4 Ways to Become a Social Media Influencer

If you're active on social media and want to know how to become an influencer, listen up. According to serial entrepreneur Marc Fischman, there are several key factors to keep in mind. We connected with the CEO and co-founder of Hyperactivate to get the scoop and we figured he knows a thing or two about the topic since his company was named one of the top three social media start-ups last year by Entrepreneur. 1. Become an expert. That's right, go ahead and master a topic so people trust your opinion! Fischman explains, "The idea here is to embrace your area of expertise so passionately, that your blog or twitter feed goes beyond just reporting news; it actually espouses opinions that you formulate and that people will seek out and evaluate. Does this represent a commitment on your part? For sure." 2. Stay active and constantly tweet, retweet and promote relevant content. The biggest mistake a social influencer can make, he says, boils down to not staying active. "In order to become the thought leader that others enjoying learning from, you need to come to the social media playing field every day, ready to get dirty and equipped with the latest playbook. Even on slow days, you need to have a back log of evergreen items that you can impart on your audience… because this is a game where, if you snooze, even for a day or two, you will lose… audience share." Keep in mind it's called social for a reason - it's not all about you. Share the content of others whether they're "co-influencers or newbies." 3. Establish a community. His advice? Find other experts within your field and invite them to discuss and debate. It may seem counterproductive at first, right? He dishes, "But a true-blue social media influencer is confident enough in his own strengths that he doesn’t mind entering in discourse with other 'experts' in his field. Web communities have always been built upon the concept of sharing and open sourcing… so the community you build around your cause should exemplify these values as well." Think of it this way - other experts in your community will bring their fans into it, too. Your content will start reaching a wider audience and you got it - you'll start attracting a larger following. Plus, he points out for further impact you can take the conversation offline to engage in face-to-face meet-ups and conferences. 4. Create content and push it out through your social media. This content might take the form of opinion pieces, infographics, white papers or photos you shoot. Post it publicly and then push it out through your social networks. He explains, "By introducing new, unique, home-spun material to the community, you become a person to watch. "

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4 Ways to Become a Social Media Influencer

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi