How do I become and influencer?
When a client asks me this question, they usually do so with a degree of self-consciousness.
It feels to them as if they are confessing that they want to be famous.
However, that's not what I hear; what I hear is 'I want to make an IMPACT.'
Because if you are making an impact, you will be regarded as an industry leader and influencer.
This motivated me to become one; I wasn't interested in fame perse, but to be regarded as an industry expert and go-to authority.
Fame followed.
Crowned the 'Cake Queen' by Australian media, I had celebrity clients like Rihanna and Nicole Kidman, my TV show, won awards, and published five books.
My profile got big enough to decide whether I wanted a TV career or to remain in business.
After hanging up my cake crown in 2014, I now help my clients become industry leaders and influencers.
If you own a business, it makes the process simpler because products and services are often more natural to market than people.
It can be trickier for clients who want to become thought leaders, speakers, elite coaches, and social media influencers.
The problem is that many approach it as though it were a popularity contest rather than a legitimate business strategy.
Secondly, social media is flooded with marketers pretending to be branding and business experts.
This is an issue because they sell marketing and social media' tactics' rather than branding strategies, which confuses people even further and, in some cases, destroys brands; ironic, hey?
Unfortunately, I see it all the time.
The result of all this confusion is that people usually succeed in gaining followers; just like a reality TV show contestant, they blow up and blow away just as quickly.
In the old days, we would call it 'all brand no business' or 'a brand without legs.'
Brands are beautiful, sensitive, intangible things that people fall in love with.
However, a successful one relies not just on marketing tactics but on branding and business strategy.
I just pointed out the obvious, didn't I?
Brands are big business; why do we keep forgetting the business part?
Firstly, my number piece of advice is to find your 'expert' niche.
Take my example in 2001; I deliberately picked a niche that had little competition, cakes, in an industry I knew was about to take off because I was watching O/S trends.
I then set about building and engaging my audience (Without social media, so it took longer).
Within my niche, I specialised further, first in cake decorating and then education.
I created an inspirational brand that rode the tidal wave of the food porn trend.
By 2007 I had deals from every direction.
Why?
It was because I had chosen a niche that would generate lucrative sponsorship deals.
My brand could sell everything from mixers to icing sugar, and there is money in that.
Yep, that's right! I had this strategy in mind from day one.
So before you spend hours tweaking your profile photo and building your audience, ask yourself five questions:
What is my niche?
Who is my audience?
How can I serve them?
How does this align with my back story?
How can this be monetized or measured?
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