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If you’re embarking on a career as a social media influencer, then you’ll know there’s a lot to remember. You need to keep your personal brand in the back of your mind at all times, constantly keep up a posting schedule, and regularly be networking with other influencers as well. With all that in mind, it can feel like a good idea to focus on a single platform, but the fact is that you should be spreading your presence across as many different platforms as you possibly can. This will increase your exposure and ensure that you’re reaching a diverse range of potential consumers. Here are the essential social media platforms you need to be on in 2021 as an influencer.
Perhaps the single most important social network to be on in 2021 is the image-based Instagram. This platform allows you to upload images and videos, as well as commenting on other users’ content, building networks, and more. Over 30% of total internet users have an Instagram presence, so it stands to reason that this isn’t a platform you’ll want to ignore. If your content isn’t particularly image-based, it’s worth thinking of a way to extend it so that it incorporates images or videos. Resorting to a picture of a long text screed is possible on Instagram, but it’s not a desirable outcome, so try to include images and videos in your content portfolio.
TikTok
We’re not even sure whether it’s correct to call TikTok “up and coming” anymore, since it’s got such a colossal audience share and monthly user count. TikTok is a Chinese app created by startup ByteDance, and if you ever used Musical.ly, you’ll know the basic premise; short-form videos with plenty of filters and an emphasis on music and dancing. There’s a thriving scene to help influencers collect followers on TikTok, too; platforms such as SocialFollowersFree.com are dedicated to topping up accounts with real, organic followers to boost your presence and help you establish yourself on the platform. TikTok is an essential platform to be on in 2021.
Twitter is an ultra-mainstream platform with around 200 million active users as of 2021. Your favourite celebrities, politicians, and other popular culture figures are almost certainly on Twitter; if they’re not, it’s likely a statement rather than an oversight. Twitter is excellent for building your brand as an influencer because it’s a place where your followers can get your unadulterated thoughts as you have them; if you tweet regularly, you’ll essentially be drip-feeding micro-content to your audience between larger projects. Just be sure not to get drawn into an argument on Twitter, because more often than not, they’re traps placed by trolls.
YouTube
Much like Instagram, it’s worth considering whether your content could stretch to YouTube videos if you’re not already on the platform. Video content is remarkably effective at communicating a message; some marketing executives suggest that viewers are capable of retaining around 95% of a message when they absorb it via video content, as opposed to 10% when reading. Although YouTube has been controversial in recent times due to issues around its monetisation process, it’s still well worth having a presence on the platform. This is because it’s where you’ll find a large proportion of potential audience members who simply don’t want to read text content.
Yes, despite what some might consider to be dwindling popularity (although its numbers would suggest otherwise), it’s still very, very much a good idea to have a Facebook profile in 2021. While younger demographics are shunning Facebook in favour of other platforms, there’s still a very sizeable contingent of users on Facebook who may be valuable audience members for you as an influencer. You’ll also find a robust advertising program on Facebook that will allow you to advertise your content to many people, with different levels available depending on how much you want to spend and what you want your reach to be.
There are many social media users out there who aren’t even sure exactly what kind of platform Pinterest is. In essence, it’s a mood board simulator; you can build a board around whatever kind of theme you like, drawing images and other content from around the internet to feature on your board. That’s what makes it perfect as an influencer; audiences, brands, and anyone else who wants to engage with you can get an idea of who you are and what you’re about simply by looking at your Pinterest board. 2020 was a strong year for Pinterest, too, so it’s not like interest (no pun intended) in the platform is waning; far from it, in fact.
Blogging
This might seem like something of a cop-out considering a blog isn’t technically a social media platform, but if you’re an influencer, you should definitely consider hosting and writing a blog. Many influencers got their start as guest bloggers for others, and brands will often trawl blogs looking for writers who have influence among that brand’s preferred demographic. If you’re an influencer or you’re looking to become one, then you already have a field in which you’re capable of writing blog posts; otherwise, you probably aren’t cut out to be an influencer. Think about a unique approach you can take to your chosen field and start up a blog. You’ll be glad you did.
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