
It takes time to become an influencer
“You can’t just show up one day and expect to be an influencer” ~ Gene Petrov
I couldn’t resist borrowing this great quote by my Twitter friend Gene Petrov of Gene Petrov // Leadership & Marketing Consulting.
I completely agree with Gene and yet, we keep seeing people who are trying shortcuts on social media (and also in their businesses) in order to get to the top faster. Most of the times that shortcut won’t help your career and stardom – Maybe for a while but not in the long run. Established brands have patiently gone through a long journey, and now they’re here to stay. People trust them and they do business with them comfortably.
[bctt tweet=”You can’t just show up one day and expect to be an #influencer – #creativeentrepreneurs” username=”SabrinaCadini”]
As Gene said in his post on Instagram:
“There are so many people who expect to jump on social media, create a profile, and then get a million followers so they can cash in.
Here’s the harsh reality: If you want to build a brand online, be prepared to do copious amounts of work.
It will take time and energy and probably some money to be a content creator. You need to make the effort to build a viable and thriving community. You need to connect with industry peers. You need to invest in making strong relationships.
Only then will you be able to have people in your corner who will support your efforts. But it is a process. Patience is a virtue. It may be years in the making.
Slow and steady growth wins the race. Don’t succumb to the pressure to buy followers (they are useless bots anyway). Take time to build the relationships that will provide real value (a two way street).
Think long term. Think consistency. Think service first. Find ways to serve value to a community. Don’t focus on the quantity of followers but on the quality.
This is the path ahead for anybody who is striving to be an influencer in their industry.”
Such great points! It takes time to build your brand, to establish your reputation, to become influential in your industry. Patience and persistence are definitely two of my strongest skills, and I enjoy to see the progress based on quality connections (not quantity) every single day.
I think one of the reasons why many people think overnight success is possible is because some “online experts” or “marketing gurus” say it’s possible and they sell programs to teach their secret. Beware of these programs, beware of these promises… Most of the times it’s only about the personality and charisma that a person has, NOT the strategies and the “likes” that you get.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced overnight stardom? Did you become an influencer in no time? Or, are you still patiently building your reputation, your brand?
As a Holistic Precision Life Coach and creator of the Life-Work Balance System, I empower ambitious professionals and high achievers like you to optimize themselves and unlock their full potential, fostering enhanced well-being and productivity in their lives and careers. I combine innovative methodologies (epigenetics, neuroscience, chronobiology, and positive psychology) to facilitate profound lifestyle transformations.
Great questions and statements.
Why would anyone want to try to be an influencer?
We all influence but those who want to be influencers and the least influential of all.
I agree with you, Mark! Very often those who want to be labeled as “influencers” are providing less value than those who really care about their community.
I think people chase stardom and look to monetize as much as they can, hence their desire to become influencers, but it’s not that easy…
Thanks for reading and for your comment!