How to Become an Influencer

I recently realized that one of the most debated questions about influencers is how to become one. Sure, there are some people who are merely curious, but in this day in age, it seems more and more people are wondering for themselves. I've briefly touched on this in a previous post, when I explained that there are a lot of bloggers-turned-influencers out there, but what about entering the industry with no prior experience in the field? For those trying to create their own influencer brand or even just wanting to dabble in the newfound industry, here's where to start:

• Start From a Clean Slate: First impressions are everything, so before you start branding yourself as an influencer, make sure that any pre-existing content on your channels coincides with the brand that you are trying to create. Some people go as far as creating new profiles, but keep in mind that your original followers can be helpful in gaining traction and exposure.
• Narrow Your Focus: Although you may have many interests, a key element to branding yourself, especially as an influencer, is to hone in on your most important and relevant passion. Similar to blogging, you should be focusing on one thing, usually something specific enough to be personal but broad enough to always generate new content. For example, if your niche is food, then narrow that down further to cooking or restaurant reviews.
• Differentiate Yourself: Taking the previous tip one step further, try to be aware of pre-existing influencers with similar interests and differentiate yourself. 
• Create Cohesive Content: Given that you are working on a predominantly visual channel, such as Instagram, your content needs to be especially cohesive. Not only should your posts be relevant to your other posts in terms of subject, but they should also be visually appealing next to one another. Pick your color palette and stick with that by using similar backgrounds and edits for your photos. The goal is for someone to visit your profile page and immediately be able to identify your style.
• Plan Ahead: Build up enough content for at least a month's worth of posting. This will help you with cohesive content and also with staying consistent. By using apps like Planoly, you can see what content works well together, which can also help you plan the order in which to post.
• Be a Good User: The best way to keep others engaged is by being an active user yourself. Engage in others' posts, but also be sure to respond to those who are engaging in your content. This will help you boost exposure and recognize your most popular content (so that you can produce more). On top of everything else, it can help you beat the new Instagram algorithm too! (You know, the one that now takes posts out of chronological order and spits them out in what seems to be, but actually isn't, a random order.)

While there may not be a cookie cutter way for all of us to become successful influencers, these tips  cover the basics on how to properly dabble in this new, quickly-growing industry.

Where to Start Learning About Influencer Marketing?

For all my high school English teachers, I have a confession: I am an avid Wikipedia user. Now, before I put anyone in a state of shock, let me explain why I find Wikipedia to be helpful. 

Given that the world of influencers is still fairly new and also constantly evolving, it’s often hard to get a full understanding of that industry. I try to stay up to date on new marketing techniques, social platforms, technological advancements, etc. (really anything that could potentially affect the market), but, yes, I am guilty of turning to Wikipedia for basic assistance in my research. While I never rely solely on Wikipedia, I have found it to be a valuable tool to gather new information or narrow my focus and then do further research on anything I find (especially to ensure it’s true). I also believe that we are responsible for helping each other learn, so I’m one of those people who actually adds to Wikipedia pages when I feel it is necessary to. That being said, when I was looking through Wikipedia just the other day, I couldn’t help but notice the vagueness of the content under, "Influencer Marketing” particularly the sub-section titled, “Why on social networks?”. The original explanation read as follows:

Brands are evolving in terms of marketing. While putting an ad on television has a high cost, working with an influencer has a negligible cost in relation to the possible benefits it can receive. For example, if an influencer has 200,000 followers on Instagram and a company gives them a product on the condition that he exposes it to his audience, this company would be making an investment of the cost of a product in exchange for reaching at least the large most followers of the public figure. More and more people areusing the Internet and more importantly speaking in terms of marketing, more and more people are using online platforms to make purchases. This increase in the number of online purchases forces some companies to invest more resources in their general advertising on the Internet and in particular on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter or those already named Instagram and YouTube among others.

This information is all incredibly valuable to someone learning about the field of influencer marketing, but it only scratches the surface for a fully loaded question. I wanted to share this Wikipedia page to help others grasp the basics of influencer marketing, but before doing so, I took it upon myself to add further explanation at the end of the section:

In addition, marketing through social networks allows for an instantaneous purchase process, as a person can see the item and typically be connected to an online retailer immediately. This creates less lag time between seeing the advertisement and being redirected to the product, which is more effective for spontaneous purchases.

This information is important to include because the original author(s) gave reasons without any elaboration. While the initial version of this section acknowledged that internet promotion is more valuable than modern television advertisements, the explanation was limited to two reasons: the number of people being reached and the difference in marketing costs. This section failed to identify the third key benefit to social media marketing. Although I only edited this one section, the lack of depth existed in most of the article. This section serves as a very clear example of how the article could have benefited from more elaborations and further detail, but, overall, I will say that this page successfully gives a good framework for the topic. I will also admit that the lapse in certain detail probably exists due to the constant changing and evolving analytics in this field. Feel free to check it out yourself (and even add anything of value, if you dare).

Entertainment Influencers

I recently finished watching the first season of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why, and, truth be told, I probably wouldn't have committed if it weren't for Selena Gomez's involvement in the series.

For some context, I am not some huge Selena Gomez fan. However, I tend to agree with her beliefs and opinions (well, those that she voices publicly), I follow her on social media, and I saw her creating lots of hype for the show. Additionally, I was both more hesitant and more intrigued to watch the show because of its main topic: suicide. When I was young, my father committed suicide and I've spent the majority of my life raising awareness to mental illness. That being said, it makes me excited about others doing the same, but also makes me nervous to see such a fragile topic in an entertainment setting. So, anyway, I ultimately fell into Gomez's marketing trap, watched the show, and, man do I have a lot of feelings.

First off, I think that the correlation between bullying and depression (as well as other mental disorders and suicide) that the show highlighted was a strong element. This is an arena that few television and movie creators dabble in, as it has high risk for controversy. Here, the producers established a realistic portrayal of bullying and identified the short and long-term effects that it could have on someone, especially at the vulnerable age of 16.

The series was also very well casted, which I felt contributed to the effectiveness of the show's message. The creators did not choose a high-profile cast, but rather a group of relatable yet quirky, seemingly ordinary yet unique, and diverse high school students. By doing this, the creators did not place much emphasis on the people playing these roles, but rather the characters themselves.

The show also used an excellent marketing tool: their executive producer, Selena Gomez. I already touched on this above, but, to be clear, I do respect this strategy from a business perspective. This is where the use of influencers to represent one's brand can be very effective. However, from a personal perspective, this seemed insensitive. Gomez reached millions of people through her social network when advocating for the show. While this may seem harmless, the concern is that of those millions of people who follow her, a significant percentage have been or could be affected by mental illness, suicide, bullying, sexual misconduct, etc. Many of these followers, especially the younger ones, still may have an inclination to watch the series despite the potential triggers it could evoke. My take on Gomez's advocacy for the show is, again, mainly personal, so I could understand how others may not see the need for concern here, but this raises my next point.

Perhaps my biggest critique of the series is the plot itself. I know that that may seem a bit drastic, but the mere idea of blaming others for a suicide is NOT spreading proper awareness. In regards to Gomez as the influencer behind the series, this kind of storyline strikes me as dangerous given how many young, easily impressionable people are watching based on her suggestions. Furthermore, the pain of people struggling with any kind of mental disorder or trauma is not to be diminished, but the circular concept that projecting such pain onto those who once hurt you is completely ineffective and practically barbaric. Seeking some sort of revenge does not relieve pain, nor does taking your life. However, supporting one another and forgiveness does.

As I have started the second season of 13 Reasons Why, I have found a few redeeming qualities within the show. Overall, I think that the series has potential to use its platform to spread more appropriate awareness, but as far as the first season goes, the creators were a bit too desensitized for my liking. My review stems from my honest opinion, as well as my emotional connection to the subjects covered in this show, so I hope this unique perspective allows other viewers to consider some of what I have covered today.

If you or anyone you know if ever suffering from addiction, depression, or suicidal thoughts, please call this number: 1-800-273-8255.