Social media: how to become an influencer?

Today, influencers play a central role in the marketing strategies of brands and companies. In 2022, the vast majority of consumers discovered a product or brand thanks to the content these opinion leaders share via their social media accounts. This trend shows no signs of slowing down. As a result, being an influencer has become a real profession , and given the sometimes very high salaries it offers, many aspire to follow this path. So, how does one become a professional influencer ? Can anyone aspire to this status that appeals to all generations? Is there training for this exciting career? Our influencer agency , So Bang, offers a short guide to understanding all the intricacies of this emerging profession .

Becoming an influencer, a real profession

Do you want to become an influencer? Before giving you some tips to help you get started professionally, you first need to know exactly what it is.

What is an influencer? It's a new profession that emerged with the advent of digital technology, and especially the explosion of blogs and social media. It refers to the practice of using all these social platforms to increase the visibility of a brand and its products. This activity has existed for several years, but it has truly taken off in the last five years with the increased development of social media marketing.

Which social media platforms should I use to become an influencer?

In theory, it's possible to become an influencer on any social network : Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, etc. In practice, some platforms attract more aspiring influencers. This is the case with TikTok, which, with 3 billion users, has become the favorite playground for influencers worldwide.

Of course, an influencer can be active on multiple platforms, but increasingly, the bulk of their activity and the income they generate will be concentrated on one social network more than another. This has led to a segmentation of the profession based on each influencer's specialty (food, fashion, luxury, beauty, travel, etc.) as well as the social network on which they operate. Often, they even define themselves as Instagram influencers, TikTok influencers, and so on, to highlight their specialization. These labels define their identity. Let's be clear: influencer marketing has become the domain of omnichannel specialists, not just a few multi-platform generalists.

What qualities are needed to become an influencer?

To become an influencer, you need genuine motivation, a lot of dedication, and also possess certain intrinsic qualities. First, an influencer must have an innate sense of communication. Second, they must be:

• curious
• creative (in his writing, his photos, his videos)
• keen
• patient
• authentic (developing one's editorial line around one's personality)
• listening
• to be methodical and organized (to plan one's editorial production)
• excellent at mastering the social networks on which he operates
• comfortable speaking in front of a camera to present videos, tutorials, etc.

This list is not exhaustive, but it illustrates that the essential qualities for becoming an influencer are strong and varied. If you don't recognize yourself in one of these criteria, it's best to reconsider your ambitions.

What training should I pursue to become an influencer?

If you're interested in becoming an influencer, be aware that there are no specific training programs (and not yet) to learn and, more importantly, to practice it. Acquiring the necessary skills is therefore still primarily a self-taught, that is, throughexperience.

How to make money as an influencer?

Initially, being an influencer meant promoting a product or service in exchange for gifts or vouchers from brands. Everything was organized in a rather informal way, without any real oversight. Since then, the business model has evolved, and the activity itself has become increasingly professionalized. Today, influencers receive real financial compensation (salary, flat fee) for their services. An influencer's compensation depends on several factors, starting with their audience size and the level of engagement they generate.

In practice, collaborations between influencers and brands take the form of partnerships formalized by contracts . With the increasing professionalization of the industry, the management of these contracts is more and more frequently handled by specialized agencies like So Bang. The mission of an influencer agency is to forge this essential link between brands and influencers.

How to get noticed by an influence agency?

To have a chance of being noticed by an influencer agency and joining its team of ambassadors, the most important criterion will be the engagement you generate within your community. Having millions of followers is therefore unnecessary. What matters most is the interest you spark in others—in other words, your ability to capture the attention of your followers.

At So Bang, we also place great importance on the personality of the content creators we recruit for our influencer platform. We believe this aspect is essential for building a genuine and lasting connection. Therefore, we prefer to invest in profiles that can maintain their fresh tone and style across the campaigns we launch with them, rather than in "one-off" influencers who may be suitable in the short term but lose engagement and interaction over time.

Who manages the influencers on an influencer platform?

Influencer management within an influencer agency is entrusted to an Influencer Manager. Also called an “Influence Marketing Manager” or “Influencer Relations Manager,” he or she takes particular care to maintain good relationships between the brand and content creators. In short, they are a kind of agent!

Beyond the contractual aspect that allows the influencer to receive payment in exchange for services, they also negotiate all the legal and commercial terms to ensure the success of the collaboration. In addition, their role is to maintain the various influencers in a state of high creativity and motivation for each brand they work with. A bit like a coach, really.

How to gain influence to attract brands?

In addition to all these qualities, anyone wishing to become an influencer must also possess essential skills. The perfect influencer's handbookcontains a whole host of best practices to follow to succeed in this profession. These are also what will help you gain influence.

Like a social media manager, an influencer must be able to engage a community using a content strategy with clear and measurable objectives. They must build loyalty while also constantly attracting new audiences.

But an influencer is also a business owner who must adapt their services to best satisfy their clients (the brands). They must therefore subtly refresh their message in their various posts while incorporating current trends.

These various aspects of the profession require aspiring influencers to regularly train in new techniques and stayconstantly informed. Competition is fierce, and the brands that work with them expect a lot from influencers in terms of ROI (return on investment). They must build their brand awareness among their audience and convert that audience with maximum efficiency.

Final tips for launching your career as an influencer

Has this short guide answered all your questions? Does your profile meet all the criteria to become an influencer? If so, you're ready to launch a career as a social media content creator. All that's left is to target an area of ​​interest you want to communicate about. To begin, focus on one preferred social network rather than several (of course, it could also be a blog). Choose the one that matches your target audience and the one you feel most comfortable using. An influencer operating in the right environment is the first condition for success.

Working with an influencer agency: the best way to succeed as an influencer

So, of course, and despite all their hard work and good intentions, for a budding influencer, it's not always easy to gain recognition from major fashion, lifestyle, beauty, luxury brands, etc. Therefore, let's reiterate: partnering with an influencer agency is the most effective way to boost your chances of success.

To catch recruiters' attention and boost your business, entice them with fresh content, relevant hashtags, and authentic yourself. Your persuasive power also depends on the engagement you generate with your community. Remember: influencer agencies use their tools to scour the web for talent. If you generate engagement with your followers (likes, shares, etc.) and your posts have style, you increase your chances of being noticed ! One last tip: your passion for this field should truly shine through in your posts.

At So Bang, over 30,000 influencers in France and internationally have already joined our influencer platform. If you'd like to work with our team of influencer experts and become an ambassador for a brand that inspires you, contact us.