Everyone wants to be a blogging influencer. Being an influencer means people respect you as a thought leader, they read and trust what you have to say, and you have a competitive advantage over practically everyone else in your industry. It’s helpful regardless of whether you’re running a business, developing a personal brand, or are just interested in getting a message to the public.
It’s obviously not possible to become an influencer overnight, nor is it possible to become an influencer through blogging alone. You’ll need several things to be successful, and while they may be difficult to acquire, they’re certainly accessible.
h2>What You Need
You’ll need to meet at least these conditions to be successful as a blogging influencer:
1. A solid internet connection (and a good place to work). You won’t make much progress unless you have a solid internet connection and a reliable place to do your work. You’ll need to produce lots of content and engage with your online audience regularly, so it pays to have a strong, dedicated workspace. Compare the existing internet providers in your area, and choose a plan that’s both fast and reliable, then set up a workspace — either a home office with a desk and sufficient private space or a coworking space available to the public.
2. A personal brand.
You’ll also need to have a personal brand. While your blog is the center point of your strategy and arguably the element that will get the most attention, it’s your personal brand that will make you an influencer. Take the time to develop your personal brand the same way you would a corporate brand, noting key elements of your identity that would appeal to your target audience, and finding a tone that works.
3. A niche with minimal competition (to start).
While it’s possible to run a successful blog in a general category, it’s much easier to choose a specific niche and develop from there. Ideally, that niche will be specific enough to strongly appeal to a small target demographic, and unique enough that it doesn’t have much competition. Again, it’s going to take some time to find the best approach here.
4. An initial bank of content.
When people visit your blog for the first time, they’ll look at your archives to see what type of content you’ve created in the past. If you only have a few posts, people won’t stick around for long enough to get a feel for your brand (or pass any value to you). Therefore, it’s in your best interest to produce an initial bank of content—ideally dozens of articles that show off your personal brand and what you’re capable of writing.
5. A strategy for growth.
You’ll need to grow your presence over time, but there are multiple viable strategies to secure that growth. What’s important isn’t which strategies you use, but rather how you choose them. Different brands will benefit from different types of marketing and advertising, so create a growth strategy that suits you, and develop it from there.
6. A social media presence.
Even if social media isn’t your primary strategy for securing growth, it’s important to have a social media presence for your personal brand. Create accounts for yourself on Facebook, Twitter, and other major platforms, then use them regularly to share your latest posts, make comments about your industry, and cultivate a stronger community.
7. A commitment to expertise.
Influencers get to where they are because they’re experts in their respective fields. If you want to get to that level, you need to have a commitment to expertise. That means spending ample time researching all your topics, including sufficient detail in all your articles, presenting your opinion when called for, and treating other opinions with respect. If you’re relatively new to the field, fake it ‘til you make it.
8. Ongoing community engagement.
You won’t be an influencer until you have a thriving community of followers, but to build that community, you have to engage with those Facebook followers or Instagram followers and encourage them to keep following you. That means answering questions, replying to comments, and connecting on social media.
Research and Adjustment
You won’t nail your strategy right out of the gates, so it’s important to temper your expectations. The best way to approach your blogging strategy is to start with the basics and work to refine your strategy from there. Pay attention to which types of content your audience wants to see, and which ones don’t attract much interest. Do your research, pay attention to your competition, and most importantly, prepare to make lots of changes to your image, your content, and your community along the way.
