Reach Out To Top Influencers and Build Buzz For Your Business

We may have a love-hate relationship with the so-called “influence marketing”. Not because we don’t think it is a legitimate practice – in fact, it is – but because too often it is done wrong. But before delving into it, do you know what exactly it is?

Influence marketing is the process that begins by contacting influencers or “influential people”. They are people who have large numbers of followers in certain niches and who can impact public opinion, to increase the visibility of your products or services. The idea is to identify and build relationships with those VIPs (very important peoples), which can be: consultants, analysts, advisers, investors, specialists, bloggers, reporters, or others who have large networks on social networks. They could even be your own employees or clients.

Thus, they are reliable sources of information and have the means to communicate with large numbers of people. Generally, a company offers an influencer something of value: information (exclusive or firsts), visibility, products, or (sometimes) a payment.

The idea is to inspire him to talk about your brand or to share specific offers or information about your products.

Consider influencers, then, as a way to connect with your readers’ audience. That’s important because you’re reaching people you might not otherwise have access to. Also, you are achieving it not through advertising, but through the recommendation of someone they know. A study by consulting firm Nielsen confirms that people are 77% more likely to buy a product that has been recommended by someone they trust.

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This brings me back to what marketers all too often misunderstood, and which has to do with two big issues:

Confuse size with influence. The key is to discover those people who enjoy both the trust and respect of their audiences, not just those who have the most followers. “Without the ability to influence how a network thinks and how it acts, an (alleged) influencer is not really influencing anyone,” says Lee Odden. 

Think in terms of transactions, not relationships. Too many businesses focus on what the influencer can do for them, instead of thinking about how they can help them meet defined goals. It is a mistake to make “assumptions, speeches with high expectations without any romance and little advantage to him,” says the CEO of TopRank Online Marketing. He adds: “It is practically the equivalent of a stranger approaching you and saying: ‘ let’s get married'”. 

Step by step guide

The question is: how do you recruit influencers to help you in your marketing efforts? To do this, follow these practical tips from the experts. 

–  Start the search –

Make a list of 10 or 20 candidates with whom you are seeking to cultivate relationships. That number is manageable in order to establish direct communication. Where do you find them? Your own managers or collaborators may have a relationship with one of them. Or you can use Google to identify people who are writing about topics relevant to your business or check social media to see who is participating or leading conversations there. Plus, attend industry events to meet potential influencers in person. Your customers can help too: ask them which blogs they read, who they follow on Twitter, and what they consider to be their best sources of information.

You could also search online using free services, which can discover influencers on Twitter. Or other tools that do broader searches, including BuzzSumo, Traackr, Appinions, GroupHigh, and Little Bird.

– Build a network before you need it

Identify and bond with fixtures in your industry long before you need to make a request. Build relationships and gain credibility (before asking for something in return). The gifts you give influencers can be time and attention. For example, read and share their content through your social networks. Or it could be something more tangible: a free account, product samples, an invitation to an exclusive event, etc.

“Thus, when the time comes to work on a project together, there will already be some familiarity and credibility before the formal ‘petition’ is made,” adds Lee Odden.

– Set a goal

At least you should have a general idea of ​​the purpose. Is your goal to create brand awareness, generate benefits, or improve the level of commitment? Also: what would you like the influencer to do specifically? But: What will a regular relationship mean for your marketing and reputation, and how will you measure it? “Depending on your goal, you may want to engage or target different types of influencers,” says Amanda.

– Create long-term relationships

Do a thorough analysis before deciding who will be the ideal influencer for the influencer marketing strategy you plan to implement. Remember that in our interconnected world, everyone has a voice and can report what someone else thinks. So try to incorporate fewer naive influencers and a better bet on new standard voices. “Working with a consolidated influencer makes him your friend for a day. Helping a developing talent become an influencer will make him your friend for life,”says Lee Odden. 

To finish, think about working in the medium-term with the influencers. Try to establish stable relationships with them. Analyze if they are capable of generating the content of the publications for your brand. Work and collaborate with them as you did before, for example with journalists. Think of them not as influential profiles, but as ambassadors for your brand. Think that sometimes it is more profitable to work with five of smaller volume than only one with many followers. Oh, and never forget to look at your own organization because there is no better ambassador for your brand than those who are already part of your company. They have the best “proximity” ratio.

So many brands are doing these with their own influencer marketing strategies. What are you waiting for? Go set your plans and make the best decision over the internet. Because today is the time for the young and influential generation. You can make big and such good growth with this influencer marketing plan if you are really interested in it. Even you can try it with the marketing consultancy agencies that can help you know about influencer marketing campaigns and many more processes. Have a good day with the best marketing knowledge for your business.

Author Bio – 

Martin Brown is a professional digital marketer and blogger at Jocial for several years. He serves and contributes to a lot of brands. His managing capacity helps many marketers to develop their business and online presents.