The rise of social media has forever changed the way people interact with one another. A single individual can now establish credibility within a specific niche.
That same person can also connect with people from across the globe to share his or her interests, opinions, favorite products and more.
The growing popularity of social influencers leaves many people wondering how to begin their own journey as an influencer.
Half the battle is choosing the right social networks. With that in mind, here are some of the best social influencer platforms of 2019.
1. Instagram
With over 1 billion active users each month, Instagram undoubtedly ranks as one of the top influencer marketing platforms.
If you are interested in hitting the ground running as an Instagram influencer, one of the most important things to do is to find a niche and keep your content primarily focused on this area.
That is not to say that you should not switch things up occasionally, particularly if you are working within a broader topic.
However, do not forget that the key to success is demonstrating trustworthiness and building a relationship with your target audience.
Like any business, you want to create a reliable, dependable product. In this case, your product is content that keeps people coming back to your feed and is relevant to their interests.
In addition to regularly posting photos and hashtags, making use of Instagram stories is another great way to connect with followers in a more personal format.
Stories are a great way to show glimpses of your daily life in a way that appeals to viewers and helps them feel like they are getting to know you beyond just photographs and captions.
2. YouTube
One of the huge benefits of YouTube is its potential to build intimate and long-lasting influencer relationships.
Video content offers an engaging look at your lifestyle in a more comprehensive way than a story clip, a photo, or even a blog can.
The only downside of YouTube is that quality video production can be a bit more labor-intensive than the work required for other platforms. However, if done right, the payoff may be well worth it.
With YouTube or any social platform, brand awareness is essential. You want to create awareness of your own brand as an influencer.
But, if you are seeking business partnerships, you also want to create awareness of other brands. For example, if your videos center on a topic like vegan cooking, you want to set yourself apart from the crowd.
Is your username catchy? Do you create all your own recipes? Do you share stories about your life during the videos?
All these factors are ways to construct your own distinctive brand and grow your following. Once your channel becomes popular enough, companies will likely contact you to sample their products and advertise them to your followers.
However, creating your personal brand and knowing your audience is a crucial first step to being able to monetize your content and develop partnerships with businesses.
3. Facebook
Although Facebook may not be what comes to mind when most people think of social media influencers, with an average active user base of over 2 billion people, it is still one of the world’s largest social networking sites by a long-run.
If your target audience is a demographic that primarily uses Facebook, this site will be the optimal place to focus your efforts.
Over the years, Facebook has taken numerous steps in transitioning toward a format that better facilitates influencer marketing campaigns.
This includes the addition of branded content tags, boost posts, and most notably, the Brand Collabs Manager.
The Brand Collabs Manager is Facebook’s unique tool to help brands and influencers connect. Thus, while it may seem tempting to center attention on platforms like Instagram or YouTube, the fact of the matter is that Facebook is still a significant player in the game when it comes to building your influencer career.
When delving into the world of social media influencing, one must be patient, consistent, and strategic.
Of course, the best platform for you is going to vary depending on your goals, your personality style and your content. Nevertheless, these three websites mentioned above are all great places to start.
