Simple as you think but it takes a lot of faith and hardwork to have your name on the top of the marketing pedestal.

So there are few rules on how to become an influencer and this is constituted by 3E’s; expose, engage and equalize. Find out what each word means to social media and thought leadership.

Expose – Write your expertise. Showcase it by giving tips and tricks through articles. This could make a big impact when you blog about where your interest and skills reside as you can share more ideas and learning that is based on your own experience.

Engage – The next step is to select your target audience. Connect with them on social media and by doing that, you’ll be surprise when they become like Dumbledore’s army on Harry Potter. A group of followers that might be secretly waiting everyday for your post and constantly sharing and liking it. Given that you post incredible content.

Related: For Tech Companies, What’s the Best Way to Better Audience Engagement?

Equalize – Don’t over promote yourself but strike balance. Share other content but never leave your social content blank, add some of your insights and tips. Aside from that, by mentioning influencers and you instantly get their attention. This could be a great way to step up on their level.

Related: IT Lead Generation: Why Stories Matter

Below is an infographic listing 9 social media marketing stars that Callboxinc.com has collected. Follow the steps, extend your network and build yourself online.

Sean Gardner. @2morrowknight. Sean is here to deliver a unique perspective on a variety of marketing topics, from branding down to digital storytelling. He shares indispensable social strategies and thought leadership in various events across North America, Europe and Asia, earning him the top spot in Forbes’ list of social media influencers.

Ann Tran. @anntran_. A motivational speaker on digital strategy and leadership who has worked with companies like Verizon and Architectural Digest, Ann offers a fair amount of excellent advice on increasing your brand’s social clout.

Aaron Lee. @askaaronlee. His blog Askaaronlee.com is exactly where you would find well-written pieces of blogging and social media advice and tips that can yield excellent traffic and revenue.

John Paul Aguiar. @johnaguiar. Listen to what John Paul has to say about building a highly engaging blog. Especially if you are just a startup with a desire to make some online noise and some money, everything he shares about creating helpful content is pure gold.

Pam Moore. @pammktgnut. “Marketing nut” Pam has been an active consultant, entrepreneur and speaker on social media strategy, so expect from her quality advice crazy enough to make your social campaign run smoothly.

Kim Garst. @kimgarst. Want to maximize your use of Google Hangouts and other social media tools? Be authentic. That is exactly Kim’s prescription to a better online presence in her book Will the Real You Please Stand Up: Show Up, Be Authentic, and Prosper in Social Media.

Chris Brogan. @chrisbrogan. Let Chris school you on mastering content creation. With eight New York Times Best-selling Books to his name, this Owner Media Group CEO is an authority figure on all things social media.

Gary Vaynerchuck. @garyvee. Having been listed as one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, Vaynerchuck has been active in helping small entrepreneurs and big brands alike put their messages front and center. And, did we mention he hosts a YouTube show?

Pam Dyer. @pamdyer. Driving sales through social channels is easy – once you know the right approaches. Just ask Pam who has attracted 97,000 Twitter followers, becoming one of the most sought after gurus on social media marketing.

Source: A List of Social Media Influencers to follow on Twitter