What does it mean to “have influence?”

Do we really grasp the impact of having true influence?

The desire for fame drives people to aspire to become stars. As regular social media users, much of our attention is drawn to individuals with a strong hunger for popularity—those seeking more followers, likes, and comments, tirelessly competing to outshine their peers. These individuals put in considerable effort to distinguish themselves from the crowd and are known as social media influencers.

For the sake of getting to the 'heart' of things, I would like to open the "chest" of social media and humanity as it currently stands. Our society within social media has become quite focused on numbers...followers...likes...etc. It seems to be based on greatly on ego. But…what about the audience? The word “influencer” in itself points to the impact one has on others, and yet the focus of majority of influencers is self-promotion and popularity. There has got to be more to social media than that, right?

How do we reconcile our society's mindset as a whole around social media and the "influence" that we have on each other...micro and macro?

Let's talk numbers!

Considering the impact what we do/say has on others, let's talk about numbers. The quality of our audience as it relates to the value we bring should matter. Many people on social media have become obsessed with the "number of followers" they have...not necessarily the value of the audience or the content that the followers (no matter how many there are) consume.

Desire for "more followers?"

How are you taking care of the followers that you DO have?"
"What value are you giving them that would make those individuals want to engage, and further share your content with others?"

REMEMBER:
There is (ideally) a person behind every single social media account following you. Those are people...with values, jobs, families, friends, interests, concerns, passions, beliefs...and their own circle of influence.

IMAGINE THIS:
All of the sudden, all those people who are following you are put into one physical room...all facing a stage that you are scheduled to stand on and give a keynote. The message you give will either change their lives for the better, for the worse, or have zero impact. Where would your message fall in that spectrum?

What would you say?
What would you present visually?
How would you inspire?
How would you communicate your message?
How would your keynote make them feel?
Is your presentation memorable or forgettable?
Would that audience leave that presentation motivated to tell others about it positively or embarrassed that they showed up in the first place?
What would they say to others about their experience after they left?
Would they invite others to your next keynote?
Would they come back for more...on purpose?
The answers to these questions should help drive how we behave on social...how we influence.

The answers to this questions should help drive how we behave on social…how we influence.

Could you comfortably give an in-person keynote to thousands of people like Brendon Burchard?

Using the above scenario in consideration of numbers, what if the size of the in-person audience was 50 people? 1,000 people? 10,000 people? 1 million people?

At what point is your ability to take care of that size audience more than you can manage emotionally, physically, financially?
Are you taking care of your 0-100 followers well?
Are they receiving value?
Are they being nurtured by your influence?
If they all (or most) became customers overnight, would you be able to handle the workflow?
If honoring others is our priority, are we serving our EXISTING audience well?

“Buying followers" is not recommended. Why? Because we should aim to connect with real people to serve. Often "buying followers" means buying a number…not a real audience of viable audiences for your brand. Those “bought” accounts will not engage like you are wanting and needing, nor will they be true members of your tribe.

Social media goals are different for everyone. Ideally, a follower should be someone who has chosen to actively engage in your community that your message attracts and supports. We are to serve our audience at my best, and within our capabilities. We should grow it at the pace that we can serve them well...always.

One of the #1 reasons businesses fail is they are not ready for the success they have. If we are in this for the "Infinite Game," as Simon Sinek would put it, then we all must work diligently to build a strong foundation...even on social media.
Growth with constant consideration of each step is where sustainability thrives.

Honor your audience.
Support your audience.
Respect your audience.
Bring value to your audience.
Help your audience thrive.

These are the ways to grow with authenticity and integrity...and your future self will thank you!