The influencer industry is a growing field that continues to impact consumers interested in beauty, fashion, haircare, and more. From gaining massive followers to selling out products, their ability to reach wider audiences and influence purchasing decisions doesn’t go unnoticed by brands.
As more people quit their corporate jobs and become full-time influencers, the competition makes it harder for emerging creators to stand out. While anyone can be a content creator, being an influencer requires a different expertise. Although both areas have similarities, their purpose and goals make them different.
Hootsuite, a social media management platform, described content creators as individuals who create digital content to educate or entertain audiences. On the other hand, influencers create content to promote or sell products or services. As a result, many influencers receive PR packages, post brand partnerships or collaborations, and receive invitations for brand trips.
While the influencer market may be competitive, there are ways to stand out from the oversaturated industry. Social media’s top influencers and brand leaders gathered at the GU Disruptor Summit last weekend to share how they have achieved success on their digital platforms.
Learn from Raven Tracy, Haile Rose, Alicia Scott, and Kayla Nicole on how to catch the attention of brands for future sponsorships.
Build Trust With Your Followers
“You really want to make sure you’re building that trust and loyalty,” says Scott, founder and CEO of Range Beauty. “Make sure you’re not just coming off as a sponsored page or only posting when you have deals. Post about what’s going on in your day-to-day to create that audience.”
Add Call To Actions To Posts
“Telling people to click the link in your bio or sign up for text now,” says Tracy, founder of Body By Raven Tracy. “Those things really do help because sometimes people just don’t think. By adding ‘click the link,’ you’ll be surprised how many people will click it.”
Find Trends That Align With Your Brand
“There are trends happening every single day,” Scott tells GU. “You don’t need to do every trend. Every trend isn’t going to make sense for your page, audience, or brand. Pick the ones that do and make it a cool combination.”
She continued, ” There are going to be fun, silly, dancing, and educational trends. Find the ones that make sense for you and what you deliver so that your audience and customers aren’t confused.”
Create A Content Schedule To Stay Consistent
“I had to take a step back and treat social media like a job because that’s what I wanted it to be, which meant I needed to create schedules,” says Nicole, influencer and founder of wellness brand Tribe Therepē. “If I’m working 9 to 5, then on Saturday and Sunday from three to seven, that’s going to be my strategy day.”
“I’m going to plan out my content schedule for the month,” Nicole adds. “Then, every other Sunday, I’m going to shoot my content because I have to go to work Monday through Friday.
So, my weekends were my content strategy and shoot days. That’s how I found that balance.”
Engage With Your Followers Offline
“I was off the Internet for at least six months,” says Rose, influencer and pre-law student. “I have something called Strictly Pure Girls where I bring women together and do girl talk every Tuesday and Thursday on Zoom.”
Boost Your Audience Engagement
“The other big factor I check is if you are a true influencer with your audience,” Scott says. “Many people say they have influence, but I’m checking your engagement. I’m checking what percentage of your engagement, views, likes, and comments you’re getting on your post. I’m also checking to see if you have that true following of people in your comment section.”
Don’t Hesitate To Reach Out To Brands
“If you want to start your fitness apparel brand, start reaching out to brands or work with brands in that lane,” Nicole tells GU. “Reach out to Fabletics, Nike, or Adidas because it will create an audience that is used to seeing this product. And they’re going to buy it because of you.”
Grow Your Audience On Other Social Platforms
“Make sure you’re building an audience elsewhere,” Scott adds. “Make sure you’re on Slack, Geneva, building your email subscription list, and on all these other platforms. Don’t rely solely on building your audience on Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter. That’s been my biggest lesson.”
“New apps are coming out, and there’s always something else dropping for us to be on socially,” she continues. “Make sure you own your audience elsewhere because if social media shuts down today, you’re still able to reach your audience and keep them updated about what’s going on.”