Photo by RODNAE Productions
People see superheroes on the silver screen almost daily. Not all superheroes don’t have extraordinary powers as fiction would portray them. Most heroes don a different cap and a different cape but still have the capacity to make a difference in people’s lives.
Are you one of those who looked up to others as your role model? Do you find yourself admiring a famous politician, wishing to be in their shoes to change this world? Or, do you find yourself daydreaming about becoming a social media fashion influencer?
It was through the world of social media that the word “influencer” gained its impact and momentum. The term has already existed but was in the foreground among many formal words such as “influential persons.” Technically, there’s no difference between being an influencer and an influential. Both comments yield the same meaning and significance.
Both words mean to “influence other people or things.”
An influential person exudes a strong sway or domination that can change other individuals’ thoughts, ideas, or feelings. This effect is typically considered power or something powerful because it expels strength to dominate. And this power needs to be toned down with a sense of purpose for it to be effective and truly maximized.
Author Jarrod D. Dixon in his book “The Fantabulous Golden Lightning Bolts, Act 1: Attack of the Travelers!” portrayed a kind of decisive influence in the form of superheroes, more specifically, Christian superheroes. In a thrilling story full of suspenseful plots, readers get a chance to meet the world’s first-ever official alliance of Christian superheroes.
Why are Influencers important?
When Oprah Winfrey starts to talk about life, people tune in to listen, even at times quoting her in their lives. When Mahatma Gandhi started to preach, people began following his teachings of nonviolent protests. Or how about Jeff Bezos’ impact on the finance world? Whenever Jeff Bezos shares financial words of wisdom, it gets repeated, echoed, and shared almost a million times!
These are the impacts of the so-called influential people.
The true power of an influence is intended to shift a person’s perspectives for their benefit or the benefit of the greater good. The shift is more than just changing behaviors or attitudes; but all about the mindset.
That is the important role influencers play. They use their significance to stir people into a beneficial direction for all. Their influence is their power to create a positive change.
How to Become Influential
There are reasons why people become the influencer that they are known. Becoming an influencer takes time and a lot of experience. Through the knowledge they gained in their understanding, are they able to make sense of or become credible to the people who followed them?
Anybody can become an influencer. You can be a CEO, a small business owner, or just an ordinary person, but yes, you, too, can become one.
How?
Aim to Educate
Why do people follow influential individuals? They learned something valuable from them and wanted to know more. If you have a solid base of followers, offer to educate people. Teach them things they’re unaware of that can benefit them the most. If you’re in business, you can inform people of the best ways to start or run a business successfully. If you’re into fashion, share your ideas on the best ways to appropriately dress up, etc. If you’re into politics, share valuable insights that can stir people’s passion and interest. Being an influencer is all about educating and sharing knowledge.
Use Social Media
The advent of the internet made communication easy, accessible, and convenient. Paired with tools such as social media platforms, people can reach others at the far end of the globe in just a few seconds. If you have knowledge and passion that you want to share so that other people could benefit from it, using social media platforms is one of the effective strategies for getting your word out and reaching hundreds and thousands of people with a few swipes.
Raise an Awareness
Raising awareness is a marketing strategy companies use to increase their potential customer market. People could also use this strategy to become an influencer. Raising awareness is akin to creating a need or bringing out a particular desire or passion. People follow people if they share the same values, goals, or interests.
For instance, if nature-loving people find out you are passionate about the environment and have created sustainable projects to save mother nature, these people will likely follow you. If you have a passion for adopting and keeping stray pets, you’ll surely get the attention of people who are pet lovers.
Use the Influence for a Purpose
An influencer without a purpose is meaningless. Indeed, nobody will endeavor to go through all the efforts to get people’s attention without an end goal. The aim should be geared towards a positive influence and a positive impact. The end goal could be achieving business success, expanding the reach of your leadership, for a charitable cause, or achieving a personal life’s dream – the list is endless. The purpose could be something personal, or it could be something cause-worthy for the collective good. Because having an influence is a great power, and that should come with a great purpose.
Wandering Will 