YouTube: how to become an influencer

‘YouTuber’ is now a career choice!  At least that’s what people with video-mad teens tell me.  Let’s be honest most of us have disappeared down the YouTube rabbit hole now and then - so maybe there’s something in it.

Actually, many people use YouTube as a search engine - second only to its big Daddy, Google.  YouTube outstrips all the other search engines and the big difference is that when you search on YouTube - the answer is ON YOUTUBE.  That means that when you’ve watched the video on your chosen subject, you’ll be offered a whole selection of similar subject videos. 

What does that mean for a business?

If you create useful and entertaining videos on your subject and put the right tags in the right places before and during the upload process, you can get on the first page of searches.

What is an influencer?

An influencer is someone who has a clear niche and whose videos have a massive following. That’s where you start making money.

Your income will come from a variety of sources:

• Ads preceding your video - and you have to have a certain level of subscribers before this is on offer
• Companies offering you a fee to promote their products
• Individuals who want consultancy services from you as the expert

There’s never a guarantee you’ll become a real influencer, but if you do the right kind of planning there’s a better chance.  To paraphrase Lao Tzu ‘Even the longest journey starts with a single step’!

How to get started

First you need to be really clear on what your niche is - and, ideally, research the words that people search on around your niche.  This will be your foundation to build on.

You need to set up your channel.  Pick a name that reflects your niche and is short and to-the-point.

Upload your headshot - people like to see who you are.

Create a smart banner - not too busy, simple looks slicker.  Remember where your headshot will sit so it doesn’t mask anything important.

Now you’re ready for business.

Creating videos  

Instead of just randomly starting to make a video, it’s best to have a plan, so what will you be making your videos about?  If your niche is property what specific aspects of property will you cover?  Each video needs a clear subject - and one that features in searches.

That means you need to do some research and see what people are searching for (check out answerthepublic.com) as well as running searches in YouTube yourself to see what comes up for the subjects you want to cover.  Look for what ISN’T covered - is it because nobody is interested or because there’s a gap you could fill?

Decide how long your videos will be - are you looking at short 2-5 minute videos or longer videos?

What kind of content will you feature?  Are you going for explainer videos, entertainment only or expert opinion?  There’s no reason why you shouldn’t combine more than one of these, but be aware that if you’re going to offer step-by-step explainer videos, don’t let other things get in the way.  People will be following every step and, often, actually trying to do what you’re explaining as you say it.

How often will you post?  You need to be careful you don’t post lots of videos in the first rush of enthusiasm and then lose momentum.  A posting schedule will help to keep you on track.

How will you make your videos?  Are you going to film yourself or something else on your smartphone or record your laptop/desktop screen or use software like Wave Video or InVideo?  Whatever method or methods you choose, you’ll need to practise - although videos don’t have to be perfect to be good and practice makes perfect!

Now you have a plan!

Next steps

To get your channel started, create maybe 10 videos to establish a solid base.  Then log out of YouTube and see how they show up when you search for your keywords.  If you’ve got all your tags in the right places and been consistent with keywords in titles and descriptions they should show up on the first page of searches.

Don’t forget to promote your new videos on your other social channels too.

If you belong to a networking group or two ask the members to subscribe to your channel and like your videos to start the ball rolling.  

Becoming an influencer isn’t going to happen overnight, it takes time and consistent effort.  If you’ve got your mix right people will start telling others and you’re on the way. 

The secrets of successful email marketing

How many times a week do you delete unwanted emails?  How often do you find that something you signed up for to get something you wanted has resulted in endless sales messages?

OK!  That’s how NOT to do successful email marketing.  I guess some people must respond to it, but it’s not you - so clearly that particular company is working on a numbers system, not a targeted approach.

A very long time ago I got involved in selling encyclopaedias door-to-door.  Yes. It was before the internet took over our lives and people used books to find things out.  Anyway, we had to learn a script - both for the initial doorstep contact and for the presentation when we were invited back later.  

Obviously, the doorstep script was designed to get interest so we were invited back.  However, for a bet, two of the guys worked either side of a street and knocked on doors with the opening line ‘I’m selling encyclopaedias, do you want some?’

Surprisingly, one of them actually got a ‘yes’ answer - and won the bet.  This is the numbers approach - if you send enough emails to enough people, someone will say ‘yes’.  However, that usually depends on a massive list.

Content gets engagement

If your list is smaller your emails need to be better - and good enough to engage your reader.  You are probably on a few email lists yourself that you like the kind of content you get.  It might be entertaining, informative or just feel like the writer is speaking directly to you.  

To achieve this you need to know your potential client inside out.  

• What problems are they suffering from (that you can fix)?
• What are they worrying about?
• What do they need to do, but never have time for?
• What would help their business grow, but they don’t know how to do it (but you do)?

These are the things that your emails need to address.  And your subject line needs to give people an indication of which pain the email will address.

Style is important

Clinical corporate copy doesn’t capture the reader, but conversational copy does.

Write as though you were talking to just one person - imagine you’ve met someone who matches your ideal client profile perfectly and they’ve just expressed frustration about something you could help them with.  What would you say to them, without coming on too strong with a sales pitch?

• Empathise with their situation
• Show you understand what they’re going through
• Ask them if they’re tried X or Y so far?
• Outline what life might be like if this problem was solved (benefits)
• Give them an overview of how you could help.

This is the kind of approach your emails need to take.

One is not enough

A single email to your list is not enough.  People have all kinds of reasons for not taking action.  They may have a busy day on the day your first email arrives and just not have time to read it.  Or they may read it and mean to check it out, but forget.  You know how it goes.

To overcome this send a series of 3-7 emails over a period of time.  My advice would be to address a different pain point in each email (and subject line) to reinforce the message.

Or - if you don’t want to do it yourself, get professional help (TIP: we can help you with this!)

Why do you need a sales funnel?

You’ve probably heard of sales funnels - you may even have a lead magnet on your website, but why should you invest what is at least a couple of days of effort in building one?

A lead magnet in isolation doesn’t constitute a sales funnel.  It’s what you do with the people who sign up that make it into a proper lead generation system.

In order to understand the value let’s look at what a sales funnel can do - providing it’s constructed properly in the first place.  It can:

• Identify people who are your ideal clients 
• Engage with them over a period of time
• Deliver great value to them on an ongoing basis
• Persuade them to buy low cost items
• Upsell them to higher cost offerings
• Turn them into raving fans and loyal advocates

So that’s what it does - and the reason that’s important is because, if you’re busy working with your current clients and don’t have time to do marketing and sales, it keeps restuffing the sausage machine for you.  A well-built sales funnel will keep attracting and generating potential business.

So that’s what and why - what about how?

If you are going to build a sales funnel that really works for you, then first you need to be really clear on who you want as a customer.  If you really understand your ideal customer it makes the rest of the process easy.  

Let’s revisit that bullet point list above and dig deeper.

Identify people who are your ideal clients 

If you know who you want to attract as customers or clients, you can write a lead magnet that appeals directly to them.  The fact that they choose to download it is the equivalent of them putting up their hands and saying ‘Please can you solve my problem?’

That means that everyone on your list is a potential client.

Engage with them over a period of time

A lead magnet alone is not a sales funnel - it’s just the process of opening the door.

Because you know (from your ideal customer profile) exactly what they need, your email autoresponder series will tick all their boxes. 

Deliver great value to them on an ongoing basis

If your lead magnet is followed up with a series of useful emails tailored to your ideal client’s needs, their opinion of you is going to grow positively.

Not only will they appreciate the useful tips and ideas you share, but they’re being educated subliminally about your expertise.

Persuade them to buy low cost items

Because you’re given them great value, they’ll be happy to buy in if you offer a low cost item, such as a book (you have written one, haven’t you?), a webinar that shows them how to do something that will help their business or an invitation to an event.

This is simply a part of your email campaign - either as part of your autoresponder series that follows up the original sign up or, for date-related events, a separate campaign.

Upsell them to higher cost offerings

Once they’ve got to know you and bought a low cost item, they’ve already demonstrated their interest.  The next step is to offer them something in your main product or service range.

This may be by inviting them to a webinar which demonstrates a product or explains a service or by holding a Q&A ‘Ask the expert’ session where you also pitch your products or services. 

Turn them into raving fans and loyal advocates

If your emails continue to deliver great value, useful advice or tips and interesting articles, your list will start to recommend you.  You’ll become the first name they think of when anyone mentions your kind of industry.

So, those are the outcomes - are you ready to start building your sales funnel?