In case you haven’t heard the news, Mutual is now offering a scholarship of $3,500 to the student who demonstrates the most influence. You can find all the info on how to enter here.
So what do you do if you want in on this scholarship opportunity but aren’t sure how to increase your influence? Well, sit yourself on down because class is in session—today’s lesson: Influence 101 – succinct but effective strategies for increasing your personal influence.
First of all, let’s define influence. According to Merriam-Webster, influence is “the power or capacity of causing an effect in indirect or intangible ways.” It’s your ability to motivate others to take action, and it’s a valuable commodity in today’s world.
Let’s start with understanding your personal brand- this sounds a lot more intimidating than it actually is. You don’t need to come up with a logo and a color scheme to identify your brand, but you do need to identify who you are, what your values are, and what you have to offer.
Authenticity Matters
When building your brand, be true to yourself. It’s easy to try and create a brand around what you think people like best or what your favorite influencer posts. Don’t try and be someone else. People want to get to know you for who you are, and they can tell when you’re being insincere or fake. (Spoiler alert: This applies to both influencing and dating! 😲)
Maybe you’re not really sure who you are, or at least you’ve never sat down and tried to define it. Start by identifying your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes, the things that are important to you, things that set you apart, and things you need to improve on.
Having a good sense of self-awareness gives you a foundation to build your personal brand.
Check out this blog post about emotional intelligence for tips on increasing your self-awareness. Being self-aware and authentic to who you are helps build trust and credibility among your peers.
Once you’ve identified your talents and qualities, find ways to showcase them! The easiest way to showcase your abilities is by using social media, but check out different clubs and associations on campus that allow you to make connections and improve those skills and qualities, too!
Elevate Your Online Presence
Alright, well, we have to talk about social media. Whether we like it or not, it plays a massive role in today’s world. It’s the easiest way to gain a following and increase your influence, but it can be intimidating to think about posting yourself or your content on social media.
There’s an old saying that’s used often in the automobile business that goes something like, “There’s a butt for every seat.” It means that you could have a car on your lot that you think nobody is going to want – whether it has too many miles, is too old, or just isn’t what you think people are looking for – but there’s always bound to be somebody who comes in, sits in the driver’s seat, and says, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
(More spoilers: this applies to dating too. What a surprise! You may think nobody out there will like you, but someday, somebody will meet you and say, “You’re exactly what I’ve been looking for.” 💖)
The bottom line is, if you have something to share, and you’re authentic and passionate about it, there’s going to be somebody interested. There’s going to be somebody who cares about what you have to say. So don’t be afraid to say it!
Create Meaningful Connections
Just like the quality of your matches is more important than the number of matches you get on Mutual (because it’s really only the one match that ends in forever that really matters, right? 😉), the genuine relationships in your life are so much more valuable than the numerous trivial associations you make day to day.
Focus on building deep connections with the people you meet – whether that’s your new roommate or cutie date this weekend. Practice active listening and show that you genuinely care about what they have to say.
Another old saying is “To be interesting, be interested.” – Dale Carnegie. This means that the secret to getting people to be interested in you is to genuinely care and be interested in them first.
Remember what we said about authenticity? People can tell when you’re faking it, so don’t try and pretend to be interested just to get them to like you. Show that you care and nurture the relationships you’re building.
Collaborate For Growth
We’ve got another old saying for you. Are you ready? “There’s strength in numbers.” We don’t have a reference for this one because so many people have said it for so long that it’s hard to pinpoint the source, but that’s how you know it’s tried and true.
Back in the day, when armies would go head to head in battle, the side with the larger army was always more feared than the smaller army. Now, no one is asking you to go to war for Mutual. (In fact, this is us asking you, please don’t. No violence of any kind, please! That would go against our Community Guidelines.)
We are telling you that if you want to increase your influence, it’s a smart idea to partner up with people so that you can benefit from their audience as they benefit from yours as well. This is exactly why influencers and brands do collabs, giveaways, and promotions together on social media – it grows both parties’ audiences, and everybody benefits.
This doesn’t mean you have to make collab posts on Instagram or ask for promotions from brands on Instagram. But you can look for opportunities to do joint projects with your friends. Find ways to bring your previously identified strengths and talents together because it’s likely that your weaknesses are someone else’s strengths, and that’s what makes working in a team great.
Lead By Example
In the end, it’s important to remember that your personal worth is NOT determined by the number of followers you have on social media, the number of matches you get on Mutual or any other way we can think of to quantify your influence or worth. This is just a fun competition to help share Mutual and help someone get their school paid for!
Increasing your influence is going to be an ongoing journey. No one is going to get to President of the USA or Kardashian status right away. Regardless of how far your influence reaches, it’s important to always be an example of confidence and integrity.
Be authentic to who you are and the values that you set for yourself. As you do, you’ll not only find that your influence increases but that you’ll find success in your personal and professional life and that the connections and experiences in your life become richer and more fulfilling.
Kaleigh Adamson
Kaleigh is a Marketing Coordinator for Mutual. She has worked with couples, relationships, dating, and love in a creative role for over a decade. She's a hopeless romantic who loves that her career allows her to help people find their soulmates. She downloaded Mutual when it first launched in 2016, coincidentally the same year she met her husband! They now live happily ever after in the Midwest with their two kids and dog.
