Influencers

Building a following from the ground up is a challenge when you first introduce yourself to the world. 0:00 Nobody knows who you are or what you do. 0:05 Your content and marketing should reflect your abilities and communicate your value. 0:09 But when it comes to gaining customers and followers, it helps to have some influence. 0:13 Consider the scenario when you need to find something online-- 0:19 a new restaurant to try with a significant other or a new game to help you pass the time. 0:22 Today's online world isn't just a database of information, it's a living, 0:27 breathing source of recommendations from the people and companies you connect with. 0:33 To you, they are trusted sources and they have a degree of influence over you 0:37 and the way you make decisions. 0:42 So, as you start your own business, you should consider your role as a potential influencer. 0:44 What kind would you like to be? 0:51 Do you want to be a thought leader that provides educated opinions and research 0:54 on industry issues and concepts. 0:58 Would you rather be a curator, seeking out and sharing the best content 1:01 from various sources online. 1:06 Maybe you'd rather be a follower, getting started by learning your trade 1:08 from the best in the business or perhaps a little bit of everything. 1:12 One way to get started is to take a page from the ones that influence you 1:16 as you use each social platform, you should seek out sources of information and content 1:20 that are meaningful to you and follow them. 1:26 Industry experts, trusted news sources, and different companies and organizations 1:29 can provide excellent information to you on a daily basis, so when you find them, 1:33 ask yourself, if they're influential to you, who might influence them? 1:39 Platforms like Twitter can actually show you who these experts follow and checking out 1:45 those sources can often reveal new opportunities for information and networking. 1:51 Follow and make real connections with these influencers 1:56 and they may become important allies when starting to promote yourself. 2:00 Growing influence requires becoming an active participant online. 2:04 Creating and sharing great information, links, and other quality content 2:10 is appreciated by those with similar interests. 2:15 Utilizing helpful hash tags and other platforms specific codes 2:18 helps link your work to other related searchable content. 2:23 In addition, reaching out to others online and beginning or jumping into conversations 2:26 can allow you to share your expertise, interests, as well as your sense of humor. 2:32 Users want to follow real people with knowledge and personality. 2:38 Not faceless entities that are only concern with numbers. 2:42 Remember that influence is subjective and while some try to measure and put labels 2:46 on the kind of influence you might have, the most relevant effect of influence 2:52 is on the goals you have for your business. 2:56 If you send out a tweet asking your followers to check out a new product, 2:58 how many actually click through, how many shared that tweet to others, 3:03 and how many actually make the purchase? 3:08 Measuring conversations will give you an idea about what kind of social outreach is working 3:11 and how effective you are as an influencer? 3:16