Content marketing pros like to talk about “reaching the influencers” in their particular industry. And they’re right – it’s a growing part of the overall marketing machine, and can help your brand reach more relevant audiences, build industry leadership, and increase overall brand awareness. There’s even an Academy of Influencer Marketing for the subject.
The growth of influencer marketing is striking. A study of 125 marketers showed that nearly 60% of them planned to increase budgets in that vertical this year. That’s on top of money already being spent on traditional marketing, content marketing and social media.
But in any industry, the influencers ebb and flow with the tides of business. Some influencers evolve into different areas, and the culture shifts where your target audience is looking at different influencers. How do you best spot the best influencers in your market and try to gain their favor?
What’s Influencer Marketing?
Knowing how influencer marketing works is the first step in making it an integral part of your outreach. It’s generally defined as a form of marketing in which your brand or company makes special effort to educate and align with a well-known leader in your industry. In essence, you’re connecting with that industry leader to help heighten your brand’s overall message or ethos. It’s not necessarily a “paid celebrity endorsement,” but rather you’re banking on the industry leader being so positive about your stuff that he or she willingly helps promote your company to a new audience.
Influencer Marketing and Content Marketing
When a marketer reaches out to an influencer for interest in a campaign, it’s always a good idea to test the waters with content marketing and social media too. Having an industry leader tweet on your company’s behalf is great. But sending tweets connected to a live video, blog post or webinar appearance is even better.
The effectiveness of influencer marketing relies upon the influencer’s passion, authority and delivery of your brand’s message. Using a key influencer will not only help highlight your content, but will elevate your brand messaging, and eventually your conversions and sales.
How to Manager the Influencers
Research firm Onalytica posted an infographic describing tips to building your influencers using a ladder step approach.
- Connecting: connecting on the influencer’s social networks, subscribing to emails, listening on the person’s podcasts, etc.
- Engaging: engaging with the influencer – retweeting, commenting on blog posts, sharing podcasts, signing up for webinars, etc.
- Incentivize: Establish a relationship, pay a fee, or offer freemium products and information to the influencer in exchange for partnership
- Collaborate: Work together with the influencer to create content that will resonate with your target audience from the influencer’s participation.
Remember, while you’re working with the influencer, that person is also looking to grow too. He or she wants to be informed and swayed by new subjects, topics and content marketing approaches. Onalytica recently ranked prominent business influencers in the content marketing space with what influences them – here’s a sampling of some of the responses:
- “I think all digital marketers and agencies should ask themselves three questions: How are you going above and beyond for your clients? What value do you bring to the table that they can’t get anywhere else? What prevents your services from being outsourced or replaced by a few inexpensive software programs? (Michael Schiemer, Schiemer Consulting)
- It’s time for many social media and content marketers to grow up, and convert that traffic and engagement into leads and sales.” (Jeff Bullas, JeffBullas.com)
Take a look at your industry, the influencers and your own content marketing program and identify where you can combine influencers with your own content marketing.