Influencer marketing is a pretty hot topic right now and to become a market influencer is a dream for a lot of entrepreneurs. One of the key reasons for big brands looking for influencers is the fact that most influencers come with their own loyal social media following, marketing ideas and a fresh outlook which can give a brand a new feel.

The success behind influencer marketing lies in the authenticity and trustworthiness of an effective influencer who can successfully persuade a customer to buy a product. Most big brands are often unable to create the same personality-driven relationship with customers.

This is where you come in. So how can you become a Market Influencer?

1. KNOW WHERE TO FOCUS

In order to become a market influencer, you must first decide master a specific topic and find your niche. If you try and cast your net too broadly, you may not ever gain the level of knowledge necessary to be considered a market influencer.

You should either focus on any one social media based industry such as Social Media Marketing(SMM) or Public Relations(PR) or Community Management, or on a single platform like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest or Instagram.

Start with baby steps and try and learn as much as you can about your chosen area through research and experimentation. That way, you’ll be able to know everything there is to know regarding your niche and form your own ideas, rather than simply accepting others’ preformed opinions.

This is one of the most important and basic step you must take on your way to reach Market Influencer status.

2. STAY UPDATED

Any Social Media Service is unique because it is always changing. If you want to become a leading authority on any Social Network, you must stay on top of the latest platform updates, such as updated analytics, new algorithm and newly added features, as they can drastically change the way a Social Network should be navigated.

It is up to you to decide which Social Network you want to be an expert at, but no matter that choice, you must read platform blogs regularly: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. There’s no better way to keep up to date.

3. FIND OUT WHAT OTHERS ARE THINKING

Increase your reading list by adding other blogs and platforms where you can read other threads and find out what people in your niche are thinking. Doing this will make sure that you gain valuable insights into your targeted area of expertise.

By using a tool like Feedly to subscribe to a variety of relevant blogs, you will benefit from different viewpoints and helpful advice from many sources.

4. KEYWORD ALERTS

In order to become a Market Influencer, you must stay informed and up to date. Reading news alerts, press releases and social blogs are vital if you want to stay on top of your niche. Your followers will always look for you as source of latest information and this is a key step to becoming an influencer.

While it is almost impossible to keep track of all of the information from all news platforms, all press releases and all platform blogs, there is an easier way to stay in the know with relevant information. You should take the time and create specific alerts related to your focus area. Two free tools that make it easy to create specific customisable alerts are Google Alerts and Social Mention.

If you hope to be recognized as a Market Influencer, you’ll need to prove to your followers that you’re always up to date with the latest news. It is even better if you know what changes are coming even before they’ve been implemented and give your subscribers the exclusive advantage.

5. THE USE OF LINKEDIN

Through its publishing platform, LinkedIn has created a great opportunity for influencers to get noticed.

You can easily use your pre-existing blog posts to publish on LinkedIn. Just add a bright and attractive feature image and some smart keywords, and you are all set to become a LinkedIn publisher! The advantage this will provide is that most people have a preformed opinion that LinkedIn posts are only from influential market leaders and pioneers. It is likely that when people beyond your existing network see your LinkedIn articles, they will think you are an authority as well.

6. ENGAGE ON OTHER SITES

The key to being a successful Market Influencer is visibility. A good influencer will regularly take part in discussions, chats and debates all over the internet. If you want to increase your online visibility you should consider attending and participating in Twitter Chats, answer questions on Quora and gain followers and upvotes and share your thoughts through your blogs and LinkedIn blog page. Subscribing to various relevant groups on Facebook and guest posting regularly also is a great way to showcase your knowledge and increase your subscribers!

At FMIGuild’s annual Fitness MBA Summit, Freddy Nager, an alumni of Harvard and USC(MBA) and CEO of Atomic Tango, gave a comprehensive and well planned presentation on How To Become A Market Influencer. You can check out the full lecture at the FMI Guild Fitness Business Courses library. Click on the image below and hear from the market experts on how to do it in the real world!

If you do really want to be a successful market influencer who is coveted by brands and followed by a large group of subscribers, you need to start small and focus your social media presence towards your goal. Once you start building a small community of loyal followers, your presence and influence will grow exponentially. Start working towards your dream today so that you soon achieve Market Influencer status!

For more information, click on www.fmiguild.org

Learn about our annual MBA summit and join other like minded fitness entrepreneurs for courses and content which is tailor made for you. For more info: www.fitnessmbasummit.com