David Spark is a veteran tech journalist and the founder of the media production and consulting firm Spark Media Solutions . Spark blogs regularly at Spark Minute . Follow him on Twitter @dspark

For all the advice about how to approach and attract influencers, I haven't seen much written about how to actually become an influencer. It's important, because once you're seen as an influencer, you’re seen as an industry equal and a resource. You're no longer perceived as a nuisance constantly broadcasting your own agenda, hoping others will relay.

Being an influencer yourself is an often overlooked way to engage with other influencers. It takes time, but it is worth it. There is also financial benefit to becoming an influencer. People of influence have increased value, and can charge more for their services.

Always wanted to be an influencer but didn't know where to start? Here are some effective techniques.

1. You Must Create Content

Whether it’s a blog, podcast, YouTube channel, or an endless Twitter stream, you absolutely must be a content producer. People who don't produce content online often feel overwhelmed. They claim they don't do it because they don't have the time. If you can’t create content, you simply can’t be an influencer. Content is the currency of social media and search. You must expose your voice with some type of published editorial.

2. Go After a Niche







Failing to be an influencer is often the result of conceding the title of "industry influencer" to someone else. For example, why try to be a "social media" blogger if Mashable or other sites already own that space? It may be difficult to go head-to-head with established companies, but you could own a small slice of that very large pie.

In an interview I did with tech influencer Robert Scoble, I asked him if he were starting fresh today how would he go about building his influence. He said he’d go after a very specific subset of a popular market like Nick O’Neill did with AllFacebook.com. A few years ago O’Neill saw Facebook trending and jumped on it as a source to write about. O’Neill is now considered a Facebook authority and is invited to a number of Facebook-related events.

3. Create a Regular Series







Whatever you choose to do, make sure to produce it regularly and let your audience know when to expect it. Andrew Warner, host of the Mixergy, a blog and video podcast for and about entrepreneurs, saw a dramatic change in his traffic and credibility when he shifted his video production from a casual once or twice a week, to every single day.

While the increased traffic was a nice result, it wasn't Warner’s goal. He shifted to a daily interview schedule with the intent of becoming a better interviewer.

4. Request to Interview Influencers

Many successful podcasters who were at one time complete nobodies have built their street cred and successful businesses by associating themselves with people more well know than themselves. The reason the "Can I interview you?" technique works is because everyone loves to give their opinion. The audience that will hear it is often a tertiary consideration.

John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, built his reputation off of the reputation of others. In my interview with Jantsch (part of my "9 Successful Techniques for Making Money from Podcasting" series), he admitted that when he started he was a complete unknown. Even with few listeners, the fact that he had a podcast gave him tremendous access to well known people and authors. Asking influencers to be interviewed on his podcast was a great way to make an introduction. All he did was send an e-mail with the subject line, “Interview request.”

Not knowing who Jantsch was at the time, many well known social media luminaries, such as Seth Godin and Guy Kawasaki, agreed to be on his podcast. Those interviews initiated relationships that resulted in both Godin and Kawasaki contributing to Jantsch’s book.

Warner has had similar experiences. His interviews have become the launching point for great influencer relationships. In addition, Warner admits that he’s perceived as an expert through association. Each person Warner interviews puts him in a different world in his audience’s eyes, thus increasing his influence to an even broader market.

People love to give their opinion and it often doesn’t matter if your audience is small. They simply appreciate it when you give them a forum to express their viewpoint.

5. Offer Yourself for an Interview

Producing media takes a ton of work. Many people have this mistaken notion that there are tons of checks and balances before an interview or story is put on the air or in print. Quite the opposite, especially with media outlets that have to produce tons of content, like 24 hour news networks. They’re so overloaded that they’re more than happy when you do their job for them.

The trick to offering yourself up for an interview is to know the editorial of the outlet and who specifically to ask. If it’s a magazine or blog, you'll want to know who is the editor of the section you want to be on. If it’s a TV show, you'll want to know who is the booker or associate producer. When you contact the media outlet, make sure you reference a previous piece, complement it, or offer up an alternative contrary viewpoint, then suggest that you could be that viewpoint.

Susan Bratton, founder of Personal Life Media, did this with me on my now defunct "Be the Voice" podcasting series. She heard my podcast and offered herself up as an interview, saying that the editorial of my podcast fit in with the model of how she started her business. She was right, and a great interview. I’ve interviewed her a couple of times since.

An excellent service for offering yourself up for interviews is Help a Reporter Out. It's a resource that effectively matches journalists with sources in times of need.

6. Contribute (for Free) to Well-Trafficked Media Outlets







Many blogs and media outlets take free contributions from their readers and viewers. It can be as simple as a guest post to a well known industry blog or an eyewitness video contributed to CNN’s iReport. Some publications have built their brand and reputation on accepting contributions and filtering only the best stories. Contributors often do it solely for the sheer honor of being seen in such a respected publication. In return for these free contributions, you can ask for a mention of your name, business, and a link to your business and social media accounts (e.g., Twitter and/or Facebook Page). Your appearance in the well-trafficked publication can increase your visibility, your Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and search ranking.

7. Go After Your Industry’s "Whale" Publications

Similar to the above advice, set your sights on the biggest/most respected media outlet in your industry. It’s far more valuable for you to get a tiny little 20-word blurb in your industry’s top tier media outlet than it is a cover story in your industry’s third-tier publication.

The goal is to get your name and content in it ... anywhere. Once you’re in, you can work your way up and out.

Going after an industry whale is how I got started in tech journalism. About 15 years ago I met an editor from PC Computing Magazine and inquired about writing for the magazine. Now defunct, PC Computing was one of the top three tech publications alongside PC Magazine and PC World.

My first assignment was to write a tiny little 200-word review in the back of the magazine. I spent 10 hours on that review to make sure it was perfect. Then I got another review, and another. I was offered the chance to write features and cover stories. Having the PC Computing seal of approval gave me the street cred to request and land other tech publishing jobs.

8. Connect Your Story With a Current Trend

Last year a major argument began brewing online between WordPress founder Matt Mullenwag and Thesis theme creator Chris Pearson. At the heart of the argument was the fact that Pearson was distributing a WordPress theme without using the open source GPL license for distribution.

Mixergy’s Andrew Warner got wind of this argument and simply extended an invitation to both Mullenwag and Pearson to come on his show and air their grievances. He saw the story brewing and capitalized on it. The interview with the two blogging founders resulted in huge traffic for Warner and became a real turning point in the success of his show.

You can find more examples of this technique in another piece I wrote for Mashable entitled, "Trending Topics: 5 Ways Companies Used News Trends for Business Success."

9. Connect Your Brand With a Much Bigger Brand

I used to produce and host two different podcasts for Sprint. While Sprint was a big brand at the time, it was completely unknown in the podcasting space. In an effort to raise the profile of Sprint's podcasts, I specifically sought out interviews from Sprint's two biggest sponsor partners, NASCAR and the NFL. I interviewed the IT director from the NFL and the IT director from Joe Gibbs Racing, who at the time had Tony Stewart.

Since the brands were so huge, it gave us an excuse to issue press releases, and as a result, both interviews netted huge traffic for our then completely unknown podcast.

If you’re going to interview people at big brands, you’ll probably have to go through the company’s media relations department. Don’t be bullied into giving your traffic numbers, but be ready to explain the editorial of your podcast, your audience, and what you want to interview the subject about.

10. Engage With Your Audience







To be an influencer you have to influence someone. Your audience, the ones who consume your content, are the first ones to perceive you as an influencer. They’re also going to be the first ones to describe you as an influencer to others. That’s why it’s critical to engage with your audience.

It’s the technique Revision3 has used to build its audience base. According to CEO Jim Louderback, Revision3's hosts and producers spend 40% of their time engaging with their audience.

Advertising alone can’t convince someone that you’re an influencer, but your audience can. Not only should you respond to their queries, but you should think of fun and engaging ways to interact with them, such as contests, that they’ll want to participate in and tell their friends about.

Conclusion — It Takes Time

While FOX’s American Idol is designed to make you think people can be made into celebrities overnight, the truth is it doesn’t happen that easily. It takes hard work. The difference between the people who make it and those who don’t, is dedication and wisely targeted efforts.

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