Through the use of social media, we allow ourselves to participate in a marketplace that has successfully entrenched itself in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. While the social economy has a variety of driving factors, including attention from followers, status and recognition, content is the primary commodity building influence through social media.

Therefore, the exchange of content offers a way to collect social currency, which indicates that we need to constantly interact with each other’s content.

For small business owners or large corporations alike, dabbling in the social economy offers a variety of challenges. Larger business often attempt to shortcut the system by basically trying to exchange actually currency for the social equivalent. Unfortunately, the content large corporations share often comes across as disingenuous, which results in poor overall results.

This makes financial muscle less powerful in the social market than many of us would of otherwise believed. Small business owners have the opportunity to enter the social marketplace without the massive advertising budget large corporations have at their disposal. For businesses of any size, organic content makes the best solution for getting ahead in the content driven social economy.

In this regard, smaller businesses actually have an advantage over their larger competition. Small and local businesses have the ability to make closer connections with their audiences online and create influence through thought leadership and the content they provide.

Thought leadership offers the most organic form of marketing through social media, because it only requires sharing information you already know. Whether through blogs, videos or images, providing your target audience with valuable information helps to build your credibility and establish yourself as a thought leader within your field or industry.

Maybe you’re a dentist, for example; you provide answers to common oral health questions. Maybe you’re an interior designer; you create tutorial videos for your YouTube channel. Maybe you own a dress shop; you design an infographic that explains the season’s latest trends. Whatever your niche or industry, sharing content through social media provides you with a direct connection to your target audience and the potential for attracting new customers.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when you begin developing your social media influence for your small business or brand.

Go With What You Know

Whether you just have a passion about a particular subject or possess a high degree of specialty in a particular field, building influence as a small business owner means establishing yourself as an expert on a particular topic.

Focus On Quality Over Quantity

Don’t focus on producing a prodigious amount of content on a daily basis, especially early on. Pick one particular type of content to focus your attention on creating and than consistently produce the highest quality of that particular content as possible. Given time, the amount of content you produce will increase. Just focus on building an audience early on by providing the best, most in-depth content on your subject you can create.

Understand The Demand

You need to understand what your audience does and does not respond to. This is typically an indication of what topics your audience finds the most interesting. Feed this interest in order to grow you audience even more.

By staying true to your own brand, and focusing on the quality of content you produce, you become your own influencer and generate your own social currency. By meeting the content demands of your target audience, you can grow your brand and make your own mark in the social market.