Article by: Alyssa Strickland
VQS Advice Blog | _{^{Cover Image by Andrea Piacquadio}}

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Learn how to be a successful trendsetter on social media today!

Every year, influencer marketing is becoming more prevalent on social media, and a large number of brands and companies are now relying on celebrities and trendsetters to advertise their products online. If you’re curious about the phenomenon, or if you’re interested in getting in on the trend, here are five tips before you start:

• Table of Contents
  1. What is a Social Media Influencer?
• 2. What Should You Focus on as an Influencer?
• 3. How Do You Truly Grow as an Influencer?
• 4. How to Leverage Online Tools to Help You Grow
• 5. How Will I Monetize My Influence on Social Media?

1.  What is a Social Media Influencer?

Who exactly are these people promoting products on social media?

• They are experts in a specific field – with followers who look up to them for advice and eagerly read their blog posts.

• They are trendsetters – and brands use them as marketing tools to influence their followers to purchase specific products or services.

• Some of them are big celebrities – but many others cater to a smaller group of people and share their expertise on very niche subjects.

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2. What Should You Focus on as an Influencer?

In order to grow your audience, you’ll have to come up with insightful content in a condensed format, suitable for social media.

Learn how to become an influencer by:

• Writing engaging blog posts
• Starting your own podcasts
• Filming high-quality videos for your social media channels

3. How Do You Truly Grow as an Influencer?

Once you have established what your niche market is and crafted some great content for your social media channels, you will have to build a loyal fan following.

Try this:

• Be authentic
• Deliver insightful content
• Be approachable and responsive

You’ll be able to keep your followers engaged which in turn will get you the attention of brands trying to target your specific niche.

Reach out to famous influencers and start interacting with them, or partner up with new influencers to help grow together.

4. How to Leverage Online Tools to Help You Grow

Learn how to gain knowledge using different tools on social media.

Depending on what social media platform you’re on, you may have to change your content to fit a particular format, such as resizing photos from your blog to get them featured on another social media app or channel.

There are amazing apps to help you easily resize an image for Instagram:

• Simply upload your photo
• Adjust it to the size you need
• Download it back on your computer

Making new and fresh Hashtags are still important. BONUS: Make a media kit to help you promote yourself to the brands and companies you want to partner with.

5. How Will I Monetize My Influence on Social Media?

How do you get rewarded for publishing great content
and sharing your stories and expertise?

Turn your online creations into a paycheck by:

• Working with brands and delivering sponsored content for them
• Affiliate Marketing – where you earn a commission each time one of your followers clicks on a link featured in your content and purchases the product or service you’re advertising.

You don’t have to be a celebrity to become an influencer, you just need to be:

• Genuine and credible
• Have expert advice to share
• Keep interacting with your followers

This, in turn, will help you get noticed by the brands and companies you’re eager to partner with.

Want to share your story or artistry with the world? Join us at vqsstudio.com and get featured on our platform!

Summary:

• 1. What is a Social Media Influencer?
• 2. What Should You Focus on as an Influencer?
• 3. How Do You Truly Grow as an Influencer?
• 4. How to Leverage Online Tools to Help You Grow
• 5. How Will I Monetize My Influence on Social Media?

How will you use these tools and ideas as a social media influencer? We’d love to hear from you.

Article by: Alyssa Strickland
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