Whether you’re looking for a side-hustle, passion project, or a full-time career, hearing from successful content creators is a great way to learn how to be an influencer.

Influencer marketing is one of the most effective ways for brands to ignite community engagement and drive sales. Additionally, the growth of the creator economy emphasizes just how lucrative and fulfilling being a social media influencer can be — in a variety of different industries. From embroidery brands to travel companies to makeup and apparel, influencers can often build a community and share high-quality content on social media that aligns with their unique interests. 

But how do you break into the world of influencers and content creators? We asked over 100 creators in the Pixlee TurnTo Creator Network what their advice would be to someone looking to be an influencer.

(If you’re a budding influencer and would like to join the network, sign up here!)

Be Authentic 

Established influencers build a strong level of trust with their followers, often only promoting brands and products they actually care about. New influencers are more likely to grow their audience and gain exposure by being authentic and letting their online community get to know their values and interests.

“Be yourself and allow your personality to show! Vulnerability and open honesty go a long way, your audience wants to be able to connect with someone ‘real.’” — @karissaexplains

“Focus on just being YOU! YOU bring something unique to the table that others could benefit from, so go ahead and show off!” — @majorleaguemommy

“Be consistent, be authentic, and have fun! Viewers can tell when you're not feeling the collaboration and will be less likely to interact or buy what you're selling.” — @keepingitchelsea

“People want to feel like they know you. They want to relate to you. Don’t try to be anyone else. Your strength is there is no one else like you. So be you. Stand out.” — Tris Marie

Put in the Leg Work

Being an influencer isn’t easy. It takes a lot of hard work and patience. You can’t expect to grow your followers overnight or go viral immediately; the process takes time and effort. As long as you work hard, engage with your audience, and put out content you are proud of, you can be successful.

“Don't give up! It's a slow burn but as long as you're having fun doing something you love, you're doing better than you think.” — Rachel Wysong

“My biggest advice is to keep going. Sometimes it feels like you might not be going very fast with growth or content. That is okay. You must always remember that by growing slowly you are creating a community that genuinely loves the content you make. Never forget that!” — Gemz

"Keep at it. It takes time to grow in this competitive social media market. Don't give up, and keep growing in learning how to make your content more engaging." — Falon Brianne

Build Relationships

As an influencer, one of your priorities should be to build relationships within your community. Whether this is with other influencers or brands, the value of having those long-term relationships is huge. One-off product promotions are great, but having long-term relationships with a brand will provide a more steady income and increased trust. Stay connected with brands you work with and actively seek out those relationships.

“My best advice is to build strong relationships with the brands you reach out to. It’s always great to have good connections.” — Annaleesah Pina

"Take the time to influence yourself first before you influence others. Diversify yourself on different platforms and push yourself to contact brands big or small." — @aleesha_lovely 

Stay Consistent

Posting consistently on your social channels as an influencer will take you a long way. Your audience follows you for a reason and wants to see your content, so it's important to remain relevant and post consistently without clogging up your followers’ feeds with spam.

“The best advice would be to take clear, quality photos and post often. Consistency is key! Don’t give up if a brand doesn’t accept you!” — @thebabystylemomma

“I will tell them to be consistent when it comes to posting and choose a niche or something they are passionate about and create content on it.” — Topaz

"Just start posting. Start creating content for your niche and be consistent and patient!" — Sarah Greening

With determination, hard work, and the right strategy, anyone can be an influencer. For more on how to kick off your influencer, ambassador, and/or content creator journey, check out our guide on how to make money as an influencer.