WANT TO STAND OUT AS AN INFLUENCER? READ THIS.

In the influencer-saturated space today’s marketers, advertisers and PR professionals play in, it’s more important than ever for influencers to find a way to stand out from the crowd. With a spectrum of statuses ranging from micro- to mega-influencer, essentially anyone can be considered influential to some degree. So how are people that really want to make it as influencers supposed to set themselves apart?

Build your brand
People naturally gravitate toward influencers who align with their interests and lifestyle. The easiest way to build your brand is to decide what your niche is, and stick to it—whether you focus on food, travel, beauty or even the state in which you live. Once you’ve chosen your specialty, followers will flock to you because they’ll know you have all the must-know information on your selected topic.

Then, once you’re ready to start working with companies, know what brands would work well with your vertical. For instance, if you’re primarily a motherhood & family blogger, pitch one of BPR’s family-friendly hotel properties for a stay, rather than an adults-only resort property – you’ll have a much better chance at getting your foot in the door.

Catch their eye
There is nothing millennials love more than an aesthetically pleasing feed. Instagram is a photo-sharing platform, after all. That said, make your page something your followers won’t be able to stop looking at. Once you catch their eye, they’ll come to your page for more than just the pictures, including the content and inspiration that goes along with it. Pair eye-catching pictures with compelling and relevant content and your followers are sure to be hooked on your account.

A beautiful feed is also a sign of added value to potential brand partners: There’s nothing we love more than being offered great additional photos for use on a client’s feed as an extra perk when hosting an influencer.

Engage, engage, engage
Starting to gain followers? Engage with them! Respond to questions and comments they leave on your posts, and return the favor on their accounts. Influencers who don’t respond to their followers come off as less approachable, missing a crucial opportunity to connect with their fans—and build their follower base. After all, influencers are people, too! Being approachable is the best way to build a lasting relationship with your followers, which will lead to brand loyalty, growth and influence in the long run.

FYI: If the potential brand you’re looking to work is worth their salt, they’ll check your average engagement rate via influencer software to ensure it meets (or exceeds!) benchmark standards. By engaging often and authentically, you’re also helping to raise your chance of a potential brand deal! Which brings us to our last point …

Be authentic
Don’t accept partnerships just for the paycheck, and don’t strictly post trendy content because it’s what you’re “supposed to do.” Stay true to your brand and who you are. Promote products you believe in, create content that adds value to your followers’ lives and challenge yourself to never fit the mold.

There are a million influencers out there, so stay true to yourself—nobody can do that as well as you can. If your content is all ads all the time, and not even ads that make sense for you, trust us, not only will your audience take notice, but potential brand partners will, too.

We hope these tips and tricks are helpful to building, or continuing, your success as an influencer – and if you’re in the neighborhood for a hospitality partnership, consider dropping B a line at Social@WeAreBPR.com!