How to Make Friends & (Really) Influence People Online

You might think that it’s simple enough to make friends and influence people in a digital age, what with the invention of social media that millions of people across the world are a part of. However, it’s actually a lot more difficult than you might think. In fact, the very fact that there are now millions of people using the internet has made things increasingly more challenging for those who want to become an online influencer. The industry has become saturated with influencers, and so it’s more important now to stand out from the crowd. But how do you make friends and influence people online? Let’s take a closer look:  

Choose a platform that showcases your strengths

One of the first things you should do if you’re looking to influence people online is to start off by having an account on a social media site that you can use successfully. There’s no point signing up to Blogger or WordPress if you’re not a writer. The same goes if you don’t like having your picture taken, then don’t choose Instagram. 

People want to be influenced by those they can relate to and part of that is knowing what you look like. It helps to generate and build trust. Without trust, you have no influencing power over people. You’re recommending a product? People won’t value your opinion if there’s no trust or a rapport. 

Therefore, they simply won’t buy into your recommendations. If you have signed up to a platform that you can showcase your talents on, and do flawlessly and consistently, then you’re already part of the way there when it comes to making friends and influencing people online. 

Give them the inside story

Essentially, this means leaving nothing out. Be as transparent about yourself and your life as possible. But do remember that there are still lines and boundaries you can put in place to protect yourself from the rest of the digital world. Instead of opening up about deep-rooted personal problems that you’re not yet over yourself, tell your followers about some challenges and things you’ve learnt from a particular experience. 

Discuss your successes but also your failures. You need to come across as a real, down-to-earth person who has faced the struggles that we all face, in order to be relatable. The more real you present yourself as a person, the more likely it is that people will gravitate towards you. However, there are some arguments to suggest that ‘faking it till you make it’ is a good way to go, because people are constantly chasing the perfect life, according to Medium. 

Don’t take this approach to win over followers and don’t be fooled yourself by those who portray a perfect life on social media. More awareness is being raised than ever before about the dangers of following a ‘fake’ person online, and I’m not just talking about accounts made and run by robots. 

The same source claims that there are huge negatives to be had by following a ‘fake’ life online. From receiving and believing false information and advice to unhealthily comparing your normal, everyday life to one that’s not even real, we need to be more aware of how to spot a fake influencer online. With this in mind, don’t be tempted to only show people the good stuff, going back to my original point. 

Write about things that truly reflect who you are

If you love the works of Charles Dickens but aren’t a fan of Jane Austen and you have a blog about the books you’ve read, then don’t write about Jane Austen. This is especially the case if you only want to write positive reviews on books as a way of getting people to read them. If you can’t look at it objectively, then don’t write about it. 

Also, don’t deviate from posting about things that mean the most to you just because it’s not trending right now. You will have followers who love following you for that exact reason – you don’t go along with the crowd. Write about things that reflect you as a person and that are in line with your true interests if you want to start influencing people online and make friends.

Present conversations, rather than have them

Communicating with people online is different from having conversations, which is throwing responses backwards and forwards until someone says ‘enough’. It’s not like that if you want to communicate with people in a digital setting. Instead of conversing with people, which can take a lot of time and dedication, present others with a topic to muse over. 

Make a speech about something and let your followers ponder on the points you’ve made, while also discussing it between themselves, rather than you getting involved as well as. Take the time to express yourself in a way that’s authentic and let your followers do the rest. This is another way in which you can make friends and influence people in the digital world.

Tell a story through the content you create

If you learn the art of storytelling, then you’ll be well away when it comes to influencing people and making friends online. It’s all about communication and forging bonds and trust between yourself and your followers. You need to engage people in the content you’re creating and the best way to do that is to intertwine a story into it. Strategically place underlying patterns and lessons in your content and make it relatable. Almost like having a relatable character in a book that has an engaging plot, some twists and turns and, eventually, a resolution. 

Respond to your commenters

People have taken the time to read your post and then comment on it. The most polite thing to do is to respond to as many comments as you can. Return the favour and let them know that you’re watching, you’re ready and you’re taking their feedback and comments on board. Whether you have thousands of people commenting on your posts or articles, or just one or two, the best thing to do is to reply. 

Where it might not be possible to respond to everyone, eventually, the fact that people can see you responding to who you can gives the impression that you have the time for them. It binds your world with theirs, and this helps if we go back to the point of being relatable. 

If you don’t respond to those who comment on your content, you’re putting out a message of “this is my world and that is yours”. You’re putting a line or a boundary in the way, indirectly, by not acknowledging those who have taken the time to respond to the content you have decided to put out there. 

Keep touching on your headline

When it comes to writing your content for your followers, you need to make sure that you’re not going off on a tangent. Bring the content back to the main point of your article, blog post or even social media post. What is the point you’re trying to get across? Have you deviated from your plan? Make sure you proofread your content so that you’re clear on the direction you’re going with, before hitting ‘publish’. This is a sure way of influencing people online and making some virtual friends. 

Kumo is a dedicated digital marketing agency with over two years of experience in the industry. We have a team of dedicated SEO specialists, PPC experts, professional content writers and creative website designers who will do their utmost to propel your business into the spotlight and set you apart from your competitors. If you would like further information, get in touch with a member of our team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.