How To Use Marketing Influencers To Amplify Your Content’s Reach

If you’ve been in business for more than a few years, chances are you’ve attended your fair share of networking events.

Mixers, luncheons, and breakfasts seem to dominate the schedules of busy executives. You join networking organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, as a way to get exposure and get in front of a targeted crowd. What for?

For most people, the answer to why you’re such a big part of offline networking groups is to get referrals and bring in more business.

What about online?

Recommendations from familiar faces, branded websites, and consumer opinions posted online top the charts as the most trustworthy way to find brands, according to Nielsen. More interesting is the fact that the percentage of people trusting this information continues to rise year over year.

More consumers are turning to the Internet for shopping tips and buying advice. For your brand to thrive in the digital world, it needs to get front and center on your website AND through the voice of others.

The best way to do this is by getting the attention of marketing influencers.

What is a marketing influencer?

Every industry has a few strong personalities and brand voices that influence consumer decisions.

The coffee shop industry is a good example. Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts are two brands consumers look to for information, to discover new trends, and see what’s happening in the world of craft coffee.

Another good example is the shoe industry. Shoe companies spread the word about their new designs by contracting celebrities to endorse the shoe and/or put their name behind the design.

Your industry has influencers too – every industry does. There are companies, bloggers, and celebrities that your target audience trusts with advice and information.

People with a strong center of influence can provide valuable context and credibility to a company seeking to connect with an audience of buyers. – Lee Odden, TopRank.com

So how do you leverage those people effectively to talk about your business? Turns out, most businesses don’t do it correctly so we’re here to be your guide.

Step 1: Define Your Influencers

Before you can reach the influencers and convince them to talk about your brand, you need to define who they are. What type of person influences your buyers to act?

Just like you’ve defined buyer personas for your audience, you should do the same for influencers. There are a few core components that you can look for when outlining these people.

• Personality. Do outspoken celebrities, such as Kanye West, influence your target audience? Or do they listen more to soft-spoken, refined celebrities, such as Martha Stewart?


• Niche. Your influencers might not be in your same industry or niche. They might be in a complimentary niche that supports your business without rivaling it in the marketplace. Consider what niches or genres might relate to your business. Then, look for influencers here.


• Conversation Starters. What does your influencer talk about that gets a person excited? What topics are frequently brought to the table by your influencer? For example, if you own a car wash, you might want to reach out to people who often talk about cleanliness and good housekeeping.

When you’ve defined your influencer, you have a better idea of what type of person is going to make the biggest splash among your target market. Now it’s time to find them.

Step 2: Scope Them Out

The best way to find influencers is to consider your target market. But don’t just consider what they might like, read, or trust. Entrench yourself in the mindset of your consumer and dig in deep to the blogs, websites, and social networks they’re using.

• What blogs do they subscribe to?


• What people/brands/companies do they follow on social media?


• What podcasts are they downloading?

You’re looking for whom your audience turns to when they’re trying to make a buying decision or solve a problem.

Once you’ve gathered a healthy amount of potential influencers, it’s time to narrow your focus even more. To know if someone will be worth your effort to market, you need to understand the following:

• Their reach. How far does their voice spread? Is their content shared regularly? Is your target market talking about them to their friends, family, and colleagues?


• Their ability to drive action. Once your audience hears a recommendation from the influencer, how likely is it that they’ll take action?

The key to finding the right influencers is defining what people your audience chooses to listen to. These people have earned your buyer’s trust and are more likely to incent your audience to take action.

Step 3: Nurture The Relationship

You have your influencers and you’re stalking them online – now what?

Imagine that you saw the influencer in real life at one of the many mixers you attend. Would you run right over and immediately start talking about your business? Hopefully not.

Instead, you’d make an introduction and start talking about what you have in common. This is the time when you can start stoking the influencer fire.

Encourage them to start talking.

Don’t just ask for them to recommend your business – give them the story!

Ask your influencer to create content about your brand. Remember, content comes in many forms. Here are a few types of content influencers tend to love:

• Giving something away from your brand to their audience.


• Getting their audience to engage with them through images and videos.


• Offer a well-written, valuable post for their readers (and if you can, get one in return for your audience).


• Get testimonials from their audience about what it’s like to work with you or buy your product.

Don’t forget to pay them back for their efforts.

Once your influencers start to talk about who you are and what you have to offer, pay them back! We don’t mean monetarily, although in rare occasions that is appropriate. Pay your influencers back with love and appreciation. Here’s what that looks like in the business world:

• Give your influencer a shout out on social media. Retweet his content, share an article, or publicly thank him for writing about your brand.


• Offer something for free. Give your influencer a discount specific for him and his audience. It’ll keep him talking about you.


• Provide an affiliate option. This is perhaps the best way to give back financially to your influencer. Give the person a commission for helping you get new customers.

Conclusion

Your digital conversations should mimic the real world. The best way to think about influencer outreach is to imagine you are at an in-person networking event. You wouldn’t immediately walk up to every person with a shred of influence and immediately jump into talking about your business. Don’t do that online either.

Start the conversation and keep it flowing by using selfless, interesting topics.

Are you getting started with your LinkedIn search for influencers? Download, “The Complete Guide to Leveraging LinkedIn for B2B Lead Generation.” In it, you’ll get more tips on how to stand out in a crowded sea of professionals and make waves with the right people.

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How To Use Marketing Influencers To Amplify Your Content’s Reach