Making Your Mark As An Influencer - Questions you should ask yourself.

Greetings to all. This week we have the pleasure of reading a guest blog post by Cody McBride. I want to take this opportunity to thank Cody for his submission. Should others wish to submit a request for a guest blog post, you can email me your submission for consideration in word format to crondina@caesarrondinaauthor.com.

INTRODUCTION:

Influencers are present on every online social media platform. There are many perks to becoming an influencer, but you need a specific drive and ambition to get there. It starts with asking yourself a few essential questions before you decide the journey is right for you. So here are a few questions to ask yourself.

WHAT IS AN INFLUENCER:

An influencer is typically associated with social media or blogging. However, in general, it is someone with the power to affect purchase decisions. If you prove to your followers that you're an expert in your field, you can gain their trust and make recommendations that will influence them to buy products and services. You can be an influencer in your city or go bigger and create a name for yourself online.

WHAT ARE THE PERKS OF BEING AN INFLUENCER?

The biggest perk of being an influencer is your ability to gain revenue from online advertising. For example, if you create a lifestyle brand specializing in travel, companies in the industry will pay you a large sum to recommend their products to your followers. A travel influencer could be an airline or a luggage company. These deals often result in many freebies for you as well. For example, you could get free flights to places that offer you incentives to travel there. Travel is expensive, but you'd get paid to do it.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES?

Are you knowledgeable about a niche in a larger market that you could share?

Are you particularly good at staying on top of your social media posts?

Do you have the time to dedicate to curating your online image?

You'll need to learn more about how to boost your presence and grow a following to become an influencer. You also need a certain level of charisma if you plan to be in front of a camera. Speaking to a camera is much different than talking to a live person sitting in front of you. However, it is a skill that can be developed with time and practice.

HOW DO INFLUENCERS GET STARTED?

How you get started as an influencer mostly depends on your angle. For example, you could start with a hobby or industry expertise. If you work in real estate, create videos to help people look for red flags on a property before buying. Research shows that influencers' passion for their niche makes them stand out. You will not appear like an expert if you know very little about the topic you want to cover.

WHAT TOOLS HELP YOU INFLUENCE OTHERS?

Influencers use specific tools to reach their target audience. For example, if you want to make your posts on Instagram stand out, you can use an Instagram Story Template that allows you to choose a template and customize your post. You can edit the text, font, and color. When your project is completed, upload the photo using a filter that you consistently use across your posts.

TikTok is a newer social media platform where you make brief video content. The idea is to attract videos long enough for them to finish your video. The more views you have, the more you appear on people's pages. TikTok users appreciate responsive creators that appear authentic. You can partner with other influencers to reach a broader audience and create TikToK ads by setting up a budget, naming your campaign, and targeting an audience.

IN CLOSING:

Now that you know what it takes, you can start planning your entrance into the world of influences. Once you find your niche that speaks to people, you'll be on your way to online stardom. Remember to stay authentic and humble, and you'll retain more followers. Thank you, Cody McBride.

Thanks again to Cody for his submission. I hope those of you who wish to become influencers found this article helpful. My topic for next week's blog post is long overdue. It has been a requested topic for some time. I have often stated that I refrain from writing politically based posts, although, at times, I have. Although I freely admit I lean towards the conservation right, I keep things unbiased because there are some left policies I believe are good. However, how they implement them is the problem. When I vote, I vote for who I believe will do the best job. Regardless of their party affiliation.

That said, since the war in Ukraine, I have received numerous emails from my readers and followers asking my opinion on the global threat. This is a great concern to many. Especially now with China stepping up their game and North Korea very close to having nuclear weapons. Therefore, My blog post next week will be quite detailed, and the topic is "Global Tyranny? - A realistic look." Don't miss it.

Stay safe, be happy, and be well,