If you’re a good writer, you probably already have an impressive portfolio that shows off your skills and a solid set of clients that give you consistent work. However, there’s one potentially lucrative attribute that you may not yet have: influence.
Influencers add significant value for clients within their field of expertise and are in high demand. In addition to their knowledge, they add credibility and can increase the reach of content with their network. Influence, in a word, is power.
It’s not easy to build up influence and a loyal following, but it might not be as hard as you think. Combining these key strategies, along with persistence, will help get you there.
See and be Seen
It may sound obvious, but having a powerful social media presence is important for becoming an influencer. You need to be active on multiple social media channels, adding thoughtful and valuable contributions with each post. This requires you to both listen to what others are saying and engage. Using your own content is important, but you also need to add value by answering questions, adding relevant comments and sharing your opinions on the posts on others to really get noticed. Pay special attention to LinkedIn – it’s a great place to post longer-form content and tends to be a hub for influencers and thought leaders.
Blog, Blog, Blog
One of the most effective ways to develop a reputation in your field and boost your social media following is to maintain an active blogging presence. If you don’t currently have a blog, there’s no better time to get one started in a niche you’re passionate about. You don’t have to jump right into an aggressive posting schedule. Start off with a post a week and ramp up as you get accustomed to the routine. The important thing is to be consistent – posting consistently one to five times a month will get you twice the clicks per post.
While creating and sharing content on your own social media channels will help you get noticed, you’ll get even better results if you also partner with other key influencers in your field. Ask them if you could interview them for your blog or, even better, pitch an idea for a guest post.
Guest posting gives you the chance to reach a whole new audience and cements your reputation as an expert, so it’s important to make these posts unique and high-quality.
Take Advantage of Tools
Automation and analytics tools can help you grow your following in a big way by allowing you to deliver better, more timely content. Want to deliver a steady stream of valuable content to your Twitter following? Try using a solution to automate your postings and stay on top of your schedule.
Analytics tools are also invaluable for would-be influencers. Digging into stats on your various social media platforms can help you figure out what’s working and what isn’t. For example, Socialbakers and Visual Marketing Index are free tools that analyze your Instagram presence and can identify your top-performing hashtags, most-liked posts, most-commented posts and more. When you have this information at your fingertips, it’s easier to give your audience what they want.
Influencer by Association
Connecting with other influencers will help you become an influencer yourself. You may already know of influencers in your field who can help you. Make an effort to promote and share great content by these people. If they return the favor, be sure to thank them and use the opportunity to start a conversation. You won’t always get a response, but if you keep trying. You’ll build up some valuable relationships.
Consistency Is Key
Knowing some of the essential steps to becoming an influencer is important, but it’s only half the battle. Consistent effort is necessary to build up a social media following and develop influence. You don’t want the kind of following that can pop up overnight – you want an engaged, loyal following that values the knowledge and insights you have to share in your specialty. This will make you a highly sought after writer for companies looking to reach more in their industry and increase their credibility.
