by By Megan Kindle
With Tik-Tok taking over the world, there is more influencers than non-influencers nowadays. Being an influencer can be a rewarding but challenging experience. Every time I scroll through social media and see influencers talking about the products they love, I think “I could do that.” Becoming an influencer is a lot easier than one may think, especially with some of the biggest brands leaning towards using micro-influencers.
So, what exactly is a micro-influencer? A micro-influencer is a person who frequently shares social media content about interests they have. A micro-influencer usually has more followers than the average person, but less than a mainstream influencer; typically, between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. Often time these smaller influencers have more specific content that is curated to their smaller following. These followers can be seen as more engaging and loyal than some of the followers larger influencers have. Brands see a higher return on investment, because of the loyal fans micro-influencers create. When they promote a product, their followers trust them to purchase that certain product.
There are a few things, one must do to become a micro-influencer. Let’s take a look at some basic things needed for anyone looking to start their career as an influencer.
Determine Your Passion: Many aspiring influencers often don’t take off in the ways they want because their content is scattered and doesn’t have a general theme. To help determine your passion, think about the things you like the most. This could be something you have a lot of knowledge, or an area that you often look to other influencers to get knowledge about. Some areas of passion for micro-influencers could be Travel, Health and Wellness, Beauty, Fitness, or Food. Not all of your content has to be focused on one of these areas, but posting specific content that aligns with your passions will help create that small, but loyal following.
Create Your Social Media Accounts: Even if you plan on posting content specifically on one platform, make sure you have accounts across all platforms such as Instagram, Tik-Tok, and Twitter. This allows you to cross-post on all platforms helping attract viewers to view your profiles. Every social media platform has its own benefits, depending on your target audience and the type of content you are creating, you should research which platform will fit best with your specific content.
Post Frequently: Posting often is super important as you start to become a micro-influencer. While is just important that the content you are posting is relevant and good quality, frequency is key. When first starting out, posting at least 2-4 times a week can help you create more visibility for your page. Without posting, you will not find the loyal followers your page needs.
Be Engaged with Your Followers: Your followers are your best friends! They are the people that are helping you build your brand. When you are posting content and your followers are interacting by commenting and asking questions, it is important to interact back. Being as engaged with the content you are posting as you are with your followers shows them you care. This is what helps build the important connection, creating a higher engagement for your posts. Even with a low follower count but high engagement, brands will be attracted to send you PR or have you review and share their products or services. Dont be afraid to comment on the posts of the brands you love as well. This helps show the brands you would like to work with you are also engaged in their content, helping build more connection.
Utilize Hashtags: According to an article from Business to Community, “Hashtags play a crucial role in developing interest in your social media accounts and are used on a number of social media platforms, most commonly, Twitter and Instagram. Including a hashtag with your posts helps to categorize content for your audience.” When you have narrowed down you passion and the content you plan to create, you can utilize hashtags to be specific to each of your posts. For example, if you are a health and wellness creator and you plan to create a Day in My Life video, you could utilize the hashtags #DIML #Beauty #Microinfluencer #Skincare #Routine.
No matter what your passions for or the content you are choosing to posts, everyone has the potential to become an influencer. By taking the time research your audience and create strong engaging content, you have the opporutnity to increase your chances of establishing a loyal fan base.
Hi Megan, really great blog. It was informative and accurate. I agree that becoming an influencer is easier than it seems. Every couple of months there is a plethora of new micro-influencers popping up all over TikTok. Sticking to a general theme and being authentic is important when starting a TikTok career. I like that you also mentioned having accounts across multiple platforms and not solely TikTok. Being consistent and posting frequently with various types of content is crucial to keep your audience entertained. Your last two sections about engagement and hashtags are spot on. Growing and platform or social media account you need to communicate with your audience. It shows authenticity and care for your followers. Using hashtags helps increase engagement and expose you to new individuals and co, communities.
Hi Megan, I really liked reading this post. I think this is a great guide to navigating this somewhat new space. It’s interesting to me that TikTok has changed the influencer world so much. Becoming a micro-influencer and even a larger influencer can happen so quickly now. If you get one video to blow up you can gain 1000 followers overnight. When people gain followers so quickly they probably don’t know how to navigate being a micro-influencer. The information you have laid out here is important to understand and implement.
this post is interesting and shows how anyone can really gain traction and a following if they follow these steps. TikTok has really changed the game with influencers because of how easy it is to become an influencer if you follow these steps that you provided. it just takes time and effort to succeed, but TikTok has helped these want to be influencers a lot with creating a platform for just that .
Hi Megan! I think you structured this post perfectly for a person wanting to become a micro-influencer. I didn’t realize that hashtags still played such an imporatnt role in getting your content seen and it’s something I will be utilizing in the future. I appreciated how you mentioned “Determine your Passion,” as I think successful profiles are ones where the poster knows what type of content they want to create and are fully interested in it. I think audiences can tell when there isn’t a genuine reaction, so I think you adding that part was really informational!