It’s Not Too Late To Begin Your Influencer Career

We all know that influencers are taking over the digital space (and the world), while brands are taking their influencer marketing campaigns to the next level.

The question that stands now is, is it too late to become an influencer yourself? Although there are thousands of online influencers, the answer is no — and here’s why.

Celebrity Endorsements Are On The Decline

Brands are starting to realize that working with influencers with millions of followers, also known as celebrities or macro influencers, isn’t always the best strategy.

Depending on the industry and size of the brand, most do not have the budget to work with the ‘Selena Gomez’s and ‘Kim Kardashian’s of the world. And most brands that can afford to work with these celebrities haven’t seen the results they had hoped for.

Brands are quickly recognizing that customers are twice as likely to purchase a product or service when it’s recommended by a friend, rather than a celebrity or macro influencer. This is why it’s still a good idea for you to begin your influencer career.

Micro Influencers Hold Macro Power

Micro Influencers, those who have between 1,000 to 30,000 social media followers, are becoming more valuable to brands because they’re cost effective, have higher engagement rates, and they’re personally invested in their niche — making them a credible source.

Because more and more brands want to see authentic, transparent posts by people who are dedicated to their niche topics, the demand for micro influencers is increasing.

Influencers are Getting Caught ‘Fake’ Handed.

Brands are beginning to crack down on working with influencers that have fake followers.

They’re no longer basing their campaign requirements on follower counts, but by how credible and authentic the influencer is. Sorry, influencers.

Brands are catching influencers by watching for random follower spikes, seeing where the majority of their followers reside, and by skimming through the comments on their posts.

Follower Spikes: If an influencer has 10k followers one day, and 50k the following month, there’s a good chance that they bought followers on one of the many fake follower platforms out there.

Follower Location: Brands are now paying attention to where the majority of their followers are from. This is because most of the fake follower platforms are getting their followers from Eastern Europe or South America.

Generic Comments: Brands are looking for generic comments like ‘Great shot!’ on posts, because there’s a good chance that the influencer bought those too.

Now that we’ve established that the demand for micro influencers is on the incline, it’s time to stand out among the thousands. Don’t get it twisted, beginning a career as an influencer will take hard work, and many hours of dedication to build up your audience — but it is doable. So be authentic and keep creating engaging posts. Oh, and stick to the real followers too.