The 2 Keys to Becoming an Expert Influencer on Social Media

In the era of social media and YouTube channels, how do the majority of content creators manage to become perceived as experts and create the illusion that their words and advice are trustworthy, ultimately gaining a large following? Surprisingly, it doesn't take much. YouTube, much like television, is often consumed passively, with few viewers critically analyzing the content or questioning the assertions being made. Many simply consume the content in awe, much like children watching a cartoon.

But beyond the lack of critical thinking, being captivated by content is not the only criterion for gaining followers. There are other, more insidious mechanisms at play. We won't delve into the effects of social media on the human brain here, as it's not necessary to make the point.

Key 1: Repetition of Existing Ideas

Rest assured! To become a pseudo-specialist or to merely appear knowledgeable, it’s no longer necessary to have original ideas. You simply need to repeat what recognized specialists or others who are trying to position themselves in a similar market segment are saying—those who already have a semblance of authority or at least claim to be "experts" on a given topic.

There’s no need to use these ideas to contribute original reflections or a personal vision. Once again, it’s enough to simply echo what others are saying. Knowledge does not necessarily increase—at least, not significantly—because only a handful of individuals actually contribute new insights.

Let’s take an example. When you search on YouTube for keywords like "gifted" and "emotionality" or "highly sensitive," you find that these are characteristics that have entered the collective consciousness, even though there is no scientific data to support the idea that gifted individuals are more emotionally sensitive than others. Yet, you’ll find seduction coaches, psychologists, personal development advisors, and others whose exact status is often unclear but who will certainly have a course to offer you or will invite you to join a community—an especially trendy concept.

In the realm of giftedness, a number of beliefs are propagated, with only shaky clinical observations as their theoretical foundation. These concepts, such as "divergent thinking," have been widely disseminated and are echoed by a whole audience of coaches, bloggers, and YouTubers without questioning the origins or foundations of these ideas. These concepts then become beliefs that are accepted through authority bias. It goes even further: adhering to and spreading these ideas signals to the audience that they belong to the group of knowledgeable individuals. Consciously or unconsciously, the internal dialogue for the person spreading these ideas might be something like, "If I repeat a theory from Siaud-Facchin that others are also repeating, I am part of the 'experts' on the subject, and on this or any other topic, people will listen to me, and I will succeed." This dynamic of influence has two major negative effects: it adds nothing new and leads the public to trust someone who lacks original thought, thereby reinforcing unfounded beliefs.

Key 2: Presenting “User Cases”

The other interesting aspect is the absolute necessity of presenting "user cases." This type of rhetoric is aimed at validating one’s legitimacy to speak, much like a psychologist who writes a new book. This leads to typical phrases like "I see it in all the emails I receive," "I observe it with many of my coaching clients," or "It’s present in all the comments." And there’s no need to elaborate or present these cases in detail—no, simply mentioning a phrase like this is enough to assert your legitimacy.

What’s most subtle is that, because you don’t have access to the specifics of these "user cases," you can’t even verify if they are relevant to the discourse or if they validate the points being made, and if so, how?

As you can see, it’s very simple: the process unfolds in two steps. First, repeat notions you’ve heard here and there during your research to define content that will appeal to a new niche or group—but don’t waste your precious time verifying them, as that’s not necessary for your objective. Then, make sure to emphasize—but without delving deeply into—the idea that you have a community that trusts you, believes in you, and in the ideas you generally promote, by suggesting that these ideas are based on "user cases."