To gain followers and grow an audience, you need to decide what you’re interested in posting about, and learn how your niche audience thinks, as well as what types of content they want to consume. Not only will choosing a niche you’re actually interested in make it easier for you to produce content, but it will also ensure the content you create is authentic – and so too will be the audience you build, who want to know more about you, and the things you say and do.

As a nano- or micro-influencer, the purpose of your social media profiles is to attract your target audience, grow your following, and increase the engagement your content receives. Aside from being someone who talks back to those who talks to them, make sure people know who you are and what you’re about – include elements such as your real name, your interests, where you’re located, and contact information, in your bio. And if you can hyperlink your social media profiles to one another, so people can effortlessly navigate from your Instagram to your TikTok to your Twitter, so much the better!

It cannot be understated how important it is to remain consistent with your content if you want to succeed as a nano- and micro-influencer. Research has shown that influencers who post more often, have higher follower counts, and generally have more influence within their audience. Use the native scheduling tools on social media platforms to schedule your content in advance so that real life doesn’t get in the way of posting, or if you prefer to manage all of your profiles through a single dashboard, consider tools like Feedly, Planoly and Recurpost (which are just three of many). The point is to find what works for you and embrace it!

You can post every hour on the hour, but unless your content is valuable and holds real value for your audience, it’s a fool’s errand. Ensuring your content has value should be top of mind for anyone with influencer aspirations and there are a few ways to do this: be mindful of the quality of your content (tools like Canva are game-changers for this); publish posts you’d personally like to read and interact with; and properly develop a social media strategy to ensure you optimise your production, and the performance of the content you’re putting time and energy into creating.

It can be intimidating to approach businesses and brands you want to work with, but the good news is that there are ways around this! Sign-up with reputable influencer partners, such as theSALT, who work with brands from across the country and use data to connect the right influencers to the right brands. Not only do they take the hard work out of connecting you, they also support you every step of the way, and upskill you through training sessions that ensure you help brands and your audience to create a real, meaningful connection. It’s win-win!

If you stick to one type of content, you run the risk of running out of ideas and growing bored with your own communication. Platforms also tend to privilege their newest content types i.e.: Instagram pushing for more reach on Reels than static images, so it makes sense to diversify your content, which can contribute to its success. Testing different content types should be an important part of your social media activity, and while there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for success, the more you play, the more quickly you’ll discover what works, and then you can build on it!

Increasingly, brands and business are seeking value from influencers that isn’t rooted in how many followers they have, but rather how much influence they can generate and how that influence can be translated into sales.

Make 2023 the year your social media works for you by becoming a nano-/micro-influencer who can tap into your circle of influence, and put it to work, turning your social media activity into a side hustle that puts a little extra spending money in your pocket each month.

Building real connections with your audience starts with you and theSALT https://thesalt.co.za/lets_chat.php