Bring Your Business Marketing to the Next Level with Influencers
In order to be successful online business owners need to have the right connections in place. These strategic relationships can directly impact your bottom line and influence with your target market.
High profile influencers are different from your loyal followers in that they do not have a vested interest in your products or services, but rather in building relationships that can become mutually beneficial. The right connections can spread the word on your brand’s message, and content.
“Influence = Audience Reach (# of followers) x Brand Affinity (expertise and credibility) x Strength of Relationship with Followers” ~ Kyle Wong, Forbes
Professionals with a strong level of influence are always on the lookout for valuable, trusted information. As your business interacts and engages on social media you can build relationships by demonstrating your expertise and trust, which eventually leads to sharing your message.
Building relationships with the right influencers is not difficult with an understanding of exactly who the players are on places like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram. Here are some tips on how to get started today:
● Do your homework first – Before plunging into making new connections do your initial research first and find out who is already interested in your business, and the level of interaction for each. Ask the who, why, what, when, and where questions to expand your search further to find influencers doing well in your market. Not only will they have a large audience online, but also a strong level of trust with their communities. The common denominator here is that these people or companies share your business’s values and are trusted by their communities.
● Reach out – After your business has found an influencer base tcontact those in your industry whom you can interview for a blog post, eBook, podcast, ect., which brings something of value for their time. Participate and comment on their blog posts and content on social media to show an interest. As you project how your business can help others they will be more likely to reciprocate in the future.
● Build a professional network – By creating a professional profile on places like LinkedIn and Google Plus your business can open the doors to making meaningful connections. Interacting in select groups applicable to your niche is a great place to start, like this active and engaged community on Google Plus by Self-Publishing and Book Marketing:
● Promote influencers events and announcements – Keep up to date on what your influencers are publishing, especially when it comes to a new book release, special event, accomplishment, ect. There should be a balance in spreading the word about their brand, and can be overdone. Too much noise could be perceived as spam, and so a little bit of accolades can go a long way.
As your business forges new relationships with high level influencers it’s important to keep in mind like any relationship trust is built over time. Be patient with the process and slowly approach new contacts. After a while you will begin meaningful communication online that will generate more buzz for your brand.
Susan Gilbert
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