Social media has changed the world. The rapid and vast adoption of these technologies is changing how we find partners, how we access information from the news, and how we organize to demand political change.
Spreading your brand through social media should be a priority for your business. While this is undoubtedly easier said than done, one proven strategy for doing so is focusing on connecting with the right social media influencers. Influencers are social media users with an especially impactful presence on their respective platforms, and forming connections with them has the potential to do wonders for your marketing efforts to run along with the best global brands.
Here are five practical ways to connect with these influencers.
1) Start with a Single Interaction
It’s important not to overwhelm influencers with multiple messages and requests in a short period. Start by trying to have a first approach, for example, asking them a question in the comment section of one of their posts. If they respond, you then have something to go on when it comes to continuing the conversation.
2) Go Where There Is Less Competition
Most social media influencers have profiles on multiple platforms. On some of these platforms, their followers will be less active than others, which can present an opportunity for you to better stand out in the crowd. When you decide on an influencer you’re interested in connecting with, take a look at their various profiles to find the platform where they’re most likely to see the ways you’re attempting to engage with them.
3) Send Something Useful
Many people use social media to find interesting and useful information they hope will improve their lives in some way. Social media influencers are no different, as they rely on their social feeds for information to improve their work and extend their reach even further. Sending an influencer a link or a piece of information is beneficial for them and a great way to create a positive connection.
4) Ask for an Interview
If you’re using social media to promote your brand, then you probably do content marketing as well, whether it be through a website, a blog, videos, or podcasts. Ask influencers if they would be willing to do an interview you could share through your content channels. Because an interview is a conversation, taking part in one with a social media influencer could establish a working, as well as a personal relationship that could benefit you both.
5) Track Your Progress
Like anything in business, being highly organized in your efforts to connect with social media influencers will help you work more effectively at it. Come up with a list of influencers and track any engagements you have with them, as well as what methods you’ve used to make that happen. Over time, you’ll come up with better strategies for connecting naturally and genuinely with any of the major players on the top social media platforms.
These are just some of the most effective ways to get the attention of appropriate social media influencers. Start with a single, genuine interaction, sending them something related to your brand benefits and uniqueness.
Remember that the primary mission of the excellent influencer is to adhere to your brand identity and promote it honestly and continuously with your stakeholders.
If the relationship evolves into a business relationship, be prepared to set goals, and objective criteria as to how the influencer will combine your brand image with the influencer style and tone of language best suited to communicating with your audiences.
Be sure to set and negotiate the appropriate performance goals with your influencer. Otherwise, you will not be able to measure your efficiency and ability to help you in your branding project. As a general rule, what cannot be measured cannot be appropriately assessed.
Researching very well and negotiating the rules of the relationship, you’ll soon find yourself connected with the influencers you admire and establish a connection, probably hiring them to be your full-time brand ambassadors.
©2020 Roberto Martins, author of The Journey of Branding – Align With the Best Global Brands
