Whether you want to be a content creator or boost your small business, Sophie Bishop PHD has the answer
Do you want to be a content creator? Or, perhaps you’re a small business owner looking to improve your reach online. It’s easier than you think to gain followers and be a successful influencer. Sophie Bishop PHD is an influencer expert and academic at Leeds University. She has written a new book, Influencer Creep, about the massive impact influencer culture on every day life, creative industries and beyond. Here she shares how to boost your online following, and the secrets to success online…
Be consistent
You need an accessible through-line across all the platforms you show up on so your audience recognises you and your brand. This means using consistent account names, images, colour schemes, fonts and phrasing no matter whether you’re on Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn. You can use apps like Edits from Instagram to add text to your images, Reels, stories and videos – use this to help identify your videos as belonging to the same series, making your brand even more consistent.
Think about your self brand
Successful influencers often come up with a tag line or phrase that quickly shows everyone what they’re about. Popular influencer (and busy mum) Caroline Parker (@mummysflippinhouse) encourages her audience to drink a strong cup of tea – in every video she pops a teabag in her mug and reminds us to take a moment, and let it steep – saying “don’t even think about touching it”. She recently launched a podcast called “don’t touch it”. It’s catchy!
Be authentic
Talk about things you’re genuinely passionate about. This can seem challenging if you’re posting for work, or about something that might initially seem boring. But think about what you love about your job, hobby or passion – what do you wish people knew about it? What is a secret hack that would actually help your audience oit? Think about the new crop of accountancy influencers like Dan Niedle that somehow make their love of tax law infectious. If they can do it, so can you!
Show failures too
It’s exhausting looking at everyone’s polished perfect lives on social media. Don’t be scared to be real and talk about your challenges, frustrations and failures – its likely that your audience is going through similar things and discussing your experience will help them to feel less alone.
Show your messy house
Don’t wait for things to be perfect in order to start posting. You don’t need an immaculate shiny kitchen or a living room free of toys before you make your first video. People are following you because they are interested in what you have to say – they can follow interior decorating influencers for the home inspo.
Make sure people can see and hear you
People will engage more closely with your content if they can see and hear you well. Make sure you wipe the grime off your phone camera, and considering using earphones or a mic that plugs into your phone if you’re filming in busy areas or somewhere noisy. If you include closed captions or subtitles then your audience will be able to watch your videos with the sound off – which helps when they are hard of hearing, have a sleeping baby or if they forgot their headphones on the train.
Pay attention to what works
Make sure you pay attention to what kinds of videos are doing well and make more of them! Engage with your audience – they will tell you what they want. You can use features like polls or q&as to grab feedback about what your viewers are enjoying and what content you might make next.
* Influencer Creep: How Optimization, Authenticity, and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture by Sophie Bishop, £20, is out now, published by University of California Press
