Be The Follower: 7 Secrets To Becoming An Irresistible Influencer

Let’s crack the code on being an influencer.

You know who the big influencers are, right? You might even follow them on social media or hear other people talk about them. Influencers have a loyal following because people trust them, respect them and love them. So, how the heck do you become one?

Secret One: Know Your Follower: Use the power of personalization to create a loyal following.

If you want to be effective as a leader or influencer, you have to think about your audience every step of the way.

You’ve probably heard this phrase before, “know your audience.” We usually say this as a caution, meaning that before you make any presentation or start a business, you should know who you are talking to.

Sharing the wrong content can cost you followers. I mean, we all know that there’s only one right side in the pineapple on pizza debate, right?

The more you know about the person you are trying to reach, the easier it will be to create an authentic and two-way relationship. And it is this authenticity that your followers crave. Ads talk at people, telling them what to do. Influencers talk to people, sharing ideas and knowledge.

The most effective influencers direct their message to their audience, not atthem.

That personal element, real advice being shared by a real person, is what makes influencers so popular. That’s the first secret — the power of personalization.

But to really make a connection with your followers, the information you share needs to be relevant to their lives. It needs to satisfy a want or meet a need that is personal to them.

That means, you need to know your followers to be a true influencer. You need to know them so well that the content you share makes them feel like you wrote it just for them. That’s what makes the influencer magic happen.

Putting the Power of Personalization Into Practice

So how do you get to know your followers? With the 5Ws!

What?

Yes, you got it! What is one of them. But there are four more.

Who.

When.

Where.

Why.

Oh, and here’s a bonus one: How!

These words serve as the starting point of a whole series of questions you can ask to learn more about your followers. As you investigate to find the answers to the questions you ask, you’ll learn more about what your audience likes about you and why they come to you for information.

Wait, you didn’t think I was going to just give you the 5Ws (and an H) without anything else, did you? Nah. I wouldn’t leave you hanging like that. Just keep reading.

Questions to Help You Get to Know Your Followers

Use these questions to prompt your own investigations or ask your audience directly. Try a survey, offer a reward for information, or create a fun poll. Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter all support this method as a way to learn more about your audience. Just be sure that your questions are useful to your audience.

Always try to give more than you take.

Who else do your followers enjoy learning from? Who do they follow on social media or recommend to others?

What do your followers do for fun? What types of jobs do your followers hold? What are your followers’ goals for the coming year?

When do your followers consume your content? Are they up late reading or do they listen to your podcast during their morning commute?

Where do your followers go to find new content? Where do they find your content? Where do they like to go on vacation?

Remember, these questions are about getting to know your audience, not just what they know about you.

Why are your followers viewing your content? Are they entertained by what you share or trying to learn a new skill? Why do your followers go online? Are they focused on completing tasks or visiting websites during their breaks?

How about asking your followers, “How did you find me?” You can also find out how your followers feel about current events, leaders, and celebrities, or even how they prepare their favorite breakfast foods.

And, of course, you’ll need to resolve that whole pizza issue. Are your followers traditionalist or Team Pineapple?

Knowing who you are creating content for is your first influencer secret.

Secret Two: Embrace What Makes Them Tick

If you want to be an influencer, you have to give your followers a reason to continue paying attention to you.

So the first secret to becoming an awesome influencer was to get to know your followers. As you discover more about who follows you and why, you want to know them so well that you could be the follower. You know, like one of those time travelers who takes over someone else’s life — only not for real! That would be creepy.

Anyway, if you’ve done your homework and learned about your followers, then you are ready for step two: embracing what makes your followers tick.

Being an influencer requires a commitment to sharing your followers’ interests.

Maybe you are wondering why you need to follow your followers’ interests. Aren’t they supposed to be interested in what makes you tick?

Well, sure. You’re interesting. You did something that made your followers seek you out. Maybe you were teaching something they wanted to learn. Or, they might have just thought you were funny or cool.

But you’re an influencer. You don’t want to be a teacher at the front of a class giving lectures. And you aren’t a performer that puts on the same show over and over for different audiences.

What you want to achieve as an influencer is “stickiness”. You want your audience, your followers, to have a reason to come back to you over and over. Embracing your followers’ interests — what makes them tick — will do just that.

Making Your Influence Stick by Embracing What Makes Your Followers Tick

Think about it. What makes some folks stick around in real life? Your friends and the people you hang out with probably share at least a few things in common. You probably have a lot of things in common with your best friends. You and the people you spend time with have shared interests. Yeah, now you get it.

You want your followers to spend time with you, and people who spend time together have shared interests!

You need ideas, causes, or activities that you and your followers feel passionate about. And not everything you talk about or do as an influencer can come from you. That’s not how friendships work.

You know that one person in your life who, when they give you a gift chooses something they like? Don’t be that guy. Be the one who thoughtfully chooses a gift that you know will make the other person happy.

Even if you and your followers aren’t destined to become BFFs, you still need them to like you. That means you need to take an interest in what interests them. Embrace what makes them tick.

And, once you embrace what makes your followers tick, let them know.

How?

Being an influencer is all about communication. So communicate to your followers that you care about what they care about.

Use these methods to let your followers know that you share their interests:

• Use your platform to promote the causes that matter to your followers.
• Share your followers’ social media posts about what is happening in their lives or issues that are important to them.
• Encourage donations to a follower-selected cause.
• Invite guests to speak on topics of interest to your followers on your vlog or podcasts.
• Seek out and review products that your followers want to know about.
• Read books, watch videos, or listen to podcasts that teach you more about your followers’ core interests.
• Travel to events that your followers are likely to be attending.
• Be open to answering your followers’ questions online and in person.
• Host live chats and other events that allow your followers to interact with you and each other.
• Always be reaching for the next level of knowledge, awareness, or engagement.

Of course, taking an interest in someone else’s likes and dislikes is just one step in building a strong relationship. Knowing this secret prepares you for the next — Building Your Influencer/Follower Relationship.

Secret Three: Create A Positive Influencer/Follower Relationship

Maintaining a positive relationship requires respect and dedication.

If you have begun to build a following as an influencer, then you have also taken on a responsibility. That responsibility is to not betray your followers’ trust and loyalty.

Psychological research shows that people really dislike finding out that they have been duped. If they have been fooled by someone behaving hypocritically, their ire is even greater. Plus, no one wants to be in a relationship that makes them feel used. So, treat your followers with respect.

There are some people who post on social media solely to build up a following. These so-called influencers will post just enough controversial or catchy posts to gain a following. Then the influencer uses that following count as proof of their influence!

“You should hire me because I can get all these people to follow me.”

I wonder how their followers feel when they read a post like that?

A 2017 BuzzFeed article featured the quotes of a successful digital marketing influencer who said that the secret to his success was “spoonfeeding” his followers what they wanted and not overestimating their intelligence!

Wow. I guess he thought his followers wouldn’t read the article. Or maybe he didn’t care.

You should care.

The relationship that you have with your followers defines the kind of influencer you are and is the key to your success.

You may be popular, knowledgeable, and charismatic, but without followers you aren’t an influencer.

To ensure that your influencer status isn’t tarnished and that you earn and keep your followers’ trust and loyalty, here are some core values that you should remember:

Be Sincere — Don’t use false claims or fake flattery to attract followers. Instead, share your sincere thoughts about the topics that interest you and your network.

And, if you believe in something, show it by taking action. Don’t pretend to care about a cause or issue just to earn likes. In today’s information-rich environment, it is easy for someone to discover who is all talk.

Be Authentic — Don’t create a false persona or style that isn’t the real you. Masquerading as someone you aren’t is hard to do when you are in the social media spotlight.

Also, if you are offered partnership opportunities, don’t say yes unless the product or service matches your personal brand. If you make a habit of saying yes to any offer, your followers will soon realize that your opinions can be bought and aren’t authentic. (How many of us believe it when a famous actress claims to use that cheap, at-home hair coloring kit? We all know they are getting the full salon treatment.)

Be Transparent — If you are working on building your personal brand in hopes of expanding your business, offering an online course, or for other reasons, tell your followers. Don’t wait until you’ve created a large following to suddenly reveal that you had a secret motive all along. Tell your followers about your goals and let them be a part of the journey as you work to achieve those goals. You’ll build better and more genuine relationships that way.

Also, if you are earning money from brand promotions or other deals you need to clearly disclose this fact to your followers. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s the law.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires influencers to disclose the benefit they gain from any endorsement activities. Failing to disclose your incentive agreements can be very costly. You could be fined by the FTC and lose your followers too!

Building a strong relationship with your followers is really just a matter of remembering the Golden Rule — Do to others what you would have done to you. Treat your followers well and your influence will grow. Behave badly and you will find yourself all alone.

What are your core values that your followers should know about? I would love to know.

Secret Four: Educate Your Followers

To have followers, you need to demonstrate thought leadership.

Use your social media posts to share the knowledge you already have and the new knowledge you gain.

Okay, you don’t have to be an expert to be an influencer. But you should know something about the topic you want to influence. And, your followers will have more confidence in you if you demonstrate that you are learning more about your topic all the time. I mean, who wants to take fashion advice from someone who doesn’t know anything about the latest styles?

Even if you are just sharing your opinions on music or movies, try to keep yourself in the loop. Read what other people have to say about those topics, too.

Conversations are much more interesting when they include more than one opinion.

And social conversations are what you should be having with your followers. Remember, you are sharing content with them, not just tossing it at them.

Of course, just learning more about the topics that interest you and your followers won’t demonstrate your knowledge to anyone. When you’re an influencer, you have to show what you know.

How?

You demonstrate what you know through showing and telling your followers about it.

But don’t lecture like a teacher! You’re an influencer, not a professor, right?

Share social media style.

If you see an awesome post with some great wisdom, pass it on to your followers. Give the OP a shout out and show your appreciation.

Did you discover a new pizza ingredient combination that’s even better than chicken-ham-pineapple? Order a pie and do a live unboxing!

One of the best ways to keep your followers well-informed without creating new content yourself is content curation.

As you’re growing your knowledge base, you should be reading articles, watching videos, and finding other sources of new and interesting content. Don’t keep all that educational goodness to yourself! Share the link with your followers. Just be smart about how you do it.

A word about algorithms.

Every social media channel has its own algorithm. These programs are designed to pick and choose which content gets the most attention. While keeping the platform’s users happy is one purpose for the algorithms, it isn’t the only one. Another very important purpose is to keep users on that social media channel.

You know what that means. Yeah. Links to somewhere else aren’t very popular with the algorithm.

What can you do to show what you know and share it with your followers without triggering the algorithm’s wrath? Get creative.

One easy solution is to post your content with a mention of the resource without including the link. Then, add the link in a follow-up comment.

You can also include the URL for a resource in your post’s graphic. The link won’t be active or recognized by the algorithm this way. Your followers will have to copy and paste it or enter it into their search bar manually to reach the resource though. If you just share the title of the item and its author, your followers should be able to find it too.

But enough about that.

As you probably know, what we learn about an algorithm today will probably change tomorrow! #SocialMediaLife

More ways to curate and share.

Linking to content in your social media posts isn’t the only way to curate content. You can distribute interesting news and information using a newsletter or discuss it in a live video or podcast.

If you have your own website, you can gather and share information there.

There are several different newsletter and web page publishing tools that are designed to help you create and display content collections. Check out this SmartList of influencer marketing resources at fyi.to. (See what I did there? I shared.)

So now you know. Once you become an influencer, the work doesn’t end. You have to keep learning, keep growing, and keep sharing to keep your followers. Because — Informed followers are happy followers.

If you’ve been paying attention and we know you have been, you know that being an influencer requires several skills:

• Knowing your audience
• Sharing your followers’ interests
• Respecting your followers
• Providing your audience with useful information

That’s a pretty complete list. So what else is there to becoming the best influencer you can be? Oh, about three more things and the fifth is…

Secret Five: Enrich Your Followers’ Lives

Performing the first four steps in this series should take you a long way toward being someone who enriches the lives of others, but you can do better. You have to do better.

You have to present your information to your audience in a way that engages and entertains them with every. single. post.

Really? Yes, really.

Time is short. Your followers won’t stay loyal unless you offer value.

Followers are easily distracted by all of the channels coming at them throughout their day. I mean, we all are. We receive notifications, get calls, run errands over our lunch break, forget to take a lunch break, work late, sleep late. Life happens.

To keep your followers’ attention, you have to give them something worth seeking out. You have to be memorable. Because, if your followers get bored with your content, they will find someone else.

By fashioning a stimulating and creative presence, you will stay on top of their mind and, above all else, you are adding value. So create diverse, creative, fun, enriching, and valuable information for your audience.

How? Try the tips below.

Follow these steps to make sure that you are providing something worthy of your followers’ attention.

First, start with the basics. Ensure that you provide some valuable information or entertaining presentation each time you post.

Before mobile phones existed, people used to say someone was “phoning it in” if they weren’t giving their all to a project. Because if you were phoning in, that meant you weren’t coming to work that day. (Check out this video clip and you’ll understand: http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/steve-martin-cold-opening/n10162?snl=1)

Of course, now we are more likely to be working from our phones than using them to avoid work. But the point is, if you are creating a post for your followers- be there. Don’t just pick something to share because it is time to make another post.

Consider your followers’ needs every time you post.

Not every post is going to be a hit, but you should strive to make every post beneficial.

Next, mix things up now and then. You don’t have to make every single post look the same.

Sure, having a distinctive style is important for branding but don’t be so stuck on one method that your content becomes old and stale.

Look at Gary Vaynerchuk’s content. He shares information through lots of different channels and each one has its own style. He intentionally uses different types of content and deliveries to give his audience choices. You can do the same. Use short videos, text posts, and audio blasts to share your ideas with your followers.

Finally, share and collaborate. Don’t be afraid to share your audience with other influencers.

If you’ve followed all the steps in this series, you’ve earned your followers’ loyalty. So add to your followers’ lives even more by introducing them to other thought leaders who can also entertain them and enrich their lives. By doing so, you not only prove that your first priority is to provide quality content to your followers, but you also have a chance to gain new followers and fans.

Are you inspired and ready to create some seriously great content for your followers now?

Then make it happen. Work out a content calendar, write down some goals, and start researching new formats and delivery channels. You’ll do great and your followers will appreciate your efforts

While a little excitement now and then is fun, most people are happiest when they know what to expect.

Secret Six: Keep Your Followers Comfortable

Make sure that your audience knows what to expect from you and that any surprises are welcome ones.

Once you have developed a social media following, you have to make sure that you continue to be present for your followers. This requires consistency. It is hard to maintain a following if people don’t know when and where to find you.

As you build your following, establish a routine that you follow each day. Decide when you’ll post on each platform and stick to that schedule. Set aside time to respond to likes, comments, and new followers too. Everyone gets busy and you may not always be able to stick to your schedule. But if you don’t have a schedule — you’ll definitely miss some important steps in your social media influencer regimen.

Remember, your followers only know as much about your life as you choose to tell them. If you have been consistently posting each day, they will expect to see a new post from you every day. If you miss a date, your followers don’t know the reasons why. Miss a week or two, and they’ll probably assume you aren’t going to be around anymore.

What if you don’t want to post daily?

That’s okay. You don’t have to post daily to be consistent. You can post three days a week, always on Wednesdays, or whatever routine suits you and your audience. But once you’ve established a routine, stick with it. And, if you do decide to change things up — tell your audience in advance.

In fact, if you really want your audience to embrace change, involve them in the process. Create a poll asking your followers to choose between two new formats you are considering. Or, ask them what time of day they would prefer to watch your live video stream.

Is that all there is to being consistent, showing up on time?

No. No it’s not. Not every surprise is a good surprise. Your followers like you. They like you the way you are (or the way you’ve presented yourself to be). Don’t go changin’.

You can evolve, grow, and adapt. But don’t make huge changes in your presentation or behavior and expect your followers to just roll with it. No one wants to be listening to your podcast while they drive their kids to soccer the day you decide to go from being safe-for-work to not!

If you want to make a change, give people a little time to warm up to it.

Being consistent without becoming boring (or bored).

Maintaining a consistent schedule and sticking to your core brand and values will keep your followers comfortable and coming back. And, just because your are adhering to a routine doesn’t mean you’ll be bored.

Try these tips to maintain your social media routine but still enjoy some variety:

1. Use different styles to post on each social media platform. For example, explore your creative side on Instagram with fun graphics. Then, take a more intellectual tone on Facebook with detailed posts about the topics you cover.
2. Develop a new type of social media offering and add it to the mix. If you’ve only been doing photographs, learn how to add stories. If you’ve recorded podcasts, try adding live-streaming or video.
3. Invite guests to share your spotlight or fill in for you while you take a break.
4. Limit your social sharing to a single channel per day so that you aren’t trying to do everything every day.

And that is secret six to becoming an influencer. Keep your followers happy and comfortable by being consistent and keeping them informed.

Your unique story is the one thing only you can offer your followers.

Secret Seven: Be Yourself

This is it, secret seven. The final key to being an influencer.

You do you.

Your vibe attracts your tribe. Know what kind of experience you bring and don’t be afraid to bring it. Tony Robbins brings energy, insights, and pumps up the volume. People love him for that. The Dalai Lama brings comfort and insights with a touch of humor. People love him for that.

What’s your secret sauce? What makes you you? If you don’t know, follow these steps to find out.

First, ask the people closest to you. But make sure you get a full answer. Ask your friends or loved ones to dig deep and name the three characteristics above all others that best describe you.

Next, make a list of the three activities you enjoy most when you are alone. Make a similar list of the three activities you most enjoy sharing with friends.

Third, list three adjectives that describe you. For instance, you might be quiet, generous, and forgetful. Or maybe you’re loud, forgiving, and energetic.

Finally, put all this information together. Do things match up? If so, that’s you!

Of course, you aren’t going to act the same way all the time. But, you don’t want to act so unlike yourself on social media that you exhaust yourself trying to maintain the fake. Besides, people don’t like fake.

What if being yourself doesn’t get you the number of followers you had hoped for?

Be yourself anyway. The audience who likes someone else’s style and doesn’t follow you isn’t your audience. They aren’t your tribe. Consistently promote your brand, be yourself, and wait for your tribe to find you.

Don’t settle for faking it to grab someone else’s audience. Yours is out there.

That is one of the really wonderful things about social media. Before people could go online and connect with anyone all over the world, you had to find the people who “got” you in your local community (or keep moving until you found them). Now, you can find your fit. You can share what inspires you with people who feel the same way.

If you don’t have the following you want, you may just have to work a little harder to find your tribe and to help them find you.

How?

• Do regular hashtag searches on social media for the topics that interest you.
• Participate in online conversations, join niche forums and actively engage with people who aren’t your followers.
• Make sure that all of your social media profiles have accurate information about where to find you online. It also helps if you use the same profile picture for each platform so that you are easy to recognize.
• Go old-school and attend in-person meetups, conferences, and events. Network it, baby.
• Get to know and follow other influencers in your niche and beyond. Many influencers are more than happy to connect with someone else who shares their passion for community building.

Being an influencer can be exciting, challenging, exhausting, and fulfilling. You and your followers will get the most out of the experience if you choose to be true to yourself and authentically you.

Now, all the secrets have been revealed. Go out there and make it happen.

***

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Kit Pang is a Communication Expert, TEDx, Inbound and Keynote speaker, and the Founder of BostonSpeaks. He is on a mission to help individuals become exceptional speakers and communicators. Kit’s seminars and talks have been credited as super fun, engaging, soul-searching and insightful. www.kitpang.com | @KitPangx, @Boston_Speaks

p.s. what tips do you have about being an influencer? Let me know!

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