Have you found yourself wondering ACTUALLY “how to become an Influencer in 2023”? Becoming an influencer is the it-career of our generation – and it’s no wonder – free trips and gifts regularly, staying in gorgeous hotels, working with incredible brands, the ability to completely control your schedule and career, getting paid to post about being YOURSELF – how is it not the dream?

But of course it’s an elusive industry – how do you become an influencer? We of course find ourselves becoming fascinated by influencer’s lives – but how do we do it too?

How to become an Influencer in 2023

So what is an Influencer anyways?

In today’s digital age, influencers have emerged as powerful figures of all sizes and backgrounds who possess the ability to captivate and shape the opinions of an online audience. An influencer is an individual who has cultivated a dedicated following on social media platforms through their expertise, charisma, and engaging content. With their unique perspective and authentic voice, influencers have the capacity to influence consumer behavior, lifestyle choices, and even societal trends. They leverage their online presence to share insights, recommendations, and personal experiences, ultimately establishing themselves as trusted authorities in specific niches. As influencers continue to rise in prominence, their impact has extended beyond mere entertainment, making them key players in marketing campaigns, brand collaborations, and social causes.

Types of Influencers

Now that the industry has matured and evolved, various types of influencers have emerged, each with their own unique characteristics and areas of expertise. Macro-influencers, often boasting a substantial following in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, possess broad appeal and are sought after by brands for their wide reach. Micro-influencers, on the other hand, have a smaller but highly engaged and loyal audience. Their niche focus allows for deeper connections with followers, resulting in higher levels of trust and authenticity. Another category is the celebrity influencer, comprising well-known personalities from the worlds of entertainment, sports, or other industries. Their fame and recognition lend them significant influence, making them powerful ambassadors for brands.

Influencer Industries

Additionally, there are industry-specific influencers, such as fashion influencers, fitness gurus, or travel bloggers, who establish themselves as authorities in their respective fields, offering specialized content and expertise to their dedicated followers. There are pet influencers, mom influencers, clean skincare influencers, sports car influencers… basically any type of niche you can think of, you can become an influencer of. Regardless of their type, influencers play a pivotal role in shaping online discourse, driving trends, and influencing consumer behavior.

So how do you become an influencer in 2023?

Let’s just strike one myth: while the industry has grown, it is NOT saturated – the whole premise on being an influencer is about you as a brand – and there is ONLY ONE OF YOU! There is no one else like you on this earth, and with that is your superpower to fuel your influence.

The challenge then, is translating that YOU-NESS into a digital representation through video and photo content. It’s bringing specific parts of your life, style, expertise, and personality, to INTERNET LIFE.

So with the right mindset and strategy, you can make this happen in 2023. Let’s cover how to become an Influencer in 2023.

How to become an Influencer in 2023 step-by-step

Becoming an influencer in 2023 requires a strategic approach and dedication. Here is a step-by-step guide to help you on your journey how to become an Influencer.

1. Set Clear Goals: Determine what you want to achieve as an influencer. Are you looking to promote brands, inspire people, or create informative content? Ask yourself WHY do you want to become an influencer? How do you want to help or inspire people? You either need to be helping, entertaining, or inspiring something, so decide what that is. Then define your goals to guide your content creation and growth strategy. You want to create your BUSINESS PLAN – set goals for how you’ll MAKE money (do you have services to offer or do you want to work with brands?) which will shape the community, content, and niche you’ll build. This is an important part of the beginning, is that you have a very clear idea of your influencer career and business and what that looks like (not just what someone scrolling sees 😉 )
2. Gather your Inspiration: Another important first step is to find 3-5 accounts and influencers that are the MOST similar to what you want to do or that align with your style. It’s important to have a few specific influencers that are similar to you to look up to for ideas (don’t COPY) but also prove that their niche/style has successfully grown an audience.
3. Define Your Niche: Now that you have your inspo, choose a specific area or topic that you are passionate about and knowledgeable in. This will help you establish your expertise and attract a targeted audience. It’s super important to be focused on one type of thing in the beginning to help build your initial audience – if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to NO ONE. I go into depth in this post here how to figure out your profitable niche.
4. Choose the Right Social Media Platforms: Research and identify the platforms where your target audience is most active OR select the platforms that will be EASIEST for you to create on. Each platform has its own best practices and audience preferences, so you have to tailor your content accordingly. You want to pick one ever-green platform and one short-form platform to focus on. I suggest pairing a Blog, Podcast, or Youtube channel + Instagram or Tiktok. Your short-form platform is going to be the easiest way for you to connect daily with your audience and be able to grow your audience quickly, and your long-form platform is where you build on that relationships further. This is a LONG TERM career, so you want to have a long-term view from the beginning!
5. Create Content: So FIRST you need to treat your influencer journey like a product or business – and with that, we have a “startup phase” and a “scaling” phase. So first we are in the startup phase and you want to experiment with different content formats to find what resonates best with your target audience. Try out different trends, styles, or formats and see what works. This will also build your content creation skills & habits quickly.
6. Build a Strong Personal Brand: Now that you’ve started testing the waters and in the startup phase, you can start to develop a unique brand identity that reflects your personality and values. Create a consistent aesthetic, use a recognizable color scheme, and establish a cohesive brand voice. This will make your content more memorable and help you stand out. Read more about how to do this in my blog post here.
7. Refine your Style, Strategy & Brand to Create High Quality Content Consistently: So now that you have narrowed down and refined the content to see what’s working, then you double down on what works, what is getting views, what you enjoy making, and start creating that consistently. Regularly post high-quality content to maintain engagement with your audience. Create a content schedule or calendar to help you stay organized and consistent. Consistency builds trust and keeps your followers engaged. Refine your style to post a consistent style of content so that you are recognizable and keep building authority and engagement.
8. Engage with Your Audience: Respond to comments, messages, and mentions from your followers. Engaging with your audience fosters a sense of community and shows that you value their support. Ask questions, run polls, and encourage discussions to create a two-way conversation. Share dms or comment in your stories or in posts of what people ask to build a sense of community. Share your thoughts and opinions or a behind-the-scenes look. Any way you can involve your existing audience. Additionally, you want to engage with your FUTURE audience, by engaging on like-minded creator’s accounts and with their followers.
9. Collaborate with Others: You not only need to build influencer friendships, but it helps you build your own brand too. Collaborate with other influencers, brands, or content creators in your niche. This can help you expand your reach, gain exposure to new audiences, and establish credibility. Look for opportunities to collaborate on joint projects, guest appearances, or sponsored content.
10. Leverage Influencer Marketing Platforms: Join influencer marketing platforms that connect brands with influencers. Platforms like Tribe, AspireIQ, or Upfluence can help you find brand collaborations, sponsorships, or paid content opportunities.
11. Create a media kit: You’ll need a media kit to start working with brands. You can grab my template here to put yours together, but the basics you need include your social bios, a short about you, the demographics of your audience, and examples of the content you post.
12. Analyze and Adapt: Regularly analyze your content performance using insights provided by each social media platform. Identify what type of content performs well and resonates with your audience. Adjust your strategy accordingly to optimize your growth and engagement based on your top performing posts.
13. Monetize Your Influence: As you build your following and establish your brand, explore more monetization opportunities. This may include sponsored posts, brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, selling merchandise, or creating your own products or services to sell.

Remember, becoming a successful influencer takes time, effort, and patience. Stay authentic, provide value to your audience, and adapt to the changing trends in the social media landscape.

So what does it look like to BE an influencer? What are your daily and weekly tasks as in influencer? let’s dive into what you’ll be doing as an influencer growing your brand, business, and community online.

Your Influencer Action Plan

So here’s a little secret – you need to start ACTING like an influencer first. What does an influencer do every week? What does their day look like? That’s what you need to start incorporating to put this into action! SO – Here’s a list of daily and weekly activities or to-dos for an influencer:

Daily Activities:

1. Create and publish engaging content across your social media platforms.
2. Engage with your audience by responding to comments, messages, and mentions.
3. Explore trending topics and stay up-to-date with current events relevant to your niche.
4. Research and connect with potential brand collaborations or sponsorships.
5. Seek out opportunities for cross-promotion with other influencers in your network.
6. Analyze and monitor your social media analytics to assess content performance.
7. Discover and engage with new accounts and potential followers in your target audience.
8. Share behind-the-scenes glimpses, stories, or sneak peeks to provide a personal touch.
9. Collaborate with other influencers or content creators on joint projects or content swaps.
10. Stay informed about social media platform updates, algorithm changes, and new features.

Weekly Activities:

1. Plan and schedule your content for the upcoming week, ensuring consistency.
2. Develop and refine your content strategy, focusing on specific themes or campaigns.
3. Research and pitch brand collaborations or sponsorship opportunities.
4. Review and respond to collaboration inquiries or partnership proposals.
5. Create and upload YouTube videos or podcasts, if applicable to your platform.
6. Evaluate your progress toward your influencer goals and adjust your strategy accordingly.
7. Engage in networking opportunities, attend events, or join industry-related online communities.
8. Collaborate with other influencers on larger-scale projects or content series.
9. Plan and execute any sponsored or promotional content, adhering to brand guidelines.
10. Reflect on your content performance and brainstorm new ideas or concepts to keep your content fresh and engaging.

Remember, this is a general list, and your specific activities may vary depending on your niche, audience, and platforms. Adapt and customize this list to suit your individual influencer path now that we’ve covered how to become an Influencer in 2023 with the latest strategies!

Ready to build your influence on Instagram? I’d love for you to join me in my free training!

I dive into this strategy more in depth in my 60-minute FREE Instagram Masterclass Training – so sign up below and i’ll walk you through exactly how to implement this strategy. And if you’re feeling lost exactly about what your niche is – we cover exactly how to narrow this down in the training too! If you want to see follower growth and grow your account using reels (and not just get the eyeballs on your page!), nailing your niche is really going to be a big part of it, but we’ll cover this in the training. Click here to sign up for the FREE Instagram training!