When it comes to generating visibility, sometimes it’s not up to you. Sometimes, you need the help of an influencer on social media, someone who is an authority in your industry and has audience overlap with the target market. The problem you face is getting their attention and cooperation.
-
Give First
If you’re looking towards an influencer, you need their help. If you need their help on social media to improve brand visibility, you need to take the first step. Instead of messaging them and asking them for anything, give first. They’re busy people with schedules of their own. Give them something valuable. Depending on their primary profession, this can vary from retweets to acknowledgments or a free copy of your product.
-
Respect Their Priorities and Time
Influencers, by nature, are busy people. They didn’t get their authority by sitting around doing nothing. They’re working in their industries, making a name for themselves and developing their personal brand. They can’t say yes to every request, so don’t keep poking them if they don’t reply immediately. Influencers don’t exist to promote your product. Remember that, on a financial level you’re asking them for a favor. They owe you nothing.
-
Find the Right Influencers
Most new brands face the unenviable task of not only getting the attention of their target market but of the influencers who have the ear of their target market. It’s tempting to throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks, but more often than not it’s better to focus on influencers who have smaller followings. They’re more likely to respond to you and you’ll have more to offer them.
-
Study Your Potential Influencer
If you’re lucky, it won’t take long before you’ve got an influencer on social media aware of your presence. Before you start pitching ideas, study them. What they look like on paper may not be what they are when studied.
Look at how they interact with their fans. See if their approach to engagement matches your own. Examine their posts and their topics. Do they cover your industry regularly or do they go off on too many tangents? Interact with them in small or subtle ways. Retweet their posts or reply to them. Do they reply back? Do they seem interested?
-
Have a Unique Pitch
You’re not the only one looking to engage in some influencer marketing. It’s a well-known tactic, and everyone and their brother are interested in using it. If you want influencers to listen or notice you, you’ve got to be special.
Think of it the same way you would your product. To get people to pick you, you must have a unique selling point. To get influencers to notice you, you must embody what makes your brand special. Don’t think you can pretend to be something you’re not. Any influencer worth your time will research your background and figure out if you’re on the level.
-
Accept Rejection and Move On
Much like customers, a lot of influencers will reject your offer. For whatever reason, they just won’t want to work with you. In fact, you should expect to get around a dozen rejections before you find your first “yes”. Just like a writer, you have to keep trying. Don’t get stuck on trying to get one particular influencer to help with your wagon. Accept rejection and move on.
These six guidelines can help your influencer marketing strategy if you follow them. Social media marketing isn’t for the faint of heart and it doesn’t provide overnight results. Just keep plugging away and adjusting your strategy, and you will eventually get results.
