Do you consider yourself an expert in a particular niche? Perhaps you’re passionate about styling and fashion and love sharing your looks and useful tips on social media?
If you possess such knowledge, passion, and a large following on social media – you certainly have the right credentials to become a brand ambassador.
In 2017, 92% of marketers found influencer marketing to be effective. The numbers are certainly encouraging enough for influencers to focus on becoming brand ambassadors.
Influencer marketing is all about the right pairing of brands with trendsetters and industry experts. Brands leverage the popularity of influencers to reach their target audiences.
There’s a lot in it for influencers too – fame, authority, and of course monetary benefits. Rachel Brathen, for example, is an influencer who charges more than $25,000 per instagram post from brands.
No wonder why there’s a mad rush in the market to become a brand ambassador. Google Trends show a steady rise in searches for “how to become an influencer” over the past few years.
If you’re serious about making it big as an influencer or brand ambassador, you need a plan. In this post, that’s exactly what we’re going to talk about. When you’re done reading this, you’ll know everything about how to become a brand ambassador by leveraging your online presence.
Pick a Niche
Is there something you really love doing? Do you have a hobby that keeps you busy on weekends? Baking maybe? Perhaps you’re a huge makeup addict and love Instagramming your looks?
If you possess an innate interest and knowledge about something that people find interesting, make it your niche. Start by posting useful tips and other interesting information about that niche online. You could create a blog and write about them, or you could even post your tips on Instagram.
Regardless of the medium you select to convey your thoughts to the world, you need to be authentic. Just because someone else seems to be very popular on Instagram posting about their recipes, doesn’t mean you should too. If you have no knowledge or interest in cooking, your posts won’t be authentic.
If you don’t have genuine interest or knowledge, you just can’t be successful. Remember, authenticity is key when it comes to influence.
Popular food blogger, Ella, created her blog as a way of documenting her kitchen experiments – as she made her way into a healthy diet and lifestyle, following an illness. Her genuinity and passion are what makes Deliciously Ella one of the most sought-after food blogs today.
Create Amazing Content>
You need to create quality content if you want to become a brand ambassador or an influencer. This is absolutely non-negotiable.
When you write blog posts or post pictures and videos on social media – you need to make sure that your content is top-notch. Create them with a focus on solving people’s problems. If they’re not useful, engaging, and informative, not many people will be interested in reading them.
You also need to use relevant hashtags on your social media posts so that they can be discovered easily.
Always make sure your pictures and videos are visually appealing. You may need to edit them for better clarity and to enhance their look. You can use tools like Snapseed, Pixelmator, or Lightroom to achieve a professional quality.
Post Consistently
To grow your influence, you need to make sure your followers are engaged. Once they like your content, they will come back for more. So make sure you have fresh content ready and post it regularly.
A study by HubSpot found that, on Twitter, the more you post, the better it is for engagement. Some other studies may tell you to post daily or even twice a day on Instagram. The important thing you need to remember is to be consistent, regardless of your posting frequency. So, pick a schedule you can stick to.
Engage with Your Audiences
It pays to engage with your audience. Your followers trust you and read your thoughts and opinions. Your posts can shape their opinions about a brand or service.
By responding to their comments, not only do you encourage greater participation, but also show that you care for them. Remember, when it comes to brands evaluating your influence, most of them attach greater importance to engagement than follower counts.
Reach Out for Collaboration
Be on the lookout for relevant Facebook groups where you can get information about brands that may be looking for influencers.
You can join influencer platforms too. Platforms like BuzzSumo or BuzzStream will enable your profile to show up in searches by brands. While some others, like TRIBE, will allow you to bid for brand sponsored campaigns that seem relevant to you.
Also, look out for any Facebook events created by local businesses in your niche. Create a compelling pitch that includes your value proposition and statistics and start emailing relevant brands.
Conclusion
A brand ambassador becomes the face of a brand. It is certainly a lucrative and sought-after position. However, there are no shortcuts to becoming an influencer or brand ambassador.
You need to be consistent and put in the hard work. Keep creating amazing content, engage with your followers, research brands who may be relevant, and send them your pitches.
Most importantly, don’t be afraid of rejection or failure. You need to start thinking like a marketer to see how best you can help a brand.
Do you have any other tips on how to become a brand ambassador? Please feel free to share them in the comments below.
