oneinchpunch/stock.adobe.comToday, I will be writing about Social Media Influencer. Social Media what? The first time I heard about Social Media influencing was through my friends at FYI or FindYourInfluence.com. Since then, I’ve done quite of a research on this topic and how Social Media influencing plays an important role in business marketing. Let’s get started!
Word-of-mouth, one of the most priceless forms of marketing out there with about 20-50% of all purchasing decisions are made from it.
Potential customers are more likely to be responsive to endorsements from a person they respect than to ads or other marketing messages.
In the new world of digital relationships, word of mouth extends beyond information from friends and family and into the sphere of influencer marketing.
Research from Twitter shows that:
- 49% of buyers will seek advice from social media influencers.
- 20% of users said that Tweets from an influencer motivated them to share their own product endorsements.
- 40% of users claimed they made a purchase as a direct result of an influencer’s Tweet.
A Social Media Influencer is a user of social media who has proved to have a certain level of authority in a specific industry. A social media influencer has access to large audiences by way of their validity and scope of impact.
Who are Social Media Influencers trying to influence?
The short answer: customers, prospects and the broader business community.
But, like most things in life, an influencer campaign can’t be all things to all people. So, they may be trying to target people who work in a particular job. Or, maybe they are trying to influence decision-makers, like government or finance leaders.
These people are often influencers themselves by being trusted by their peers who seek out their advice regularly on topics within their industry. Or, perhaps they are trying to target a specific consumer subdivision, like millennials looking to purchase their first home.
These are three very different groups so an effective influencer strategy will require the ability to speak to the right people using the right tools, just like in any other marketing work.
The use of Influencer Marketing is the practice of creating relationships with the people who can then build additional relationships for you in return. Whether the audience is small or large, an influencer can touch consumers via social networks and blogs, in ways your brand may not be able to reach.
Influencer Marketing Strategy Components
Since an influencer is someone who carries influence over others, a social media influencer is someone who applies that influence via social media. Forms of influence can vary greatly and no two influencers are the same.
Once upon a time, celebrity endorsements were the original form of influencer marketing. We’ve all seen those T.V. commercials where a well-known person takes 30 seconds of your time to tell you how great a product is.
Now, in the digital age of online media, even regular people have become online “celebrities” with highly engaging social media followings.
In fact, a survey last year found that YouTube creators took eight of the ten top spots in a survey of influencers, outranking traditional celebrities.
iQoncept/stock.adobe.comThere are a number of recommended actions out there to become a social media influencer. Here we’ve gleaned together some steps to help you to get started.
As with many aspects of online activities these days, like writing a successful blog or affiliate marketing, one of the first tasks in becoming a Social Media Influencer is to find your preferred subject to become an expert in. This should be something you’re really interested in and that you’re able to tell people something about that hasn’t already been discussed to near death.
Take into consideration what you excel at. For instance, are you good at writing engaging posts on Facebook and Twitter, or are you better at photography or creating and editing your own videos? The type of content you want to publish should showcase your best skills. If you’ve decided to be a platform-specific influencer, clearly, you’ll want to use that as your primary social network then utilize the others for greater exposure.
Create a strategy for your content.
What are your information preferences? Try to imagine why people will be enthusiastic to follow you, then and plan accordingly. Try to plan for at least 3 months in advance, prepare it the strategy, and then start posting.
The purpose of your content is to attract people, to accomplish this you much be publishing consistently. You know what message you want to convey so stick to it, but also make sure you are keeping a lookout for new info simultaneously.
Promote yourself by guiding your audience to your content.
Share it everywhere it might seem interesting to other followers. Build your community by going to forums, fan pages, and inviting new people to engage with them as well.
Contact other people and brands in your subject area.
Chat, comment on other posts, exchange likes and ideas. One of the fastest ways to gain status is to contribute your unique content to other blogs and publications. Guest postings can greatly improve your distinction among your peers and increase traffic to your own blog. Show that you notice other people and you’ll start to be noticed too.
Over time your efforts will start to pay off. You’ll begin to cultivate an audience that will listen to and follow you. The more people that join your audience, the more seriously your views will be taken and the level of influence you create over others will increase.
Whether you want to be viewed as the authority on a social channel or a broader industry, keep up with the platform blogs. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram provide the best way to keep tabs on any social media channels.
Publish on LinkedIn. People generally believe LinkedIn posts are from the most influential leaders in a particular subject. So, in addition to your own blog, create posts using LinkedIn’s publishing platform. You can accomplish this most easily by cutting and pasting your previously published blog posts and add a headline with keywords and an image to draw the eye. Consequently, when people in your network also see your articles on LinkedIn, they will start to view you as an authority too.
Keep your content and sources organized for easy access.
This way if someone asks a question about a particular post, you can easily answer the question or elaborate. This will also assist you in giving the appearance of having a good knowledge base of your subject. There is no reason to hold anything back. Sharing your expertise is how you can truly be a good influencer.
Influencer marketing is the rage right now. Becoming an influencer is even bigger. The key appeal for brands right now is the fact that influencers come with their own loyal social media following. The credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness influencers provide allow them the ability to persuade customers in a way that other means fail, due to the remote aspect of the delivery.
So, make sure you interact and build meaningful relationships with your audience as well as your peers. This way you can present yourself to brands as having a strong following in your subject.
