Obtaining the title of Social Media Influencer: How it really works.

Editorial by The Crown & Card Co.

Somewhere along the way, the internet convinced people that you can just wake up one morning, open an account, declare yourself an influencer, and start talking about whatever pops into your head.

That’s not how social media works.

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are not talent scouts wandering the internet looking for random personalities. They’re algorithms. And algorithms are simple creatures. They need to know exactly what your content is about before they know who to show it to.

If the algorithm can’t figure out what your account is… it simply stops trying.

Welcome to the part of social media nobody explains.

👑 You Need a Niche (Yes, Even If You Think You Don’t)

If you want to be recognized online, you need a niche.

Not a vague dream of “being an influencer.” A niche.

A niche is the category your content belongs to so the algorithm knows where to place you. Without one, your account is basically just floating around the internet like a lost balloon.

For example, my niche is Pokémon.

Not “whatever I feel like posting today.” Pokémon.

That means the algorithm learns that my content belongs in the Pokémon collecting community and starts showing it to people who already interact with Pokémon content, including:

• Pokémon collectors

• Pokémon TCG fans

• Pokémon card investors

• Pokémon content creators

• people who watch Pokémon openings, binder tours, and collection videos

When the system understands your niche, it can actually send your content to the right audience.

When it doesn’t, your posts disappear into the void.

👑 “Influencer” Is Not a Niche

Saying you want to be an influencer is like saying you want to be famous for existing.

It’s not a category.

People who actually grow online become known for something specific first.

In the Pokémon world, that might be:

• Pokémon pack openings

• rare Pokémon card collecting

• Pokémon binder showcases

• Pokémon humor and memes

• Pokémon TCG education

• Pokémon community content

Notice something about that list?

Every single one of those is clear and recognizable.

When people see that content repeatedly, they begin to recognize the creator behind it. That’s when someone becomes known as a Pokémon collector and personality within the community.

Influence happens after recognition. Not before.

👑 Some People Don’t Need a Niche (Because They’re Already Famous)

There is one exception to the niche rule.

Some people can post whatever they want and still get massive attention because they are already known outside of social media. When someone is already widely known, people follow the person rather than the topic.

For example, Paris Hilton can post about fashion, travel, her dog, a party, or what she had for breakfast and millions of people will still watch it. That’s because she didn’t become known through social media, she was already a celebrity before platforms like Instagram and TikTok ever existed.

Most people online don’t start with that kind of recognition.

If you’re not already famous from television, music, sports, or business, the internet needs something to categorize you by. That’s where a niche comes in. The niche gives the algorithm and the audience a reason to recognize your content in the first place.

👑 The Algorithm Needs Repetition

The fastest way to confuse social media is to post completely different things every day.

If your account posts Pokémon cards one day, then random selfies, then a rant, then lifestyle advice, then drama… the algorithm eventually throws its hands up and says:

“I have absolutely no idea who to show this to.”

Consistency teaches the system where your content belongs.

That’s why many successful creators repeat recognizable formats like:

• Pokémon pack openings

• grading returns

• binder tours

• Pokémon community commentary

• funny Pokémon comparison posts

Repetition builds recognition. Recognition builds audience.

👑 Engagement Groups Are Not the Shortcut You Think They Are

Let’s talk about engagement groups… again YAY!

You know… the group chats where everyone rushes to comment “🔥🔥🔥” on each other’s posts within five minutes so the algorithm thinks something exciting is happening.

In theory, engagement groups are supposed to boost posts.

In reality, they often do the opposite.

Platforms like Instagram are extremely good at recognizing coordinated engagement patterns. When the same cluster of accounts repeatedly likes and comments on each other’s posts at the same time, it creates a very obvious network signal.

Instead of expanding your reach, the algorithm starts showing your content mostly to… those same accounts.

Congratulations. You’ve built a tiny digital island where the same 20 - 50 people clap for each other forever.

Meanwhile, the rest of the internet has no idea you exist.

Even worse, if you spend all your time engaging inside group chats, you’re not actually interacting with new audiences. And discovery on social media happens when your content reaches people outside your immediate circle.

Real growth comes from real viewers, not coordinated comment duty.

👑 If You Want to Be Known, Be Known for Something

The internet is full of people announcing that their goal is to become an influencer.

But that’s backwards.

The creators who actually grow online are the ones who focus on becoming recognizable inside a specific community first.

They pick a niche.

They repeat formats.

They build a voice people recognize.

And eventually people start saying things like:

“Oh yeah, I know that account.”

That’s how someone becomes known online.

Not by declaring themselves an influencer and buying followers and other engagement … but by becoming a recognizable personality inside a niche.

For me, that niche has always been simple:

Pokémon collecting, the Pokémon community, and the personality that comes with sharing that hobby online.

Everything else grows from there.

Xoxo- PinkyPogo

“Pokemon Collector & Personality with a defined niche”