Power of Influence – What is your focus… what is your influence? Lamont’s focus is on Music, Fashion and Art. He is also focusing on music trends, collaboration and what is an influencer…
Finding your Influencer Niche: Start with Your Passions and Expertise
Choosing your niche is one of the most critical steps to becoming a successful influencer. A niche is a specific topic or theme you’ll focus on creating content around, and it’s what will set you apart and attract a dedicated audience. While it might seem counterintuitive to narrow your focus, specializing in a specific area is far more effective than trying to be a generalist.
Here’s how to start finding your influencer niche.
1. Identify Your Passions
Start by listing the things you genuinely love. What are the topics you could talk about for hours without getting bored? What do you do in your free time? Think about:
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- Hobbies: Do you enjoy hiking, baking, gaming, or painting?
- Interests: Are you fascinated by personal finance, sustainable living, or true crime podcasts?
- Lifestyle: Do you have a unique approach to parenting, organizing your home, or staying fit?
- Your enthusiasm will shine through and keep you motivated, which is key to long-term success.
2. Define Your Expertise
Think about what you’re good at. You don’t need to be a world-renowned expert, but you should have skills or knowledge that others find valuable. This could be anything from professional experience to a skill you’ve mastered through practice.
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- Professional Skills: Are you a graphic designer who can teach others about branding, a chef who can share easy recipes, or a fitness trainer with workout tips?
- Personal Skills: Have you become an expert at budgeting, decluttering small spaces, or traveling on a shoestring budget?
Combining your passion with your expertise is a powerful formula. For example, you might be passionate about cooking and an expert at making quick, healthy meals, which is a perfect niche.
3. Consider Your Audience
Even if you’re passionate and knowledgeable about a topic, you need to make sure there’s an audience for it. Do some quick research to see if there’s interest in your ideas.
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- Search Social Media: Use platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to search for keywords related to your potential niches. Are other creators making content in this space?
- Check Hashtags: Look at the number of posts under relevant hashtags. A large number can indicate a popular niche, while a smaller number could mean an opportunity to be a big fish in a small pond.
- Analyze Trends: Use tools like Google Trends to see if the topic is gaining or losing popularity over time.
By combining your passions, expertise, and a clear understanding of your potential audience, you can find an influencer niche that feels authentic to you and has the potential to grow.
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Art Shows
An art show is a public display of artwork.
Here’s a simple breakdown:
What it is:
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- A collection of art pieces presented to the public.Can feature paintings, sculptures, photography, installations, and more.
- Can be by a single artist (solo show), a group of artists, or focus on a specific theme.
Where they happen:
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- Art galleries
- Museums
- Community centers
Finding Your Influencer Niche
Finding your influencer niche is a crucial step to building an authentic and successful online presence. A niche is a specific area of focus or expertise where you create content that highlights your passions and skills, attracting a dedicated and engaged audience.
Here’s a breakdown of how to find your influencer niche:
1. Self-Reflection: Start with Your Passions and Expertise
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- Identify your interests: What topics could you talk about for hours? What are you genuinely curious about? Your enthusiasm for a subject will shine through in your content and resonate with followers.
- Leverage your expertise: What do your friends and family always ask you for advice on? What skills or knowledge do you have from your career or hobbies? Having a deep understanding of a topic adds credibility to your content.
- Consider your unique experiences: Your personal story can be your niche. Whether it’s your journey with a specific hobby, a unique life experience like van life, or a specific lifestyle, these stories can form the foundation of a strong connection with an audience.
2. Market Research: Validate Your Ideas
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- Assess market demand: Use tools like Google Trends, social media analytics, and keyword research to see if there is an existing audience for your chosen niche. A niche should be specific enough to stand out but broad enough to have a substantial audience.
- Analyze the competition: Look at other influencers in your potential niche. What are they doing well? What content are they creating? Identify gaps you can fill or a unique angle you can take. You don’t need to be the only person in a niche, but you do need to offer a fresh perspective.
- Look for sub-niches: A broad niche like “food” can be refined into a more specific sub-niche, such as “vegan baking for beginners,” “gourmet cooking on a budget,” or “farm-to-table recipes.” This level of specificity helps you stand out and attract a highly targeted audience.
3. Audience Engagement: Listen to Your Community
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- Ask for feedback: Once you start creating content, use polls, Q&A sessions, and direct engagement to ask your followers what they want to see more of. This can help you refine your niche and ensure you are creating content that resonates.
- Pay attention to comments: Read the comments on your posts and others in your potential niche. What questions are people asking? What problems are they trying to solve? This can provide valuable insight into what content is needed.
Examples of Niche Categories and Sub-Niches:
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- Fashion: Sustainable fashion, vintage decor, streetwear for a specific demographic.
- Beauty: Gender-inclusive makeup, special effects makeup, skincare for a specific skin type.
- Health and Wellness: Mental health advocacy, gut health journeys, yoga for people with disabilities.
- Travel: Budget-friendly travel, luxury travel, family-friendly travel.
- Food: Mixology, healthy meal prep, specific cuisine tutorials (e.g., authentic Italian cooking).
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What is Your Influencer Niche & Who is Your Audience
To truly succeed as an influencer, you must go beyond just a general idea of your niche and conduct thorough market research to understand “what” content is successful and “who” your ideal audience is. This process helps you identify a unique space in a crowded market and create content that truly resonates with a specific group of people.
Here’s a detailed guide on how to conduct market research to find your influencer niche:
1. Find Your “Competition” and Analyze Their Content
Your competition isn’t just other influencers; it’s anyone creating content on a similar topic. Think of them as your “competitors” or, more positively, as market leaders you can learn from.
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- Identify top creators in your potential niche: Use the search bars on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Look for popular hashtags and keywords related to your interests (e.g., #sustainablefashion, #veganrecipes, #DIYhomedecor).
- Study their content:*Content Types: What formats do they use most? Are they primarily short-form videos (Reels, TikToks), long-form tutorials, photo carousels, or blog posts
*Top-Performing Posts: What are their most liked, commented on, and shared posts? Look for patterns. Is it a specific type of tutorial, a personal story, or a behind-the-scenes look?
*Content Gaps: What topics are they not covering? Is there a sub-niche they’ve missed, a different perspective you could offer, or a problem they’re not solving for their audience? This is where your unique value proposition will emerge.
*Tone and Style: Is their voice serious and educational, or funny and relatable? How do they interact with their audience?
2. Understand Your Target Audience: The “Who”
This is about creating a detailed profile of the people you want to reach. Go beyond basic demographics.
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- Demographics:*Age, Gender, Location: Where are they? This is crucial for local influencers.
*Income and Education Level: This will affect what products or services they can afford and the kind of language and content they’ll appreciate.
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- Psychographics: This is about their interests, values, and lifestyle.
*Interests: What are their other hobbies? A fitness enthusiast might also be interested in healthy cooking or sustainable living.
*Pain Points & Goals: What problems are they trying to solve? Are they trying to learn a new skill, save money, or find motivation? Your content should provide solutions to these problems.
*Values: What do they care about? Do they value authenticity, sustainability, or humor?
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- Audience Behavior:
*What platforms are they on? Don’t waste your time on a platform where your audience isn’t active.
*When are they most active? Use platform analytics to figure out the best times to post for maximum engagement.
*What kind of content do they engage with most? Do they prefer to ask questions in the comments, share videos with friends, or save posts for later?
3. Use Social Listening and Analytics
You don’t have to guess. There are tools and techniques to help you gather this information.
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- Manual Research:
*Read comments and DMs: Look at the comments on your competitors’ posts. What questions are people asking? What are they complaining about? This is a goldmine of content ideas.
*Explore online communities: Join Reddit forums, Facebook groups, or Discord servers related to your potential niche. Pay attention to the discussions and the language people use.
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- Platform Analytics (for an existing account):
If you already have a creator or business account, use Instagram Insights, TikTok Analytics, or YouTube Studio to get a breakdown of your current audience. This data shows you who is already interested in your content, which can help you refine your niche.
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- Third-Party Tools:
While many are for brands, some free versions can give you a starting point. Tools like Social Blade can show you follower growth trends for existing creators, and hashtag research tools can show you what topics are trending.
By combining self-reflection with a data-driven approach, you can move from a general idea to a specific, unique, and marketable niche that sets you up for long-term success.
What is an Influencer?
An influencer is an individual who has built a significant following and credibility in a specific niche or industry. They use their authority, knowledge, or relationship with their audience to shape opinions, behaviors, and purchasing decisions.
What an influencer does can be broken down into several key activities:
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- Content Creation: They regularly produce engaging and high-quality content, such as photos, videos, tutorials, reviews, or blog posts, that resonates with their audience.
- Building Community: Influencers actively engage with their followers by responding to comments, messages, and questions. They foster a sense of community by creating conversations and interacting with their audience, which builds trust and loyalty.
- Brand Collaborations: A primary source of income for many influencers is partnering with brands. They promote products or services that align with their niche and audience through sponsored content, product reviews, giveaways, or by becoming a brand ambassador.
- Driving Trends: Influencers are often trendsetters within their field. They stay up-to-date on industry trends and share their unique perspectives, introducing new ideas, products, and styles to their followers.
- Professional and Business Management: Influencers often manage their personal brand as a business. This involves negotiating contracts, tracking content performance, and handling administrative tasks.
- Disclosure and Transparency: Ethical influencers are required to clearly disclose any paid partnerships or sponsored content to maintain the trust of their audience, in line with regulations from organizations like the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
The term “influencer” can encompass a wide range of people, from celebrities with millions of followers to “micro-influencers” who have a smaller but highly engaged audience in a very specific niche. Their value lies not just in their follower count, but in the trust and strong connection they have built with their community.
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Livestreaming 8/11/22
Livestream 8.11.25, St. Lamont went to the Oakland Museum, learned about California history, black history… great vibes in Oakland.
How Visionaries Think Big
A visionary doesn’t just think big; they think differently. They move beyond the constraints of the present and look at the world as a blank canvas of possibility. This isn’t just about having a good idea; it’s a comprehensive mindset that involves a few key characteristics.
They see the future before it happens.
A visionary’s mind is a time machine. They don’t just react to current trends; they anticipate them. By constantly observing their industry and the world around them, they look for patterns and connections that others miss. They see an opportunity for change or a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist yet. For example, before the internet was a household staple, Jeff Bezos saw an opportunity in online retail and founded Amazon. He saw what was coming, not just what was currently happening.
They set audacious goals.
Visionaries aren’t content with incremental improvements. They set big, bold goals that challenge the status quo and inspire others to get on board. These aren’t just pie-in-the-sky dreams; they are carefully considered goals that, while ambitious, still feel attainable. They understand that a compelling vision gives people a purpose and a sense of urgency, driving them to work toward a common goal.
They are exceptional communicators.
A big idea is useless if no one understands it. Visionaries are master storytellers who can articulate their vision in a way that captures the hearts and minds of their team, investors, and customers. They don’t just share information; they create a compelling picture of a better future that motivates people to act. They use their charisma and communication skills to inspire a sense of ownership and commitment in everyone involved.
They are risk-takers and are resilient.
The path of a visionary is rarely smooth. To truly think big, they must be willing to take calculated risks and step outside their comfort zones. They understand that failure is not an ending but a learning opportunity. When setbacks occur, they don’t give up. Instead, they adapt their strategies and lead their teams through periods of uncertainty, using their resilience to stay focused on the long-term goal. They lead from the front, taking responsibility for failures and empowering others to take action.
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Cultivating a Visionary’s Strategic Mind
Developing a visionary and strategic mind is about more than just being a good planner. It’s a combination of creative foresight and grounded, intentional action. It involves shifting your perspective from the day-to-day to the long-term, and from “what is” to “what could be.”
Here’s a breakdown of how to cultivate this powerful mindset:
1. Cultivate a Futurist’s Mindset (The “Visionary” Part)
A visionary mind isn’t about predicting the future with 100% accuracy; it’s about anticipating possibilities and preparing for a range of scenarios.
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- Think in “What If” and “Why Not” questions: Challenge the status quo and your own assumptions. Instead of just reacting to a problem, ask, “What if we completely reimagined how this works?” or “Why haven’t we tried doing it this way before?”
- Practice “Signal Hunting”: Pay attention to small, emerging trends at the “margins of society.” These could be new technologies, a shift in consumer behavior, or a novel business model. By spotting these “signals” before they become mainstream, you can identify potential disruptions and opportunities.
- Look for Patterns: Study history and look for recurring patterns. As the saying goes, “history doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.” Understanding the larger forces and cycles that have shaped the past can help you anticipate how they might influence the future.
- Embrace Uncertainty and Complexity: The future is not a straight line. Instead of seeking a single, perfect future, think in terms of a “cone of possibilities.” Be comfortable with ambiguity and recognize that there are many different scenarios that could unfold.
2. Sharpen Your Strategic Thinking Skills (The “Strategic” Part)
A visionary idea is just a dream without a solid strategy to bring it to life. This is where you connect your big picture thinking with actionable steps.
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- Move Beyond the Day-to-Day: Make dedicated time for “thinking” instead of just “doing.” Step back from the operational details to get a “bird’s-eye view” of your work, your team, and your organization.
- Ask Strategic Questions: Move away from simple “what” and “when” questions and focus on the “why” and “how.” Ask questions like:
- “Why is this issue significant, and what is its long-term impact?”
- “How does my contribution fit into the big picture?”
- “Where will our growth come from in the next five years?”
- Adopt Systems Thinking: Recognize that everything is interconnected. An action in one area of a system (e.g., your team, your company, your industry) will have ripple effects elsewhere. Strategic thinkers understand how to pull the right levers to create the desired outcomes across the entire system.
- Consider Opposing Ideas: Challenge your own hypotheses by playing devil’s advocate. Rigorously test your assumptions and welcome dissenting opinions. This helps you identify weaknesses in your plans and ensures you’re not overlooking a better possibility.
3. Take Action to Develop Your Mind
A mindset is not just a way of thinking; it’s a set of habits. You have to actively train yourself.
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- Seek Diverse Perspectives: Actively seek out people with different backgrounds, expertise, and viewpoints. Their insights can expose you to blind spots and help you see things from a new angle.
- Read Widely and Continuously Learn: Go beyond your industry’s trade publications. Read books on history, science, technology, and philosophy. Stay curious and be a continuous learner.
- Practice Scenario Planning: Conduct exercises where you imagine different future scenarios and brainstorm how you would respond to each one. This could be as simple as a “What if X happens?” discussion with a colleague.
- Reflect Regularly: After a major decision or project, take time to reflect. Ask: “What worked? What didn’t? What did I learn?” This intentional reflection turns your experiences into valuable lessons that build your strategic intuition over time.
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Visionary; Audience and Benefits
As a Visionary, your audience is anyone who needs to be inspired and led. This can be broken down into a few key groups:
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- Followers: These are the individuals who look to you for direction and purpose. They’re motivated by your vision and are the ones who will execute the plan.
- Stakeholders: These are people with a vested interest in your project or organization, such as investors, partners, and clients. You need to clearly communicate your vision to them to gain their support and investment.
- The Unconvinced: This group includes those who are skeptical or resistant to change. As a visionary, your role is to persuade the Unconvinced by presenting a compelling case for your vision and showing them the potential rewards.
The Benefits of Being a Visionary
Being a visionary offers significant benefits not just for you, but for all those you lead.
For Your Audience
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- Clarity and Purpose: You provide a clear direction, helping people understand what they’re working toward and why it matters. This clarity gives them a sense of purpose beyond their daily tasks.
- Motivation and Inspiration: Your vision acts as a powerful motivator. It inspires people to overcome obstacles, take risks, and strive for excellence.
- Unity: A shared vision brings people together. It aligns a team, an organization, or a community toward a common goal, fostering collaboration and a sense of belonging.
- Growth and Opportunity: By focusing on what’s possible, you create opportunities for growth, innovation, and learning. This pushes your audience to develop new skills and reach their full potential.
For You
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- Influence: Your ability to articulate a compelling future gives you immense influence. You become a leader others want to follow, not because they have to, but because they believe in what you’re doing.
- Impact: You have the power to create lasting change. A strong vision allows you to shape the future of a project, a company, or even an entire industry.
- Resilience: A clear vision helps you stay focused and resilient during challenging times. It serves as your north star, guiding your decisions and helping you push through setbacks.
- Legacy: A visionary leaves a legacy. Your ideas and the future you helped create will continue to impact others long after you’ve moved on.
In short, your role as a visionary is to paint a picture of a better future and then lead the way there. Who you choose to share that picture with and how you inspire them will ultimately determine the scope of your impact.
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