Be it Khaby Lame silently mocking the unnecessary craft videos, or Yashraj Mukhate entertaining us by turning popular meme videos into comic musical pieces. We are all aware of the influence these personalities have on social media.
If you were a music enthusiast and Yashraj Mukhate were to recommend a sound system on one of his reels, wouldn’t you’ve considered it? That’s the credibility that a social media influencer can give to a certain product or service.
In this article, we’ll have a look at how to become a social media influencer; the educational qualifications required, the courses and colleges you can apply to in India and abroad if you want to be one, and finally some insights on income and top influencers.
Social Media Influencers are people who influence their viewers to buy a product or service by reviewing or raising awareness about it. Unlike celebrity endorsements, social media influencers actively engage with the audience and their selected niche on social media.
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In today’s time, brands collaborate with social media influencers because they have a certain number of followers and have the knowledge or background related to the product or service.
Thus, educational qualifications and certificates will support your knowledge of the niche and enhance your skill set. Undeniably, a social media influencer should have excellent oral and written communication skills and the passion to create content related to their niche.
Based on your selected niche/topic of interest, choose a stream that would complement it. If your chosen niche is fashion and lifestyle, you can choose a course related to nutrition, fashion design, or makeup artist.
If you want to educate people about the stock market, investment, etc. you can choose a degree in finance or economics. Apart from these, a degree in mass communication or marketing can be helpful.
There is no strict educational qualification required to become a social media influencer, but a few courses to your qualification will ensure credibility.
A major part of being a social media influencer is to understand the chosen social media platform interface, algorithm, and content performance.
There are courses online that will help you grow more strategically as an influencer with tips and tricks to maximize your audience, brand awareness, and marketing techniques.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| How to Go From 0 to 500K+ Followers in 12 Months by Foundr | 3 months |
| Campaign Strategy and Messaging by MasterClass | 5 hours |
| Becoming an Instagram Influencer: Creating Authentic Content and Monetizing Your Following by Skillshare | 2 hours |
| Influencer Strategy by CIM | 1 day |
| The Ultimate Online Influencer Marketing Course by TribeGrowth | 1 month |
These courses have ongoing projects or end-of-the-course projects that one can work on. These projects are a good way to highlight your leanings in a portfolio.
Check out the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA course on Digital Marketing to get hands-on experience creating Instagram campaigns for PUMA.
There is no strict educational qualification required to become a social media influencer. One has the freedom to choose any stream. Many influencers choose a different educational background than their content creation topic. There is no hard and fast rule for it.
How to become a Social Media Influencer after 12th
Pursuing a degree in fields related to, but not limited to, mass media, digital marketing, finance, advertising, etc. will help in the efficient and apt creation and delivery of content.
The candidate is expected to score at least 55% in 10 + 12 grades to be eligible to apply for the course. The selection can be based on merit or an entrance exam. Depending on the choice of interest, one can enroll in an undergraduate program. Few universities have institution-specific entrance exams for undergraduate courses like BMM, BMS, BJMC, etc.
The estimated time period for a Diploma course is from 9 months to 12 months. The average fee for the courses is estimated to be between INR 14,000 – INR 80,000.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication | 12 months |
| Diploma in Branding and Advertising | 12 months |
| Diploma in Advertising | 11- 12 months |
| Diploma in Marketing Management | 12 months |
| Diploma in Business Management | 12 months |
Here are a few undergraduate courses one can try:
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Bachelors in Journalism | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Management Studies | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Journalism and Communication | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Mass Media | 3 years |
| Bachelors in Business Management | 3 years |
| Name of the college | Location |
| Centre for Research in Art of Film and Television | Delhi |
| Indian Institute of Mass Communication | New Delhi |
| Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media | Bangalore |
| Xaviers Institute of Communication | Mumbai |
| Sophia College for Women | Mumbai |
| Jamia Millia Islamia | Delhi |
| Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh |
| Indian Institute of Mass Communication | Delhi |
| Christ University | Banglore |
| Savitribai Phule Pune University | Pune |
To become a Social Media Influencer abroad
In order to apply for a Diploma or undergraduate course related to mass media, journalism, business management or marketing, etc. abroad, one needs to have the following eligibility criteria:
Apart from the above criteria, a candidate might also have to submit the necessary documents like the Statement of Purpose (SOP), Letters of recommendation (LOR), and application or assessments.
| Name of the course | Duration |
| Diploma in Social Media Marketing | 12 months |
| Advanced Diploma in Media Studies | 12 months |
| Diploma in Advertising and Marketing Communications | 12 months |
| Diploma in Business Marketing | 12 months |
| Diploma in Journalism | 12 months |
| Name of the course | Duration |
| BA Hons in Media, Journalism & Digital Cultures | 3 years |
| BA (Hons) Media And Communication | 3 years |
| Bachelor of Film and Media Production | 3 years |
| BSc Business Management with Marketing | 3 years |
| BSc in Management (Marketing) | 3 years |
| Name of the college | Location |
| University of Toronto | Toronto, Canada |
| University of Manchester | Manchester, UK |
| University of East London | London, UK |
| University of Hertfordshire | Hatfield, UK |
| Teesside University | Middlesbrough, UK |
| University of Oxford | Oxford, UK |
| Humber College | Toronto, Canada |
| National University of Singapore | Singapore |
| The University of Sydney | Sydney, Australia |
| The University of Adelaide | Adelaide, Australia |
Like YouTubers, bloggers, etc. social media influencers have to create content periodically to extend their audience reach. For this purpose it’s necessary for them to be up-to-date with the latest trends.
If you are a social media influencer, your social media account is your portfolio. Apart from that you can build your own web page with highlights from your collaborations.
Ensure to choose a niche that gives scope to sub-niches you can incorporate. Include your other social media platforms as well for a wider reach.
Social media Influencers are freelancers. However there are many influencers who see this as their side hustle. It might take a few years to reach the follower count and brand reach, until then one can develop their profile.
Understanding data is a key to developing as an influencer. Learn more withe the Clever Harvey JuniorMBA program in Data Analytics.
Technical skills:
Interpersonal Skills:
The income of Social Media Influencers differ based on the chosen niche, location, followers, and other earning sources like affiliate marketing, partnerships, products, and Ads. Thus, it is hard to calculate the exact earnings.
Influencers charge brands or collaborations based on the number of followers they have on their social media account. Here’s an estimate according to Influencer Marketing Hub:
| Type of influencers | Number of followers | Charge per post |
| Nano Influencers | 1,000–10,000 | $10-$100 |
| Micro Influencers | 10,000-50,000 | $100-$500 |
| Mid-tier Influencers | 50,000-500,000 | $500-$5000 |
| Macro Influencers | 500,000-1,00,000 | $5000-$10,000 |
| Mega Influencers | 1,000,000 + | $10,000 + |
| Celebrities | I million + | 1 million + |
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If you resonate with someone who is comfortable being in front of the screen and sharing personal experiences on social media platforms, you should definitely try to become a social media influencer. Anyone can become one, but it takes consistency and focus to remain relevant in the field and have the courage to face and work on criticism.
Social Media Influencers are people who influence their viewers to buy a product or service by reviewing or raising awareness about it. Unlike celebrity endorsements, social media influencers actively engage with the audience and their selected niche on social media.
There is no strict educational qualification required to become a social media influencer, however choose a course that will complement your chosen niche.
Creativity, Communication skills, Flexibility. Time management, Goal oriented, etc.
The income of Social Media Influencers differ based on the chosen niche, location, followers, and other earning sources like affiliate marketing, partnerships, products, and Ads.
Ans: Here are the steps to become a social media influencer:
Find a niche and identify the target audience.
Choose your primary and secondary social media platforms.
Build a background around your niche. One way to do this is to share your personal motivation to choose the niche.
Study the social media trends and maintain content inventory.
Engage with audience and maintain consistency.
Represent authentic views and create positive influence.
Embarking on a journey as a content writer requires passion, persistence, and continuous learning. With the increasing digitalization of businesses, the demand for skilled content writers is on the rise. Dive in, keep writing, and you’ll carve your niche in no time!
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