The 2021 approach for being an Instagram influencer - here's what you need to know.

In the past, when a child was asked "what do you want to be when you grow up" - you heard things like doctor, teacher, astronaut, or firefighter - which are all still on the list of some children's potential "grown-up" careers - but now you start hearing things like, Influencer, YouTuber or Podcast Host. It's natural that people are becoming increasingly curious about how to become an influencer, as it can be a great form of revenue and appear very glamorous from the outside looking in - but no one said it was easy. It can be a difficult task - which is why I want to share everything you need to know about the 2021 approach for being an Instagram influencer.

Let’s start by chatting about what an influencer even is …

In a past Forbes article an influencer was described as individuals who have essentially established credibility in a specific area or industry.

So, simply put - influencers are folks who have knowledge or social influence in their niche. Being an “influencer” can open up the door for you to make an income through “influencer marketing” - which is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers.

Now, some people might think that the only way to be an influencer is by having a huge audience of 100k or more - but that’s not always the case. If you are familiar with the influencer world, you might have also heard the terms “nano” or “micro” influencer. A nano-influencer is defined as someone under 10k followers and a micro-influencer is someone with an audience of 10k - 50K - which really proves that becoming an influencer is definitely in reach. Actually, some brands prefer working with influencers with smaller audiences.

WickerWood cofounder, Shirley Leigh-Woods Oakes said, "a lot of brands prefer to work with nano- or micro-influencers because they're a lot more focused and more targeted to their followers and audience."

Okay, with definitions out of the way - let’s talk about how to become an influencer in 2021.

Step 1: Select your niche

Did you cringe just a little? I know that folks are always saying “find your niche” - but to be the perfect candidate for influencer marketing, establishing a niche and target audience is crucial to pitch yourself to brands. As I said earlier, brands like working with influencers due to their audience being more targeted. If you can prove through your analytics and engagement that your audience matches the ideal audience of the brand you’re wanting to collaborate with - you will be more likely to land that brand deal.

Step 2: Build your resume

You have to start thinking of being an influencer as a career, and your Instagram profile is your resume. Some folks might look at a media kit as a resume, but I consider the media kit and pitch more like the interview - the first thing a brand will look at is your Instagram profile. They won’t just be looking at your feed - but your bio, links, highlights, stories, videos and more. Your bio is actually extremely important when being an influencer, not only does it help your audience learn a bit about what to expect when following you - but it will also tell potential brands who you are and who your target audience is. The goal is making sure your messaging is very clear in all areas of your Instagram profile.

Step 3: Create a content strategy

Developing a content strategy will help build your target audience, keep your brand & schedule consistent, and attract brands for collaborations. It’s important to show your expertise and knowledge about your niche in your posts, but also show vulnerability and your unique voice. If you would like a deep dive into developing a content strategy and planning an entire quarter of content - make sure to check out a replay of the recent Back to Social Workshop I recently hosted.

Step 4: Build your community

Building your community is more than just increasing your follower count. Once you grow your audience, it’s important to nurture your relationship with them. This might look like sending a DM to each of your new followers, thanking them for joining your community and offering to answer any questions they have in your field. You can also just make sure you’re being active on your own profile, responding to comments and DMs. You can even take it a step further and check out their profiles - hop over to your new followers' Instagram pages, liking and commenting on their content too. Maybe even following them if you really enjoyed their content! You also want to be active in your stories when possible, stories are 100% geared towards your current audience and can give them a little look inside your life.

Instead of treating your followers like a number, treat them like a friend - because that is what this is all truly about, building authentic relationships. I mean, wouldn’t you rather listen to the advice or recommendations of a friend versus a stranger? I think so.

Step 5: Promote your content

Posting quality, consistent content might not be enough. You need to make sure you are promoting your content in some way. This might be following trends when creating reels, using the right hashtags, or cross-promoting on multiple platforms to increase your reach. The goal is, you want to make sure your content is getting in front of more people - including potential followers and brands.

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Remember, this all takes time and patience. If it were easy and could happen overnight, everyone would do it. If you would like more help with developing a strategy on social media - find us on Instagram @creatorlymedia and send us a DM anytime - we would love to help you reach your goals.