1. Nail Your Niche
“Find one specific niche and master that niche.” That’s the tip we picked up from Lewis Howes, an internet marketing sensation who teaches entrepreneurs and influencers how to build their social followings and amass six-figure incomes from their online businesses.
2. Listen to Your Community
Jeff Bullas, hailed as a marketing guru by Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines advises influence seekers to find out the needs of your audience and what they seek to accomplish. You are more likely to become a go-to person of influence when you add value to the lives of those you seek to influence. In partridge’s estimation, “it’s far easier to follow a person than it is to follow a product, a blog, or a business.”
3. Contribute to Your Community
Blogging and social media coach, Sarah Arrow, wrote about building influence in a piece for She Owns It. Her hacks for enhancing digital presence boil down to three easy steps: C-A-P (comment, answer, post).
C – Comment on other social media sites, and other blog posts
A – Answer questions on sites like Quora, in your Facebook stream, in LinkedIn groups, etc.
P – Post relevant facts for your readers and then discuss them
4. Guest Posting
Another key is to begin guest posting on sites in your space, which Maria Dykstra confirms. Build influence and authority by writing for your own site and other communities. The key here is to write for sites with followings like your target audience.
5. Market Your Persona
Dale Partridge, the founder of StartupCamp, focuses on three elements to help you attract those coveted members of your base: your story, your personality, and your expertise. Partridge emphasizes that when you execute marketing yourself with “a heart of authenticity rather than manufactured reality,” the results are infectious.
6. Be Vulnerable
John Rampton, entrepreneur and contributor to Entrepreneur, writes about popular myths believed about leaders. A common misconception about leaders is that they should stand their ground and always have the right answer. Truth is, “strong leaders own their mistakes so that they can learn from them.” I completely agree with him when he says leaders “show off their humanity by listening and caring.” Take the time to share your highs and lows along the way. This builds further credibility between you and the individuals you seek to influence.
7. Ditch Your Need for Likes
The next step on your level-up action plan comes from our friends at Forbes. Acceptance is a natural desire as a leader but take a step back. Rethink your goal of begin liked and settle for being likable. Don’t settle for being liked by everyone that you pander to what you think people want to hear. Go beneath the surface. Find the truth that’s at the core of what people seek to learn from you.
For example, on the topic of leadership, you might have to be willing to address shortcomings in performance and even character if you want to truly help people reach the heights they hope to achieve.
8. (BONUS) Be Willing To Break The Rules
Mike Kelly, CIO at Red Hat spoke with The Enterprisers Project about “throwing out the playbook” on some key decisions and trusting your gut. He explains, “when you’re in a leadership role, there are many factors you need to take into consideration when making decisions. Data, experience, and advice from your colleagues all play a critical role.” Despite the analysis, sometimes your gut might lead you in a different direction. In these cases, he recommends to “follow your gut instinct on topics you feel passionate about, despite what the leadership playbook says.”
Related:
- My DIY Leadership Masterclass — 5 Best People and Podcasts Worth Following
- 7 Reasons Why You’re Not Winning
- Relaunch: Fear of Failure? Lessons from Tony Robbins, Brené Brown and Denzel Washington.
