Some people think a social media influencer has a gazillion followers or a multi-million dollar recording deal.  General Assembly Austin presented a panel on June 12th called “Cashing in on Influence: Tapping into the Power of Influencers to Grow a Brand” that not only busted myths like that but also gave plenty of tips for growing and leveraging a social media following.

The panelists described ways to raise your game on social media (mainly, in this case, Instagram). The main questions of the evening revolved around ‘how do I connect with businesses and brands to create a side hustle, and even a main hustle?’

GA ATX and Planoly definitely picked the right group to answer those questions. The panel, moderated by Priscilla of @Planoly, included: Evelyn – @evelynfromtheinternets;  Jules – @OmAndTheCity; ‏ Ruchi – @theaccidentalchic; and Mairin of @HomeAway.

Here are some of the top take-aways from the presentation:

• Stay true to your purpose and mission (if your IG is about style, keep it about style);
• There is no substitute for quality content;
• Do as much A/B testing as possible;
• Though the number of followers you have is important, so is engagement rate;
• Build relationships (with businesses, your followers and other influencers);
• Engage (have conversations);
• Have patience (things may not take off right away).

Thank you panelists for the window into a fascinating world. And thank you GA ATX, Planoly and WeWork Austin for offering this great learning opportunity.

Image: Erler