand out as an influencer.