Last Updated on December 30, 2020
The internet is full of bloggers and influencers who promote products and services in order to increase brand awareness and sales. While it might seem like a fun job (and many influencers will tell you that it is), there’s a lot of work that goes into building a following and working with brands. Follow this guide to learn how to become a brand ambassador.
Identify a Target Niche for Your Brand
The first step on your journey to becoming an influencer is to find your niche. This means finding an industry or subject in which you’re an expert and offering something to your audience that they can’t get anywhere else. Identifying your niche takes some research, so it may take time to find something that sets you apart from the rest. For example, the makeup and beauty niche is incredibly competitive, but if you can create tutorials that are different from what is already out there, you can break through the noise and get yourself noticed.
Create Content to Build a Following
People are attracted to interesting content, so start by creating content that’s engaging, unique, and helpful. It might feel like you are speaking to a void when you first start out, but the people whom you do reach will appreciate the care you put into your posts.
During this time, take advantage of hashtags to promote your content. While you might not have the following you want, you can still get noticed with a few key hashtags.
Stay Active on Your Social Channels
If you want to become a brand ambassador, then you need to commit to your audience. Many blogs and brand channels post new content at least daily, and sometimes multiple times a day, when they first start out but then fizzle within the first few months. What starts as an exciting opportunity becomes a burden, and the social media accounts go dark.
Commit to spending at least an hour each day on your social channels. Though you can schedule posts ahead of time through services like Buffer, you should also take the time to engage with other brands, follow interesting people in your niche, and respond to any questions or comments. It takes time to attract and nurture a following, but patience and hard work will eventually pay off.
Engage With Brands and Followers
Follower count is an important metric for influencers and the brands that engage with them. However, the quality of your followers still reigns supreme. Many brands are willing to work with smaller accounts that have higher engagement rates because they know that their message will reach an active audience. You might be tempted to build up thousands of followers, but your efforts won’t pay off if they aren’t engaging with your content.
Take time to respond to comments and questions earnestly. Comment on the posts of other influencers in your niche, and have meaningful discussions. This will prove more valuable than any number of fake followers could.
Work With Small Businesses to Form Partnerships
As you build your following, you can start to reach out to smaller businesses that could want to partner with you. These are businesses that you already buy from or who make posts about seeking influencers. When you first start out, the paid promotion might come in the form of a special discount or giveaway, though you can work up to the point where you are paid fees for the posts you make.
During this time, make sure that the content you post is related to your niche. Your audience will notice if your account suddenly goes off-brand just so you can get a sponsorship.
Find Larger Networks to Connect With Brands
As smaller brands start to notice you and you learn the basics of how to be a brand ambassador, you can start to expand your connections and earn more income as an influencer. The easiest way to do this is to find a platform that connects brands with trusted influencers.
For example, Intellifluence is one platform that is free for influencers. You can sign up, identify your niche, and make yourself available to brands that want to promote themselves through your channels. In this way, brands find you. This saves you time and allows you to grow without spending several hours per week on outreach and relationship management.
Being a brand ambassador is exciting, but it’s not something you can do overnight. You need to be dedicated to your audience and become an expert in your niche. Then brands will start coming to your site and offer sponsored posts. By working hard and focusing on your content and audience, you can take the first steps to becoming a successful brand ambassador.
SallyBot is committed to helping users get the most out of Intellifluence. By helping brands create campaigns, providing unparalleled customer service and offering useful advice, nothing makes SallyBot happier than hearing she is liked… Really, really liked.
