1. Think about those responsibilities that are unique to your position.As a leader and manager, one of the first activities you should do is to carefully consider all of the tasks that you do on a given day. Then, ask yourself if you should be the person doing it. When you go through this exercise, it will help you prioritize the issues you should be taking care of and will ultimately have more time to focus on doing.
2. Consider the dollars and cents.Once you've decided to delegate, you will open up more time that was spent doing the busy work. Like most people, you probably think in terms of dollars and cents or profit margins. Hiring someone, even part-time, that will take over a lot of the process work that you're doing is going to free up your time to dedicate it to the areas that will grow your business.
3. Don't fall into the micro-management trap. Micro-managers love to say that they are delegating their non-essential responsibilities, only to micro-manage their teams. Proper delegation does not mean that you are absolving yourself of any of the accountability for the work. Delegation just says that you are giving the responsibility to someone else, and you have to give them the opportunity to do the job and rise to the occasion.
4. Maintain a strong feedback flow with your team. When you've delegated responsibilities to your team members, an essential aspect of proper delegation means keeping an adequate communication channel open for any questions, comments or concerns. Again, it doesn't mean that it's a chance for you to micro-manage a one-way feed system. It's a two-way feedback flow and an easy tactic to ensure it's done correctly is to request regular updates on the work.
5. Make sure that you provide clear directives or instructions. When you've decided to create a productive delegation system, one of the essential aspects of delegation is to deliver clear instructions or direction from the outset. If you're expecting a certain project to look a certain way, have elements you deem important or are looking for a specific outcome, it's vital that you express those thoughts from the outset.
6. Remember that your team members are learning how to do something you've delegated, and learning is not a linear process. Be prepared for mistakes or a learning curve. You should also expect to be pleasantly surprised when someone has done something in a way you wouldn't have thought but is still excellent. Learning is not linear, and as a manager, you have to be prepared for some bumps and pleasant surprises on the road.
7. Let it go.The final aspect of mastering the art of delegation is to stay out of the way and let go. When you've assigned responsibilities and informed your team members what they need to get done, then you have to allow them to do the work. Focus on the duties you should be focusing on as a leader and let your team do what they have to do to meet your goals for success.

Remember that delegation is not something that often comes naturally, especially if you're a business owner and you're looking to get a new company off the ground. 

However, whether you work in an established firm or start-up, understanding how to be a self-aware manager who delegates is going to reap many rewards. It will help empower your team, and it will give you the ability to truly focus and concentrate on the aspects of the job that crucially need your undivided attention.

Marketing is like sex. Everyone thinks they're good at it.

- Steve Tobak

• Blog posts
• Social syndication and branded content distribution
• Influencers and influential content

If people like you, they'll listen to you, but if they trust you, they'll do business with you.

- Zig Ziglar

• Embrace the concept of influencer: An influencer is a person who carries a great deal of credibility with him or her. That person has a very positive impact on the niche and, subsequently, your brand. Influencers also come with followers (an entourage, of sorts). Followers can come in various forms, such as people who consistently read blogs that the influencer has shared or people who interact regularly with that influencer. At the same time, influencers can come in various shapes and sizes. The one thing that all influencers have in common is that they all have the ability to influence other people. In other words, they are very powerful people and they should not be dismissed as anything short of that. Influencers have presence and their word carries weight. You can consider them authority figures. They are the gold standard on which you should base your business approach. The truth is that you are not the only person who recognizes the value of influencers. Other people understand and embrace their value as well. 

• Concentrate on your niche: As you start to take steps to become an influencer, the first thing that you need to do is to determine exactly where you want your influence to live. That decision will be based on exactly where your passions lie. If you choose to be an influencer in an area that doesn't really touch you deeply, you will not be able to pull it off. If you haven't been able to convince yourself of your commitment and passion, exactly how do you expect other people to be convinced of your commitment and passion. It is really that simple. However, it is really important that you are closely associated with your niche so that other people can associate you with that niche as well. In fact, that is an important part of your branding. You want to steer clear of speaking about other things. You want to be associated with your niche only. Otherwise, your influencer status will be diluted and you will not be perceived an expert of anything.


• Give other people the benefit of your knowledge: The truth is that it is one thing to be knowledgeable (even to go so far as to be an expert in your niche) but it is another thing entirely (and much more of a gift) to be able to teach someone else what you know so that the other person can grow professionally because of it. Whether or not you can achieve that is a true test of your influencer status. In this context (with all of the online interactions that you have for your business), the best (and probably the only) way to do that is by sharing content (in whichever form(s) you choose to share. A good way to accomplish that is by posting blogs, videos, newsletters, etc.Another great way to share your knowledge is through online discussions that are relevant and compelling to other people. Remember to pay close attention to your social media profiles at all time. You don't want them to be static. You want to update your status on the various social media profiles and keep people in your social circles close to you so that you can grow your relationships with them.


• Offer your opinion to other people: Everyone loves to know that their opinions and their feelings matter. As an infuencer, that is even more important for you and for your business. There is no such thing as a silent influencer. It is a contradiction in terms. The more you engage people, the more they will get to know who you are and what you know. Both of those are essential to your continued success. It is not as though you are going to be twisting anyone's arm when it comes to getting them to engage with you. They will be willing participants, as long as the interactions interest them. You just have to make sure that it is always the case. As an influencer, you will be able to achieve that easily. Even if you are not an influencer yet but are on your way to becoming one, that approach will serve you well.

• Network until you drop: Networking has always been and will always be an important part of the business process. The two possible ways that you can network are in person and online. Of course, it doesn't have to be one or the other. You can also network in both ways. Only you can determine which approach works best for your particular business. At the heart of networking success are the relationships themselves. The truth is that not everyone can (or will) take the time to attend networking events so you need to be flexible enough to make it work with the other person. If you network consistently with people, they will get to know you and the will start to trust you, find you credible, and you will be top of mind whenever they need what you happen to be offering.


• Recognize the importance of engagement: Engaging your target audience is so important for you. Without engagement, you will be stopped in your tracks. However, you have the power to prevent that from happening. With everything that you have to offer, whether you are an influencer already or you are on your way to becoming an influencer, other people will want to be around you and to bask in the glory of all that you have to offer.