If you are active on Naija social media space, then you would have heard of ThePamilerin; ElCrufixio; Omojuwa; MBah; i_pissvodka; IyawoThickerBody …the list is endless.
These are Naija Social media Influencers who are cashing out BIG TIME!
What’s their common denominator?
- They all have a Unique Brand and Personality.
- They all have a large social media following.
- Their social media engagement is massive.
- They understand their audience and create matching content.
Most of them have created a company around their brand identity with employees or other mini-Influencers and are working with big brands locally and internationally.
Averagely, a big Naija Influencer earns as much as 500k monthly. It could be more or less depending on available campaigns and marketing gigs. A lot of them are living their dream and cashing out well.
There are also mini-influencers who work with the big ones and once in a while get mini gigs and campaigns.
So, first of all, how do you BECOME an influencer?
- Select a Niche : What do you want to be known for on social media (IG or Twitter)? Food? Lifestyle? Fashion?etc
- Optimise your Social media profile : Let people know you and what you stand for just by looking through your Bio.
- Understand your Audience : Know exactly why your followers are following you and tickles their fancy.
- Create and Post relevant content : This is one major aspect of becoming an influencer. This is what separates you from other social media users. Be intentional about your post.
- Engage with your Audience : This is very important! No one wants to hang around a snub. Social media is about engagement. So, engage, banter, yab, argue, contribute…etc Your followers will love you for it and recommend their own followers to follow you.
- Finally, let Brands know you are open for collaborations and campaigns.
It’s mostly agreed that when you cross the 10,000 follower mark on twitter or Instagram, you’ve become a Mini-Influencer and when you cross the 50,000 follower mark, you have become an Influencer.
There are a few things you should be careful about though as you pursue becoming an influencer .
- Avoid posting content from reputable media organisations or brands. They will report your account and twitter or Instagram will suspend your account.
- Don’t copy and paste other people’s content. Your followers will eventually find out and start unfollowing you. It’s a sign of lack of creativity.
- Even though you can gain a lot of following by being toxic and vile, a lot brands will avoid you. So, be wise.
- Change your social media login password once in a while. Hackers are not smiling. They will take over your account and ask you to pay big time before you can get it back.
Anyone can become an influencer. Once you can communicate effectively, you are good to go. It doesn’t require any Academic qualifications.
Heck, there are handles that communicate and engage in our local dialect and have massive following!
Finally, you must note that becoming an influencer takes a lot of patience. Building followers hip takes patience. Creating good content that your audience will like takes patience. But once you become one, you are cashing out big time!