Curious about Micro Influencing?

Have you been noticing how many more influencers there seem to be lately? It seems like every time I open my phone to scroll through Instagram I come across another account I want to follow. From the lifestyle and mommy bloggers to the couples who prank each other (I really love those accounts) to specific niche accounts for just about anything. 

With everyone stuck at home early on in the pandemic we were all spending a lot more time on our phones in 2020 both consuming and creating content. 

I still prefer Instagram and Facebook but TikTok really took over powerfully last year as people were at home creating and taking part in dance challenges and other funny trending filters and ideas. I personally love watching those videos. There have definitely been some very creative ones and it can be a great way to pass your free time while we’re all still largely stuck at home. 

You. An influencer. 

You may have read that word Influencer and think of folks like these but I want you to consider your own social media presence and impact on the people who follow you. You're influencing them.

Now that that's cleared up, what do you normally post about on social media? I’m guessing it’s a mix of things you love. Since you’re here on my blog you probably love music. And, if you’re anything like me, your feed might be a mix of photos of your pet, your plants, crafting, kitchen creations and more. 

Most “influencers” started out just like you, sharing things they love just because it brought them joy and they wanted other people to know about it too. Here’s a great short interview with Nicole Randone whose social media channels are dedicated to early 2000’s pop culture. Let that be proof that literally anything you are into you can be something someone else is into as well. She’s grown her following into over 100K fans just sharing what she loves. 

Nicole has some golden advice in that interview, “The key to growing a following on any social platform is consistency. And I think that when you’re passionate and you love what you’re posting it’s so easy to stay consistent. And it never feels like a job or hard work.” 

The thing is, once you have a dedicated following, even just 1000 fans, you might actually be able to turn your hobby into a side hustle. Depending how many followers and the engagement you have, you can work with companies on either paid or traded work sharing their new products with your fans. You’ll also often get to try some products or things for free before anyone else just by giving your honest and creative feedback. 

You may have always thought of influencers as the Kardashians getting paid to promote events or credit cards but I think companies are getting hip to those not giving them much of a return on their investment and often searching out micro influencers in that 1000 real fans and up space. This article from Entrepreneur.com gives an in depth look at influencer marketing from the companies standpoint and how you may be valuable as a micro-influencer. 

If I’ve made you curious and you’re thinking about trying to do this here’s a few tips:

Pick something you really enjoy and already love to do. Don’t decide to start a artisanal cooking baking channel when most of the photos on your phone are of your dog and you just bake cookies 1-2x a year. Find something you already love and you’ll be off to a great start. 

Think of social media like micro blogging. You don’t have to write a lot but you do want to share with your own authentic voice and give some of your personality in each post. Sometimes you can do that with just a few emojis or a favorite quote. Just try things out and don’t overthink it which brings me to... 

Just try it, make mistakes and keep going. You’re not going to get it perfect out of the gate. Some of my favorite influencers have evolved so much over the years but everyone starts somewhere. You’ll figure out hashtags and all the other details over time as long as you keep trying to learn and publish quality content consistently you’ll get there. 

Find community. Be community. This is one I definitely wanted to mention while this pandemic has left many of us kind of stagnant and starving for coloration and community. Social media can actually be a great way to meet and discover new friends and people you resonate with. Jumpstart that by finding and following other creators that post content you love. Respond and engage with them in their feed and you might just find some of their followers checking out what you’re doing too! 

There you have it, some ideas to help you get started as a micro-influencer. Good luck!

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