How are you using social media to spread your message and drawing your community’s attention? Well, you are probably encouraging them to listen to your shows, subscribe to your blog, or even share your content. If so, you are doing a good job with your social media marketing! But wouldn’t it be really nice if to get your messages out to influencers, and if favorable, share your message with their large communities? Whether they be the industry experts or up-coming thought leaders, an influencer has built a community around their brand and their message can persuade their peers to take action to buy your products. The key to word-of-mouth marketing is finding and connecting with influencers who can help you draw more attention to your brand.
By expanding your network of influencers, you can easily increase the exposure of your brand to other communities led by these publishers. However, you need to conduct some research to identify what message or topic resonate to their community. You accomplish this by honing your ability to conduct effective keyword searches. In addition, look for publishers who routinely speak on relevant matters, and influence their peer’s attitudes and behaviors. Start this process by monitoring online conversation about your influencers, paying close attention to who is making the recommendations and who persuades their audience to take action. These are the kind of influencers in your social media marketing strategy you want to reach out to and connect with.
Keyword Search
When I first started educating myself on social media marketing, I felt confused, and as time passed, I did not have anyone in my industry to turn to for inspiration and guidance. The field was so new, there was little out there to use as a reference. Progress was slow-very slow, to say the least. Although I gained some knowledge and insight, I still felt very frustrated. My family and friends were very supportive, but they too lacked the knowledge I was seeking.
Needless to say, Google became my best friend. Everyday, I would enter tons of relevant keyword phrases in Google and surf through the first two pages of results for potential influencers. Now, I did not limit myself to just Google; I would also experiment with smaller search engines-like Yahoo!, Bing and Wikipedia-entering the same keyword phrases. You will be surprised how you can spot the influencer you’ve been looking for, in smaller search engine results.
As I figured out which keywords gave me the desired search results, I’d compile a list of the 5-10 keywords phrases that provided me with the best results. Then, when I needed certain information, I’d use the various lists to guide my searches for influencers in the social media marketing industry. Remember, use plain English during your search. Avoid lingo or corporate terminology. Certain keyword phrases will target those who may specialize in a specific niche in your area. By strategically refining your keywords list, you will have a better chance of finding your ideal influencer.
Analyzing Your Influencer’s Reputation
As I compiled a list of influencers from my keyword search, I began to analyze their online reputation, their growth, their product and their communities. This step took some time, even months. After all, your intention is to build and nourish a relationship with your influencers, right? Analyzing your influencer’s reputation gave me a clear understanding of their product ideas, how they interact directly with their customers and how the industry is shifting. Finding your target influencers may seem overwhelming, I know…but relax, do not panic! There are some questions to ask yourself to help you determine who you want to be in your circle of influencers, or who may be a time waster. Here are a few suggestions to guide you through the process:
- Does the influencer walk his/her talk? Does he/she have expertise in the field?
- How many blog or website visitors do they receive?
- How many social media platforms they are active on and the number of followers they have?
- Does the influencer actively participate and contribute to their communities, whether online or offline?
- Does the influencer consistently and generously offer content that has immediate value, gives you instant feedback or advice or cause you to take action?
- Is there any participation from the influencer’s community members? (commenting and content sharing)
The quantitative data on your influencer’s website may not be visible, so there are free online tools such as Alex, Compete or Quantcast to define these results.
Target influencers whose information pertain to your industry and who have experience based in their niche area of skills. For example, you have found 10 potential influencers. As you analyze their reputation, you will start to notice the strengths and weakness of each one. You will begin to discern which ones are of value and cause you to take action. These are the memorable influencers; the ones you want to connect with.
Add Value to Your Influencers’ Lives
So, you have successfully analyzed your influencer’s reputation. Now what? Engage them, interact with them, and do so in their community. Participate in their online conversations and share your thoughts and opinion . The more your participate with their community members, the better understanding you can gain of their reader’s like, dislikes, buying behaviors and learning style.
It’s not just about being visible on their Facebook page, blogs or posting cheesy status’ like, “Hey, Thanks for the info!”
It’s about branding your message that resonates.
It’s about promoting them.
It’s about talking about the experience you had with them.
It’s about engaging with them.
It’s about talking about their products and giving reviews.
It’s about offering your opinion and expertise to their community.
Monitoring your influencer’s reputation and community helps you create an evaluation of where your brand falls in the industry. It gives you a better understanding of their products, and put you more in touch and in tune with their community members. By performing strategic keyword searches, conducting background research to analyze your influencer’s reputation, and adding value to your influencer’s lives, you will have a better change of drawing more attention to your brand.
Are you wondering who are my influencers? Just to name a few: Maria Reyes McDavis, Web Success Diva, Wendy Maynard, Marketing Maven, Latanya Junior, Radio Host of TCB360 and Lethia Owens, Personal Branding and Social Media Strategist. These social media, branding and marketing ladies are tenacious, full of live, consistent in their message, and offer extreme value that lead me to take immediate action. Last but not less, they know how to effective engage with their audience. I am surviving in social media due to the example and the influence of these powerful divas!
Please share with me the influencers in your industry and why?
If you want to know more about identifying your influencers and draw more customers, please read Implementing Word of Mouth Marketing: Online Strategies to Identify Influencers, Craft Stories and Draw Customers. Idil M. Cakim.
