Through the power of the internet, just about anyone can start some kind of social media page, business page or video channel to start vlogging, promoting a product or start a business.

Starting one takes just a few clicks and a nice picture, but maintaining one can be a bit tougher than that.

If you’re interested in starting one, what steps should you take? How should you go about doing it? Take a look below on some tips to help you get started.

Understand the Commitment

Starting a social media page, especially one that may make you some money, is a big commitment. It will require a lot of work, constant posting and interaction with your followers.

It also takes many social media influencers years before they build up a sizeable following to feel like they’ve reached that next step (and gotten that coveted blue checkmark). Before you start, just know that it is a lot more work than it may seem.

Think About Your Audience

To think about your audience, it’s best to think about you and where you are in life. How old are you? What are your interests? Is your channel going to be solely about fitness? What about lifestyle and cooking?

This is important because a 25 year-old woman is going to draw a different audience than a 35 year-old mother of two. The 25 year-old may focus on overall fitness while the mother of two might focus on workouts you can do at home while taking care of the kids.

Once you think about who you want to market your channel and brand to, then you can start thinking about content.

Regularly Update Content

Some people choose to update their Instagram accounts every day, others once a week and some only when they’re traveling or during a big event.

If you’re looking to promote your page, you’ll be wanting to update frequently. This may not mean posting a picture every day, but it definitely means adding to your story and interacting with followers when you can.

Many pages post their daily training program, offer encouraging quotes or words of advice and show what they’re eating. It’s just one way that you can stay up-to-date and be putting off fresh content regularly.

Think of what you can start adding or what you can do. Lay out a long-term content plan and have a set number of things you can focus on. If you’re shy about being in front of the camera, you may want to overcome that shyness.

Get Familiar With Algorithms

While you don’t have to be an SEO or digital marketing expert, being familiar with how your page will show up is important. See what keywords you can put into your posts and what kind of people you should be following.

It’s going to be a slow grind before you start developing a big following, so research these tactics early before you begin your journey. If you’ve got your eyes set on making money off your endeavors, you’ll want to examine all of this much closer.

Cross-Promote

When it comes to promoting yourself on social media, it’s great to start linking your separate pages together. That way, you can drive up more on your YouTube page while getting more likes and comments on Instagram.

Leave teasers for each section, something like: “To see the full video, head to my latest video for all the exercises!”

In your bio page, link to your latest video and other pages in order to make sure you’re maximizing your space and people’s views.

Give Back to Your Followers

Set up milestones for when you reach a certain number of followers. That will encourage people to like and comment on videos or pictures, expanding your brand and making you more recognizable.

Once you start expanding, you might be developing your own products or partnering with businesses. Collaborate with them in an effort for them to be a part of any giveaways. People always enjoy winning something, especially if all they have to do is like, comment and subscribe!