Influencers are a large part of any sort of online marketing campaign these days. They’re not like regular media contacts, instead caring much more about the experiences of things.
The need to focus on relevant influencers rather than the most popular social media celebrities can be explained in three ways, says Pierre-Loic Assayag, president of Traackr.
Relevant influencers create signals. The big fish create noise. For decades, advertising has trained marketers that noise equals success, which isn t true. Getting the attention of influencers who have built authority with a target audience and have earned trust in communities relevant to specific businesses is what yields the best return.
Targeting relevant influencers drastically increases the engagement hit rate. Instead of reaching out very generically with yet another media coverage request, you ll be talking to someone genuinely interested in your issues, industry and products.
Big fish are actually influenced by targeted voices. They are much more likely to cover your story and get interested in your product after you gain street cred with relevant influencers.
In order to engage relevant influencers successfully, brands must:
1. Target relevant influencers based on expertise and desired outcome.
2. Talk to them inside their story, not the brand s story.
3. Engage them early and build a relationship that outlasts the brand s campaign.
4. Be honest and don t just talk to people who already like your brand.
5. Give up control of the message and trust your influencers to tell the brand story through their words.
Efficiency is also important with influencers. Cindy Gordon, vice president of new media and marketing at Universal Orlando Resort, manged to inform 350 million people around the world about the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Studios by bringing in the seven biggest Harry Potter bloggers in the world.
Before you engage online influencers, you have to figure out who they are and track their conversations. Understand what these influencers like and don t like about your products and services, your marketing, your brand and even how they compare you to the competition, says Michelle de Haaff, CMO of Attensity. Once you know who they are personally, you can engage in relevant ways. Reach out and thank them for their support, and create continual dialogues with them. Don t make engagement a one-time thing.
Source: Mashable
