Dreaming of becoming the next big influencer? It’s an exciting and glamorous world, but it’s not all about snapping selfies and creating cool content. Behind the scenes, influencers actually do rely pretty heavily on basic numeracy and literacy skills to succeed.
Want to know why these skills are so important, and how they help influencers thrive in the digital world? We’ve got you covered, and are here to tell you what you actually need to know if you want to be an influencer.
Crunching the numbers: why math matters
You might think being an influencer is all about creativity, but math plays a huge role too. Here’s how:
Tracking views & engagement
To know if your content is hitting the mark (and how much money you’re making from it), you need to track your views, likes, comments, and shares. This means looking at numbers and understanding what they mean.
- Views: How many people are watching your videos, and what does this mean for you?
- Engagement rate: What percentage of your viewers are liking, commenting, and sharing, and how does this translate financially?
Reading & creating charts
Charts and graphs help visualise data, and dealing with this is actually a massive part of an influencers job. For example, you might need to see how your follower count has grown over time, or know when peak engagement time would be for posting . Knowing how to read and create charts can help you understand trends, make better decisions about your content, and display your success for potential sponsorships.
Budgeting & finances
As an influencer, it’s probably your goal start earning additional money through sponsorships, ads, or selling your own products. Basic math skills are crucial for managing your income and expenses, so you can keep track of your earnings and plan for the future.
Words matter: literacy in the influencer world
Your ability to communicate effectively is key to your success as an influencer – it’s how you engage with your audience, which can propel your popularity. Here’s why literacy is also just as important as your content creation skills:
Crafting captions & descriptions
Every post needs a catchy caption or an engaging description. Good spelling and grammar make your content look professional and trustworthy (plus you’ll avoid any annoying comments pointing out basic English mistakes). It’s not just about looking good; it’s about making sure your audience understands your message, and that they connect with you on a parasocial level.
Writing scripts & blog posts
Heaps of influencers make money by creating videos and writing blogs. Whether you’re scripting a YouTube video or writing a blog post, good writing skills help you tell your story in a way that keeps your audience hooked, and ensures you look like you actually know what you’re talking about. It’s all about credibility and relationship building.
Communicating with brands
When you start working with brands, you’ll need to write emails and proposals. Clear and professional communication can make the difference between landing a deal and losing out.
Bringing it all together
Ok so we’ve outlined the basics, but lets put it into a real-world scenario.
Imagine this: You’re an influencer with a growing following. You just posted a video about your daily routine, and it’s getting a lot of views. Here’s how you use numeracy and literacy skills in real life as an Influencer:
- Checking the stats: You look at the analytics and see that your video has 10,000 views, a 10% engagement rate, and a spike in new followers. You create a chart to track this growth over time, and can potentially use this as leverage when looking for a brand deal or sponsorship.
- Crafting the perfect caption: Your next post needs a catchy caption. Using your English skills, you can write a witty caption that connects with a bunch of people, and can double-check yourself for spelling and grammar mistakes to keep it professional.
- Writing a brand proposal: A skincare brand reaches out, interested in a collaboration. You write a clear and professional email proposal, showcasing your engagement stats and explaining why you’d be a great fit. Math + English skills = influencer success!
Time to get a head-start
Being an influencer might look easy on the surface, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes. Your ability to understand and use basic numeracy and literacy skills can set you apart from the rest. So, next time you’re in Math or English class, remember: these skills could be the secret to your future success as an influencer.
If you want more tips about what you really need to get ahead in life, we have heaps more on our website here.