On the surface, becoming a social media influencer may seem simple enough. After all, all you have to do is post great photos and use popular hashtags, right? Wrong. To be an effective and popular influencer, you need to brand yourself. To do this, you need to figure out the platform you want to take, the niche you want to fit into. Are you interested in promoting a certain lifestyle? Are you interested in becoming know for fitness? Are you a mommy blogger? Once you’ve figured out your personal brand, the real work begins. Appeal to people of your chosen niche or platform and give them a reason to be engaged and want to follow you.