In return for hours of hard work and graft behind the scenes, social media influencers are reaping some serious rewards. Whether it's free samples, PR gifts, trips away or making money from their Instagram grid, being an influencer seems like the dream career. But how exactly do you break into such a competitive industry?

Amber Venz Box, the founder of billion-dollar company rewardStyle and app LIKEtoKNOW.it has not only been a successful influencer herself, but fuelled the growth of the industry by enabling influencers like herself to monetize their content. Here are her top tips on how to become a successful influencer.

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1. Create valuable content

“From tutorials to styling tips, there’s a multitude of ways to create engaging content that will draw an audience in. What’s important is ensuring that you’re creating something which is of interest to your followers and provides value to them. What can you teach them?”

2. Post consistently

“Not only does your content need to attract people, but it needs to be reliable. Commit to a posting schedule and stick to it to show your future audience that your channels are a place to return to day after day.”

3. Build a community

“Building community with your followers is a key part of your success as an influencer, but don’t forget to contribute to the conversations of your fellow influencers as well. Not only can you help each other with exposing the other to your network and community, but this new friendship can lead to a wealth of content which will help you both in the long run.”

4. Be open to change (and new platforms)

“The dynamics of app-based social media are constantly changing so be prepared to adapt. Not only are platforms introducing new mediums (what did we do before disappearing video?!) but they are also introducing new distribution algorithms. Look at new platforms and mediums as an opportunity to grow your brand and bring your message to a wider audience.”

5. The platform is not the business

Publishing platforms provide a fantastic tool to grow an audience, but just posting to one place does not allow you to build a business; your business will live and die by the whims of the platform. Be sure you are diversifying your business, working with multiple revenue streams and never become satisfied.

LIKEtoKNOW.it’s debut book Stories From The Influencer Next Door, launches on September 18th and features stories of over 100 influencers on the LTK platform and showcases a new way to look at entrepreneurship and careers.

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