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With influencer marketing becoming such a played out tactic, we need to go back to the psychological roots of the art of influencing to stand out from the noise.

Influencer Goals

What is influencer marketing trying to achieve? Most likely the aim is to persuade an audience, in a genuine way, to buy products and services used by the influencer.

So then, what causes someone to have so much influence? And how can you actually influence others?

Our Answer Is Always Storytelling

The best way to influence others is through storytelling, which should include your own experiences and motivation techniques.

One important thing to remember when trying to influence anyone is that it should be done gradually and never directly. People don’t want to be told what to do. In order for people to buy or do something that you buy or do, they need to trust you.

Influencers are influencers because they sway people toward something by first being real about who they are and showing off their skills while presenting valuable information. Then they are perceived as someone vulnerable, real, trustworthy, and skilled. They become someone that a person should listen to.

But this doesn’t happen overnight. When you meet someone new do you automatically trust them? Probably not.

Some of us struggle a lot with trusting others so influencers need to penetrate the human skeptical boundaries that exist. This is a process.

If you were trying to influence one person in a face-to-face conversation your strategy might be different from a virtual mass influencer one. This is where stories and time come in to play.

Stories with tangible examples leave less to the imagination and can therefore better illustrate the point you are trying to make. I can tell you all day long that you should wear a seatbelt while driving, but if I show you a photo of, let’s say, my family member in the hospital wrapped in a body cast and the tell you the story of how he did not wear his seatbelt and needed nine months to recover, maybe you’ll pause and listen.

Other Important Skills Influencers Have

When influencing others, add an element of “we” to your stories to get the audience involved. We have a desire to feel included, to not be told what to do. Making this inclusive speech helps remind your audience that this is an “us” thing.

You want to be on their level, not talk down to them. So, phrases like “let’s change the world together” and “join our community” are helpful in getting this point across.

When we’re all working toward the same goal it creates a bond and sense of unity. It increases the power of influencers.

It also offers the ability for people to rely on each other and identify with each other’s struggles—deepening the bond.

Way Too Much Information

Regardless of who comprises your target audience, know this: they are flooded with information.

Too many people are trying to get them to watch this and buy that.

So how do you penetrate? With effective communication.

How can you be effective? By offering value and knowledge consistently. This can be done in the form of teaching things they didn’t know. Empathize with their struggles as you do this. Be someone they can identify with.

Remember that just because what you tell people makes sense, doesn’t mean it will work when it comes to convincing them to do something.

Logic doesn’t always sell, but appearance and effective communication usually can have an impact.

People tend to gravitate toward confident people. This confidence can make you appear to be a real expert — even if you’re not.

When we simplify concepts for our audience or present things in an organized way, we can get them intrigued.

We need to focus on “them” because “they” have the power to make us an actual influencer. Be curious about your audience. Ask them questions as though you really want to know them better. Be attention grabbing by sparking curiosity.

The most important thing to remember about being an influencer who will promote any type of product or service is that people aren’t going to buy when you’re ready to sell, they’re going to buy when the time is right and they actually want or need something. This traditional sales concept is vital because, yes, you’re an influencer, but you’re really just a modernized sales person who doesn’t have to do all the client chasing and contract handling.

And that is why you need to stay right in front of people consistently, so that when they are ready, you’re there—you are on their minds and they will remember you.

Persuading Your Audience

Let’s get down to the true nature of your audience’s desires.

The secret to success lies in the art of influence, and yes, it’s an art—one might even call it the art of persuasion.

So, lets take it back a bit—what does it mean to really influence someone?

Think back to some of the biggest figures of all time. What qualities did they have? How were they able to persuade others to see things their way?

Now fast forward to our current situation.

There are so many people claiming to be social media influencers and setting out to make careers out of this. Even universities are implementing courses to ready students for this new career path.

But what separates a real social media influencer from the herd. Ultimately, everyone is trying to win over public opinion.

You influence others by standing firm in your beliefs, by being real, be being honest and being true to yourself.

But it’s still kind of like manipulation.

Let’s think about the art of manipulation. Unfortunately, there are some great parallels between manipulation and social influence.

Master manipulators know what their prey wants, and they understand their desires and insecurities. Then they play on them to suit their own needs.

Sounds negative, but step back for a minute. Why become a social media influencer in the first place? If you’re not trying to get people intrigued and develop a following, regardless how big or small, because yes, micro influencers are now influencers, too.

Persuasion and manipulation bring an audience right to your doorstep completely trusting your opinions and loving your updates because there are just too many voices out there and it’s hard to stand out.

But Manipulate Authentically

Some of the great influencers we’ve seen didn’t set out on a mission to be influencers. They simply set out on a mission to share knowledge and voice their opinions—some even just had a passion project that evolved.

It was that authenticity that grew their following.

When we set out on a mission to be an influencer it can remove that authentic element, but it doesn’t mean it can’t work. We simply need to tap into what we know about the art of influence to make it work.

Influencers are effective communicators. They grab attention, craft an effective message, and then make sure people are getting that message the way they intended.

To do this well, influencers must think about how their target audience thinks, feels, and behaves. What are their motivations? What do they want? What are their goals?

According to social psychologists, there are four main factors that get people to buy into a message:

1. The communicator
2. The message itself
3. The medium
4. The audience

Characteristics of communicators who can do this effectively include credibility, attractiveness, likeability, and like mindedness. Identification with the influencer plays a key role in effectiveness.

For example, an article published in the International Journal of Advertising titled Celebrity vs. Influencer Endorsements in Advertising:  the role of identification, credibility, and product endorsements showed that participants identify more with influencers than celebrities because they “feel more similar to influencers than celebs and trust influencers more than celebs.”

So, while there can be real uptick in products endorsed and promoted by big personalities such as Kim Kardashian and Michael Jordan, the real influence runs deeper, on a more personal level with audiences in the form of influencers that look and act just like the audience. It’s hard to identify with millionaires living the Hollywood life. Their influence is merely of mimicry and desire to be like that person whereas the ordinary influencer doesn’t have that power over the audience—it’s developed over time and must be earned with true value.

It can then be argued that audiences are more committed to influencers and what they suggest.

It’s been a relationship built.

So start building.