In this day and age of technology, it is no surprise that individuals are making a living out of audiences on social media platforms.
Social media platforms are one of the main contributing reasons why so many individuals are using smartphones.
With the growing number of mobile smartphones, Statista reports that as of 2023, there are up to 4.89 billion social media users across the globe.
Roy Kanyi who is a social media influencer in Kenya, posted a video on TikTok revealing that he made more than KES 700,000 from this TikTok page in 2022.
If you would like this to be your story, then you are in the right place.
In this article, I will be taking you through ways you can become a social media influencer in Kenya in 2023.
Contents
1. Pick A Platform Or Channel
The first step to being a social media influencer in Kenya is by choosing the platform you would like to develop your brand.
The first thing to consider is if you use the platform. You cannot create content on a platform you do not use yourself.
The reason is, you want to understand how to navigate the platform. What are the basics? How do users engage with the content posted on the platform?
While picking the platform please consider its friendliness to content creators.
What are the advantages you will get as a social media influencer in Kenya? What are the disadvantages? Consider all these things.
Once you have picked your platform, set up your profile and optimize it by making sure you have a username, profile picture, and bio description.
Also, consider other creators you want to emulate and where they are.
Many social media platforms serve different and similar types of audiences and more keep coming up.
2. Create And Post Niche Content
The way audiences are going to discover you is through your content.
Also, most platforms have algorithms that will amplify your content the more you are actively posting.
Start recording videos and taking pictures. Learn how to edit videos and learn how to post your content on the social media platform of your choice.
By consistently creating and posting content as a social media influencer in Kenya you learn what type of content you enjoy posting which helps you with niching down.
There are a lot of niches in the influencer and content creation spaces.
One of the ways to niche down as a new social media influencer in Kenya is by creating content that is authentic to you.
Your audience can detect when you are faking it or are trying to be like someone else. And most likely, they will be discouraged from following and engaging with you.
The next thing is determining the content that you most likely enjoy creating. Do you like lifestyle, entertainment, comedy, travel, or cooking?
Find out what you enjoy creating and create more of that type of content.
The other place to look at is what your audience enjoys watching from you.
In a previous article, we looked at the different types of influencers in Kenya. Take a look at the categories and niches you can explore.
Such and similar resources help you find out where you are in your journey as a social media influencer in Kenya.
Above all, make sure your content is adding value to your audience.
3. Research Your Audience.
Once you have started posting and your content has begun gaining traction, investigate who is consuming your content.
What is the demographic of your audience? Their gender, age, location, etc.
Find out what time they are mostly online and how they choose to interact with your content.
Research if they enjoy leaving comments, do they always like and share your content when they come across it?
Check your DMS! What are they asking from you? What are they curious about? How do they approach you?
Answering these questions is a great way of determining who you are creating for. And it is an important step in branding yourself.
As a social media influencer in Kenya, understanding your audience helps you position yourself to grow and create more.
If your audience is mostly Generation Z women, then you should research the types of trends and conversations they are keeping up with.
You also need to understand where and how to add value to their lives.
If you check your messages / DMs you can find out how your audience perceives you. Some might think of you as their friend, others might think you are an expert in your field.
Also, this information allows you to set goals that allow you to remain authentic to yourself while also relating with those that consume your content.
4. Develop A Content And Growth Strategy.
To be a successful social media influencer in Kenya, you need to be intentional.
If you want to work with brands, they need to trust that you put great thought into your brand.
Develop a strategy for how you will produce content. Draft out a calendar that allows you time to plan and create content.
For example, if you have decided to become a YouTuber, you plan time to put down ideas for a YouTube video, thumbnail, Title, and more.
You also need time to shoot and edit the video. And publishing and promoting the video also requires setting aside time.
The other thing you might want to consider in your content strategy as a YouTuber is what time you should be posting.
This is because you want to find your audience when they are online.
How do you grow? Set aside time to research the different ways you can grow your brand as a social media influencer in Kenya.
Analyze your content and analytics, and look at your audience as we had earlier mentioned. Research the trending topics and content ideas in your niche.
And most importantly, read about how the platforms you are creating content on are changing. For example, what is the algorithm currently pushing?
5. Reach Out To Brands.
One of the ways to make a living as a social media influencer in Kenya is by getting paid to work with brands.
Depending on your niche and audience size, brands are willing to pay you to push their products or message.
You need to be careful and strategic in how you do this to avoid undercharging or overcharging a brand.
First things first, research!
Find out what types of brands you want to work with and how you can reach them.
If they have worked with another social media influencer in Kenya, find out how they did it.
The other important thing is learning how to create a portfolio.
For a social media influencer in Kenya, a portfolio is what you share with brands that allow them to know you and your work.
Make sure you have included all the important details about you like your audience metrics, content metrics, and how you would benefit the brands that will choose to work with you.
6. Collaborate.
The beauty of being a social media influencer in Kenya is that many others are doing what you are doing.
Reach out to other creators in your niche and collaborate with them on content.
This is beneficial as you will not only learn from them, but you get to tap into their audience who could become your audience too.
The key to successfully collaborating is by finding terms that are mutually beneficial to you and the other content creator.
Otherwise, if you are the only one benefiting, the other creator might end up filling used and might not want to continue in future collaborations.
7. Be Consistent.
The most agreed-on tip by most successful social media influencers is to be consistent.
Audiences love it and algorithms reward it.
Your audiences want to keep up with you and that is why they are following you.
If you expect them to constantly engage with your content then you need to constantly create content for them.
The influencer industry is constantly growing and new influencers are continuously coming up. So, if you want to remain relevant, you should consistently create.
As a social media influencer in Kenya, the easiest way to do this is by using your content schedule.
Posting at a consistent timed schedule will let your audience know when to expect your content.
To conclude, becoming a social media influencer in Kenya requires commitment and dedication.
Growing an audience is no easy feat. That is why you need to consider all the work you will have to put in before you start.
Use these tips to start your journey as a social media influencer in Kenya. Work with an influencer marketing company like Twiva that will guide you in the process.
Penned by Lydia Mwende.
Lydia is the Social Media & Community Manager at Twiva. She enjoys reading, writing and watching films.