Even just four years ago, it was laughable to think you could make money as an “influencer” or that it would be an attainable dream for as many people as it is.
Today, we know that “influencing” is a thriving industry that is only getting bigger and brasher with time. You can’t survive as a content creator without endorsing multiple different platforms to engage with your audience.
If you are looking for a guide on how to be an influencer, you are going to be hard pressed finding something that keeps up with the times. But do not worry: part of the appeal of being an influencer is gaining the confidence to just go for it, regardless of whether or not it works out.
Here are some ways you can make money as an influencer with cross platform promotion.
Collaborations
Collaborations with other influencers can be a huge boon to engagement. They will supercharge your efforts to attract a larger audience if you manage to choose the right collaborator. It is an invaluable vehicle for tapping into a pre-vetted, pre-constructed consumer base.
If you choose the creators you collaborate with thoughtfully and execute your strategy with just as much care, you can garner an entirely new market for your content without lifting a finger. When there is overlap between the types of content you and your collaborator make, then you already have a built in audience you know will likely be receptive to your brand messaging.
The key to choosing the right collaborator is choosing someone whose content and audience overlaps, but does not clash, with yours. There should be no element of competition between the collaborators, or the audience may draw undue attention to wrong aspects of the collab.
And of course, do your research. There is nothing worse than insulting another creator because you are culturally illiterate or insensitive.
Use the Data
Keyword research has become a fixture for web designers and digital marketers. In the world of marketing, there is a slavish devotion to the idea of executing a content strategy that aligns with solid keyword research.
Keyword research gives content creators and marketers the ability to look into the actual search terms people are using when they search things with the intent to make a purchase or find information online. Even keywords that are not specifically geared towards buying an item or service are helpful to marketers trying to better understand the needs of consumers.
Content creators on social media platforms can take advantage of this strategy, too. While platforms like Youtube and Facebook are limited in their capabilities for keyword research when compared to a behemoth like Google, other platforms are catching up. For instance, you can now conduct keyword research using search terms on Instagram, rather than being restricted to searching only for full keywords.
Keyword research will help you pinpoint your content to meet the specific needs of your audience.
Serialized Content
Serialized content can be used strategically to lure a stagnant audience from one platform to another social platform. This must be done with the utmost care, however, as fans tend to be less-than-charitable to creators they feel are trying to use them for a buck, and stringing them across platforms to make up for incomplete content on one platform is a surefire way to make enemies.
So if you decide to use your popular presence on one social media to boost your influence on another, be very subtle about going about this. In lieu of announcing that your content will continue on another platform, which might be inaccessible for some of your fans, opt to plant “seeds” to other pieces of content across platforms. This will make your audience feel less taken advantage of, and they will have fun keeping up with the disparate aspects of your social media. After all, a fan is more likely to visit two different websites to check on their favorite influencer if they have reason to believe there will be unique pieces of content to be found on each of them.
Trending Hashtags
While it may seem like cheating, trending hashtags are trending for a reason. Use them! But don’t just jump on the most popular hashtags across the platform. You should find keywords and hashtags specific to your content niche that you can utilize across your profiles.
This way, if someone goes to search a popular hashtag from Instagram on Tik Tok, you will appear in a potentially less competitive search. One thing to note about coopting popular hashtags for your use is that you will attract attention outside of your niche or your audience. Depending on the hashtag, things can blow up very quickly across platforms and go viral.
So as an influencer, you should always conduct yourself with professionalism and class. Everything lives forever on the internet, but these days you can expect that your gaffes will then be blasted across all platforms…maybe even ones you have not signed up for yet!
