How to influence your social media following. It sounds like such a silly concept to me.

I have been a small business owner for over 20 years and when I first started out people weren’t using the internet to grow their businesses, let alone trying to personally influence people. But thanks to modern technology and the rise of social selling, if you’re growing a business online, you’re also trying to influence people. 

And I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t have a big enough following to be an influencer.” 

Was that not the first thought that popped into your head when you read the title of this episode? 

Well, I have a secret to tell. If you have 1 follower, you are an influencer.

The next time you post something and only 10 people like it, I want you to think about those ten people showing up at your front door to see what you are doing. Ten people online may feel like nothing, but ten people knocking on your door to engage with you would feel really overwhelming! Celebrate those ten people! They see your work and they like it enough to stop and offer their attention to you. That’s huge! 

That’s influencing. And that should be your focus. How can you influence the followers you already have, not how can you gain more followers? Because here’s the deal, if you’re getting the followers you already have to buy in and become influenced by your work, your following will naturally grow all on its own. 

So let’s look at a few ways you can influence people with your social media presence.

HOW TO INFLUENCE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWING

 

1. Gain your follower’s trust. 

 

A great way to do this is to welcome them into your daily work and personal life. People want to know you are a real human behind their computer screen so be sure to be as real and authentic as possible. 

I know it feels like we can only show up when our hair is beautiful, our makeup flawless, and our home spotless, but that’s not real life. We don’t live in a world of perfection so we shouldn’t be striving for an online presence of perfection either. 

 

2. Do what you say you’re going to do.

 

This one can be a hard one for me. I’ll talk on my stories and say I am going to come back and show my followers something and then life gets busy and I totally forget. Have you done that before?

Whatever it is that you tell your audience you’re going to do, has to be done. If not, you’ll eventually lose their trust and never be able to influence them to believe in what you’re offering. It’s a golden rule of life and online influence. Say what you mean, mean what you say, and do what you say you’re going to do. 

 

3. Give others a voice. 

 

I believe that you should always give more than you take when it comes to social media so be sure to give value to your followers and ask to hear from them. The best way to do this is to teach them something on a consistent basis and offer them opportunities to ask you questions and share their input. 

 

4. Stay focused on your ideal client. 

 

Know exactly who they are and what they want to hear. And then be sure to give them what they’re looking for in the content you create. If your audience feels like you are talking to them, they are more likely to feel influenced by your content and look forward to seeing you in their feed! 

 

5. Engage with others.

 

In order to influence people with your social media presence you have to make the relationship two-sided. Engage with your followers. Comment on their stories, like their posts, and respond to the messages they send to you. 

It’s easy to feel like our social platforms are all about us, but they’re actually about creating relationships. And strong relationships rely on communication from both partners. So get engaged with your followers and become invested in their lives and businesses. 

I will never consider myself a social media expert as I am in the trenches with you as we learn how to grow not only our influence but our businesses as well. But I have spent so many hours trying to learn the ropes of the online realm and I hope the things I have learned will help you know how to influence your social media following.  

Remember. Even with just one follower, you are an influencer and that influence matters to the impact you make on this world!