All of us possess influence, but we don’t necessarily know how to use it to its fullest in the modern, digital world. This episode is a “how to” conversation about what it takes to become an influencer. If you’ve got great ideas, expertise, or simple insight into a particular area of life, you can and probably should become an influencer. There are people out there waiting to hear your voice. They truly WANT to hear YOU speak about the very things they want to learn. Listen to this episode to learn how.

Here’s What You’ll Learn * [0:33] Why we’re talking about what it takes to become an influencer * [1:53] What does it even MEAN to be an influencer? * [3:31] Questions to ask yourself to discover if you can become an influencer? * [4:28] Examples of being an influencer that can stir up your creativity * [7:21] 9 things it take to become an influencer: Don’t miss these! * [26:10] What if you want to be an influencer “on the side” (side hustle)? * [28:30] Dustin’s “Worth It Inspiration” - Dustin’s a new Elvis fan!

You can become an influencer even without a giant following You’ll hear it in this conversation, but when I first mentioned the word “influencer,” Dustin immediately thought about the big name people - Tim Ferriss, Michael Hyatt, and others. But the good news is that it’s not required that you have a huge following already in order to be an influencer. In fact, you can start right where you are and begin building a platform that reaches people in need, over time. All the big names did it that way. You can too. Listen to hear my 9 tips about how to become an influencer. You can do it. I know you can!

Here are the 9 things it takes to be an influencer in today’s online culture To help you get started on your path to becoming an influencer, here’s my list of 9 things you need in order to be an influencer in today’s marketing environment…

1. Passion (You need to believe in it enough to comment on the subject often)
2. A niche topic (Stick to 3 things MAX. Any more and you’ll dilute your message)
3. Consistency (Plan on weekly posts and monthly emails, as well as social media posting)
4. A loyal/engaged following (start a blog, email list, or podcast today and build your following one person at a time)
5. Be yourself (Don’t copy others, bring your unique spin to the subject. People are waiting to hear YOU)
6. Be confident (You don’t have to be over-the-top confident, you just need enough confidence in the benefits of your message to get started)
7. Focus (There are lots of bright shiny objects out there to get you off course. Remember, content is king. Stick to your themes and be consistent)
8. Time (Find an hour a day to invest in writing, recording, videoing, etc.)
9. Money (It only takes under $200 to get a blog or podcast set up and rolling)

Listen to hear us expand on these 9 points - and learn how you can get started influencing people and bettering the world. It’s what you were meant to do!

Every influencer learns that they must be themselves to have true influence Out of the 9 steps I mention on this episode, I felt this one needs a bit more explanation. That’s because we are all prone to discount the contributions we make in the world. What you need to know is this: Even if there are many people already talking about the topics you have in mind, they are not talking about those topics the way YOU would. They are not viewing the situation or area through the unique lens YOU possess. There are people out there who need to know what you know but who don’t resonate with the others who are talking about the subject - but they WILL resonate with you! Get started. Believe in yourself. You can do it!

You don’t have to become an influencer full time. Create a side hustle There are many people out there like Dustin and me - we love our full-time jobs. It’s what we were made to do. But we can still figure out ways to be influencers “on the side” so to speak. The means of digital communication and publication available today make it entirely possible. To wrap up this episode, we highlight some tips for how to become an influencer through a side hustle. We cover what it takes and how the 9 steps we outlined apply in the part-time approach. You won’t want to miss this one.

Resources & People Mentioned * Take our Financial Risk Tolerance and Goals Questionnaire - click “Start Now!” * Tim Ferriss * Michael Hyatt * Episode 37 - the Ikigai Worksheet * Episode 35 - Create, Don’t Compete * Bluehost * Mailchimp * Elvis Presley: The Searcher (HBO Documentary) * Elvis’ ‘68 Special Event - and the song “If I Could Dream” * Isabella Guava on Instagram

Connect With Danielle and Dustin * Ask your questions! * On Facebook * On Twitter * Connect with Dustin on Twitter: @DRGranger