Throughout the last decade, we’ve seen the rise of influencers. Personal brands dominate the marketplace in their respective industries, powered by social media. Then the pandemic accelerated this by multiplying everyone’s screen time.
Today you can find extremely influential people in every area of the marketplace. Their success enables them to design the lifestyle they want.
When you look at their success from the outside, it might seem impossible to replicate. But at the core, they aren’t any different from you and me.
I recently got to talk to Dr. Glenn Vo, author of Industry Influencer, about his career as a dentist- turned-serial-entrepreneur. He told me that he cracked the code to becoming an influencer in his industry and then boiled down his base strategy into something portable and teachable for others.
When I asked him to lay the strategy out, he began by addressing a couple of misconceptions:
“Your influence has nothing to do with the way you look.”
Even though it might seem like it from the outside looking in, Glenn believes the way you look has nothing to do with your influence. It’s not about trends or fashion (unless the industry you want to influence is fashion). You don’t have to agonize over looking cool or using the right slang. You simply have to be yourself.
“This isn’t a style over substance game. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The most successful influencers are the ones we can relate to.”
“Your influence has nothing to do with your budget.”
Dr. Vo said a common objection he hears when he talks about becoming an Industry Influencer is that the person he’s trying to help simply doesn’t have enough money. They think they need to invest thousands or millions of dollars and ‘buy their platform.’
To that, he’d say, “This simply isn’t true. Take it from an average guy who used to work as a waiter at TGI Fridays. Modern technology has done wonders to level the playing field. I firmly believe that no matter where you come from, you can become a leader in your industry, build a following, and multiply your business.”
It just takes the right strategy. Here are the three basic steps Glenn shared about getting started:
1. Read about your industry every day and pick a niche.
“You’d be surprised how few people actually do this. Plenty of folks talk about wanting to become an influencer in their industry. But when I ask them about the work they’ve done to actually learn and master their craft, they give me a blank stare.”
He explained it this way: you have a Genius Ability that lies at the intersection of your passions, natural talents, and the needs of your industry…
…but you have to do your homework. Read about your industry every day. Listen to podcasts. Write down what you learn.
This enables you to pick a niche to settle into; one that you’re passionate about and has less competition than the mainstream.
“You should know your industry and its needs like the back of your hand, and be able to explain to a kindergartener, your grandma, and everyone in between how your Genius meets those needs.”
2. Develop a content strategy.
“Many people attempt to become an influencer by starting a blog or an Instagram account and posting a few times. When they don’t get a million likes and comments overnight, they lose motivation and stop.”
Glenn explains that they launched into content before having a real strategy. They needed to think all this through on the front end.
“First, examine your digital footprint. What does your current web presence really say about you? Ideally, you want to develop ONE message that anyone can ‘get,’ no matter where they see you online.”
He elaborated, “then you have to optimize your profiles to fit the message. Think of a business card that shows who you are, what you do, and why you’re a better choice than the next person. Every profile should display how your Genius Ability serves your industry, communicated in a manner appropriate to the medium.”
3. Build an audience and make connections.
“Content is king, but networking is queen. Many would-be influencers stop at the content part. The ones who succeed, however, develop the right relationships in the right places. They add value to the lives of everyone they encounter – without expecting anything in return.”
Whichever media you choose to focus on, you must develop and implement a consistent content creation strategy. Then, you need to network with other people to give your content (and brand) the best level of exposure.
Glenn ended with this encouragement to anyone listening: “The path to success is open to you. All you need is the right game plan.”
Dr. Vo is happy to share his strategy for developing an online brand and tangible influence in 30 days or less. Visit Industry Influencer to learn more.
