This is a quick start guide to working with social media influencers.
If you are new to influencers, I’ll show you how to start working with them fast.
And if you’re an influencer pro? I’ll reveal some advanced tips so you can bypass having to use expensive software or platforms.
Bottom line:
If you want to start using influencers quickly, you’ll appreciate this guide.
Now:
I’m going to assume you have a clear idea of who your ideal consumer is.
If you haven’t already done so, you’ve got to study your customers and why they make the decisions they do.
So whether you are a B2B or B2C (business to consumer), you should develop a customer avatar or buyer persona. Depending on your business, you may have several customer avatars.
Be sure to include details around who the customer is and what factors help them make the purchase.
Let’s dive into finding influencers:
#1: Find & identify influencers who are right for you
Who do your customers go to for advice? Once you know this, you’re halfway there.
You can find influencers quickly in a couple of places…
>>Tip: Start with high ranking blogs and websites
When looking for influencers, try doing Google searches on industry-specific topics.
These are topics that those in the industry write about.
Be sure to look beyond the first page of the search results though! That’s where many other marketers trip up.
The reason?
The algorithm favors big company content and ads which push organic results for influencers further down in search results.
For example, let’s say I am searching for influencers in a super specific technology niche: “enterprise storage.”
If you are willing to go a few pages deep, you’ll find influencers:
The first is Stephen Foskett:
Another is Robin Harris of Storage Mojo:
Some quick checks on them tell me they are substantial voices in niche, so I’d definitely want to put them on my list.
So be willing to drill down a few pages in the search results!
But it get’s better:
Try changing your search query from “enterprise storage” to “enterprise storage bloggers” and this pops up on the first page:
As you can see, a couple of influencers come up right away, including Robin Harris of StorageMojo.
The lesson here is to play around with your search terms.
>>Tip: Look for social media leaders in your industry niche
Once you’ve found some candidates, you’ll want to look beyond blogs and websites to social media channels.
Depending on your business, you may use influencers exclusively on one social platform. Instagram is now widely believed to be the most popular for influencers to use because of its visual appeal and ease of use.
But don’t let the social platforms dictate where you look for influencers. Be sure to know WHERE your target market hangs out. If you know this, you’ll be able to find the influencers there too.
Once you find some, look at their metrics with the most important being relevance to you and engagement (likes, shares, comments).
>>Tip: Take a look at your competitors on the social channels
If you are using Facebook and Twitter be sure to “turn on” notifications there so you can stay up to date.
Notifications will let you know immediately when someone posts an update on those channels.
Another option is to use online apps like HootSuite and Tweetdeck.
These allow you to monitor Twitter which is useful for finding and following influencers. You can find them by searching for individuals and taking note of who they follow. You can also find them using hashtag searches.
And something else:
It’s important not to neglect less well-known influencers and who may not have large followings on social media channels. These are known as micro influencers.
They’re “micro” because their audiences are smaller, generally under 100k on Instagram and Twitter.
Why pay attention to them? Because the can be very influential without having large social media numbers.
Here’s an example:
On Twitter, @Activewin is an account managed by Bob Stein.
His account has a mere 800+ followers (not very big), but you must research further to discover Bob is the director of Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh!
Many CTOs seek out Bob’s advice about technology products and services, and not just in the Pittsburgh area.
This makes Bob very influential.
Lesson: Don’t rely on surface metrics like “reach” alone.
Be sure to look for relevance and resonance (engagement with the audience).
Also, look to see what the influencer does for a living and where he or she works. It can be revealing and they may even work for a competitor.
#2: Establish relationships with the influencers
Begin with influencers who are already familiar with you and your company, if possible.
These people are “warm” and can help you quickly because they are already familiar with your brand.
If not, follow the formula below. It will take a little longer and you have to be persistent, but it works.
Here it is:
Support the influencer’s content by following them and amplifying it.
There are several ways to do this:
- Promote their posts on your company social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Be sure to comment on it in addition to sharing it so you show some thoughtfulness as to why you are sharing their content.
- Link to their blog posts or videos in your company blog posts or on your company About page (statistically the second most trafficked page on most sites).
- Encourage other influencers you know and have good relationships with to share the content through their social media channels.
- If you have a budget, use paid advertising to drive traffic to the influencer’s content. Be sure it is a post you feel strongly about and takes a position that you and your brand believe in.
One more thing … be genuine about the content you are sharing and promoting.
You must like it or others will sense it. Never underestimate the ability of consumers to detect false enthusiasm.
#3: Leverage influencers to grow your brand
As you get to know your influencers, work with them to launch, broadcast and even evangelize your business.
Be sure to listen to what they have to say and what they are hearing.
You can learn more about your target market, your competitors and what’s working out there and what’s not.
It’s like having your own private focus group.
If you listen to them and include them in your plans, your brand can quickly establish itself as a market leader.
Remember:
The influencers are content experts. They know what their audience likes so don’t try to dictate terms to them. Let them develop content for you so it resonates with the audience.
So, how can you leverage the influencers to get more traction for your brand?
Here’s a simple way:
Arrange to publish your content on the influencer’s blog and ask them to evangelize it on their social channels. You might have to exchange something of value and that can take the form of sponsoring their site, their newsletter or even paying them outright.
Wrapping up
Here’s the recap of the guide:
- Identify the leading industry influencers in your space or niche.
- Reach out and establish strong relationships with them
- Leverage them to amplify and evangelize your business
Now:
What about automation? Is it possible to automate working with influencers?
Automated solutions are limited and not able to do much more than identify influencers which is only the starting point of influencer marketing.
The real work – and the fun – come by building relationships.
Keep that in mind as this is a process that requires time, and some effort.
It’s like building friendships and that isn’t done quickly.
