Being a famous influencer requires more skills than content creation and video editing. Don’t get us wrong; those are important too. But if you want to do this full-time or become the Next Big Thing, you’ll need to sharpen a few more skills.
In this article, we’ll be sharing the five skills all famous influencers have. And no, it’s not dancing, and you don’t need special training to learn it. Just this article and some practice…and maybe Google or YouTube.
Creative Thinking 🧠
Good news: if you’re creating content, you likely already have this one in the bag! To be a famous influencer, you have to be creative. You’ll need to come up with new series or video ideas, or put your unique spin on a few classics. This skill will also require you to problem-solve creatively. You’ll have to be comfortable shifting your perspective and trying new solutions – or even generating innovative solutions yourself.
But, like we said, if you’re creating content, you’re already creative. You know how to think creatively; you just need to practice a little.
Storytelling 🔮
This is another skill that a lot of content creators and influencers have without realizing it. Storytelling is…well, it’s the art of telling a story. Most of us can tell stories and do so multiple times a day. But influencers, writers, actors, and even your dramatic bestie are all storytellers.
Storytelling is about more than just recalling something that happened. You’re embellishing it, making it more interesting, and pulling the audience in. Instead of just saying “here’s how I updated my bathroom”, they’ll say “let’s take my boring, outdated bathroom into the modern spa oasis of my dreams.” Storytelling evokes emotion, brings the audience in, and piques their interest. You can use storytelling to catch your audience’s attention and help them connect with you.
Storytelling is something that takes practice to perfect. You don’t have to take a course in it, but you will need to make a conscious effort to do it. To learn more about storytelling, check out this Forbes article! Or check out this storytelling masterclass below.
Strategy and Analysis 🤔
Analysis and strategy development are two key skills you’ll need. Even if you don’t want to become a famous influencer, they’re essentials. You’ll need to be able to develop a strategy for your content, and you’ll need to be able to review and analyze its performance.
Strategies map out your goals, tactics to achieve your goals, and track metrics. Whatever you want to do or accomplish this year, you need a strategy to help you get there. If you want to grow your followers, you’ll need to develop a strategy to get you there. What kind of content will you post? How often will you post? Are there any new niches you’ll try? Which techniques will you test out? It seems overwhelming, but developing strategies gets easier the more you do it. And if you’re already a planner or type A, it’s second nature.
Analysis is similar. You’ll look at the metrics from your strategy – likes, views, shares, followers, etc – and see if there were any patterns. Which kinds of videos got you more followers? Did a video with more shares result in more followers? Was there a video that got a ton of likes and views, but didn’t result in any followers? From there, you’ll use your analysis to develop a new strategy or change this one.
We’ve covered strategy and analysis before. Go more in-depth and learn the necessary steps to creating your own strategy in this article.
Networking 📨
Anyone who also works in the corporate world just let out the biggest groan. Like, it probably registered on the Richter scale. And we can’t say we blame you! Networking is building relationships with people and businesses for personal or professional purposes. The goal is to connect with other people and create a relationship that could help both of you down the line. It’s equal parts strategic and offhand. For a content creator, you want to network and build relationships with other creators, brands, managers, and even platforms (if you can).
But networking isn’t as easy as handing someone a business card or getting a mutual follower. You have to be involved in the conversation at hand or in the community. This might include going to creator events and seminars to meet other people. For some creators, that looks like joining a creative community and regularly sharing advice and experiences or helping to answer questions. You’re building relationships with other creators with the goal that you might collab later, or if they hear of an opportunity you’d be interested in, they’ll pass it along. Just be sure you’re doing the same in return!
Brand Development 🗺️
Believe it or not, brand development is a skill. There are marketers, graphic designers, and even copywriters who go to school to learn it. They’re learning how to develop multiple brands, jumping from industry to industry and taking their skills with them.
You don’t need all that. All you need to do is learn how to build a brand and stick to it. Building a brand means you create a unique identity for yourself in your industry. It’s how you present yourself, and having a solid brand makes creating content strategies and finding partnerships easier. Everything from the colors and fonts you use in videos to the actual videos you create should align with your brand. You can deep dive into building a brand here, but think of it like creating a personality for your content.
For visual learners, check out this video on developing a brand book, creating a signature series, and starting your own brand world.
(You don’t have to be a lifestyle creator for this brand guide to apply. It works for any niche. You might just need some of that creative thinking we mentioned earlier…)
These five skills will help you stand out from the crowd. And if you keep levelling up your content, you’ll be an unstoppable creative force! We can’t promise you’ll be at the MET Gala next year, but we can promise you’ll be one step closer to Famous Influencer, Social Media Icon status.
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