by Guest Blogger, Annie Infinite, Saucy Social Media
I don’t know about you, but I would love to be an influencer, an inspirational influencer. The thought that something I say or do may change a life inspires me to be the best I can be.
Influencers are those people others look to for inspiration and guidance. Their followers are their advocates, their champions, who create ripples in the conversations on and offline that flow outward from the center. They make a splash wherever they are.
The ripples that result can change others’ lives without the influencer even knowing about it. Great influencers don’t have to work at it, they just are!
Now I don’t know that I want to go that far myself, however I would like to be thought of as inspirational.
For me influence is more like in-flow-ence. When we are in flow we are at our most inspirational, we forget the world around us and our awareness is centered in the present – we are fully focused.
In this state when speaking or writing the “in-flow-encer” exudes a kind of charisma. This is when you’re communicating from your deep and passionate self. Each word flows with confidence and holds the listener or reader spellbound with emotion and connection.
This state of flow comes not from learning a script; it comes from knowing, believing and trusting in the veracity of your knowledge, experience and passion.
You can however, create a new practice/habit of using the influencer formula until you can find that place of flow or that pursuit which evokes that passion in yourself. Kind of “fake it till you make it”.
What does it take to become an influencer, and reap the rewards in terms of business, sales and building that community of brand advocates we all know we need?
Outward habits and signs of an Influencer:
#1. Large Online Footprint – Increased Sphere of Influence
The most well known influencers have a large online footprint, in other words they can be found on many channels, and are active on most of them, they usually blog, guest blog, and are found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Youtube and LinkedIn just for a start. They are seen commenting on other peoples blogs and are mentioned in other people’s content.
#2. Connect and Collaborate to Influence
Influencers make the connections necessary and ask the questions necessary to put their business and content in the path of those who can help maximize their presence. They follow other influencers and share and network on and offline with those who can boost their profile. They work hard at building high quality networks, rather than large ones, because they understand that it is the quality of your network that creates influence, not the size of it.
#3. Participate to Influence
The top influencers participate regularly in discussions in and off their niche, they answer questions willingly, and prove they are a part of the community by adding value to every community they are a part of without asking for anything in return. They can be seen online often and answer questions put to them, as well as show gratitude to their followers without reserve. They keep tabs on their communities, making sure each member is acknowledged and moderate communities to prevent negative interactions, including deleting spam and removing posting rights from trouble makers.
#4. Planning and Strategy for increasing your Influence
Influencers have a plan, often more than one of them, they know what they want to achieve and where they want to end up. They have a vision and a mission, and are driven to excel and exceed their audience’s expectations.
#5 Influencers Are Seen In All The Right Places
Influencers know where their audiences gather and focus their time there, sharing and contributing while networking and seeking opportunities to collaborate with other influencers in their community. Influencers are also seen regularly sharing and conversing on other influencers’ pages and profiles.They always support others in their community to help them achieve their goals.
#6. Strong Influencers Have a Clear Voice
Influencers have a voice; a point of view and usually a philosophy they share with everyone willingly. They don’t follow the crowd or try to appear ‘normal’ or fit in; they speak out, share what’s important to them freely. They have their own style, which becomes easily recognized, and influence their followers to reach their potential, exceed their limitations and grow. Influencers speak with authority about their topic and their business knowing they know what they know, they also are ready to admit what they don’t know and the confidence to admit that shows. There ability to persuade comes from this confidence and authority and not from some parlor trick learned at a seminar on influence and sales.
#7. Influencers LOVE what they do
Influencers who are in flow love what they do, and it shows! Their passion for their niche and their business flows from every pore, and every word, it shows in the quality of their work, and in the conversations they have about what they do. Their knowledge is vast and deep, because they positively drink up all the latest trends and information around their passion, keeping it alive and flowing in their veins, so that it’s as easy as breathing to speak about their business and their niche.
Annie Infinite is an experienced online marketer in Australia. Her company Saucy Social Media is a boutique creative marketing agency specializing in digital and social media strategy, brand awareness alchemy, event marketing and promotions, custom social media plans, social media training and workshops, and social media management services. Saucy Social Media is a small business based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia not far from Brisbane, who handle social media for businesses locally, nationally and internationally.
