How To Identify and Build Relationships With Online Influencers

Consider the Big Picture

• Create a partnership: entering into a paid or barter relationship with an influencer to collaborate on content and events on behalf of a brand.
  
  
• Increase reach: leveraging an influencer’s online network to spread a message, or sell a product.
  
  
• Increase brand credibility: when an influencer (who has established credibility with their audience) endorses a brand, their loyal followers are highly likely to trust the recommendation.

Identifying Influence

• Verbal or written comments acknowledging and/or thanking the audience. Acknowledging the reader and creating content based on demand demonstrates the influencer cares for and interacts with their audience.
  
  
• Regularly responding to comments on Facebook posts and tweets (the good AND the bad), as well as sharing others’ content.

Additionally, look for existing partnerships between the influencer and well-known brands. These partnerships indicate someone is established, reliable and valuable, and should be considered as a strong contender for a partnership with your brand. You can ask influencers to join your advisory board, be featured in articles or videos, and more.

Action-Oriented Steps

You’ve already evaluated the influencer’s content and determined that they're a good fit for your brand. The next step is to closely monitor their habits and tailor your content and asks to match their personality and preferences.

• Visit their social media profiles and website daily to become familiar with their content, style, interests and tone.
  
  
  • Determine what they say and how they say it: Do they post educational information, opinions, or simply talk about their day-to-day lives? Are they friendly and funny, or serious and straightforward?
    
    
  • Identify opportune moments to engage. Often, bloggers will invite their audience to submit questions or recommendations via comments or video (like on Snapchat). Generally, if followers reply, the blogger will respond with thanks or asking for more information. This is a great way to open the door to more conversations. If your brand identifies opportune moments where the influencer is asking for specific engagement, and they take your advice, you might find your opinion reflected in their latest content.
    
    
• Evaluate their engagement habits. What do they share, how do they share it, and when?

 
Building Relationships

Meeting and getting to know an influencer is like making a new friend in real life. Influencer marketing takes time and interest by both parties in order to earn attention, response and ultimately form a relationship. Whether you initially meet online or in person at an event, the “get to know you period” does not have an expiration date. Just like you grab coffee with or regularly email a friend or colleague, it’s important to stay in touch with influencers via social media and staying up-to-date on their latest content.

Once you’ve identified a list of influencers in your industry you’d like to connect with, do the following to start building organic relationships over time.

Content First

Use your planned content to strategically reach influencers. Assess your editorial calendar and flag specific posts to share with influencers who may care about that subject. By creating share-worthy content, you can establish your brand as a thought leader, giving the influencer a reason to talk about you, and bringing new business leads in the door.

Think of online influencers like journalists: if they report on things in your industry, they are likely to pick up on relevant content you’re sharing. Here are two easy ways to create relevant content that grab attention:

• Create a shareable graphic online featuring a quote from or image of the influencer, supporting a theory or opinion that represents your brand. Tweet the image, and be sure to tag and mention them to give thought leadership credit.
  
  
• Write a blog post about them, and contact them for a quote to include in the piece. Even if they don’t respond, publish and promote the blog on social media, tagging their social profiles and linking to their content as well as your own. If the content is strong, it will earn their attention and possibly an acknowledgement in the form of a comment, share or like.

 
Measure Along The Way

This process doesn’t happen overnight. Building relationships takes time and dedication before goals are typically met. However, you can track progress along the way by keeping a spreadsheet of your outreach and influencer interactions. This data can help you determine if you’re satisfied with the results, or if you need to make tweaks to your strategy to earn a better response.

Truthfully, it’s possible you may never hear from someone. That’s their prerogative. However, these activities will help strengthen your brand’s online reputation, earn new fans/followers, and may even start a valuable new relationship with an influencer who can help promote your product or service. Stay strong, don’t give up, and let us know how it goes.