We live in an era of social media superstars. There are Vloggers who have built multi-million dollar empires. Instagram models that get paid $25,000 just for posting one picture of them using some teeth-whitening kit. Youtube stars get to walk the red carpet alongside Hollywood’s Oscar-winning actors and actresses. Twitter abusers have become rich self-published authors. It is a brave new world out there for anyone willing to build up their online following and social media profile. There is the chance to make it big for anyone that wants to be an influencer.

Of course, influencers don’t have to be spotty teenagers that can work wonders with makeup, and teach you how to as well. No, influencers can be anyone that has fans and followers who regularly go to them for inspiration and knowledge in a particular area.

But how do you become an influencer?

Know The Tools

Most online influencers didn’t amass the following they have simply by putting in hours and hours on the different social media platforms. The system doesn’t really work like that. Instead, what these people did was research what tools and software are out there that will allow them to boost their following with relative ease, and that means gaining followers automatically and through analytics. The most recommended tools on this front or Squarelovin (which allows you to dissect your Instagram account and see what’s working) and IFTTT (which connects all your social media’s together, making them work harmoniously to increase engagement).

Make Your Social Profile Look Good

You really want to have a clean cut brand image that you are trying to portray, so know exactly what that image is and build from there. If you have a website, make sure it sells you and whatever else you are trying to sell. If you are a Vlogger or Youtube lover that makes their own videos, make sure your channel is up to scratch. This means producing high quality and consistent content as well as making it look the part by using Adobe Spark for your banner design. When it comes to Instagram, have a style that is instantly recognizable. This could be using the same filter, or always showing sexy images of food or incredible places to travel. Whatever your niche, nail it.

Get Involved With Influencers

One of the easiest and most effective ways to get more followers is to interact with current influencers. Comment on their photos, share their posts, retweet them, engage with them in conversation. The more you do this, the more you will get noticed and thus the more people will start to wonder over to your profiles and accounts. Don’t spread yourself too thin, though. Pick three to five influencers and start engaging with them and their content. This will automatically see you put yourself on the radar of their followers. You’ll get noticed, your visibility will grow, people will become intrigued by your presence and you will start to see yourself become an influencer off the back of your engagement. Simple.