10 Steps To Add Influencers To Your Marketing Mix
1. Who is your target audience?
Before you can figure out who influences your key market, understand your
target audience.
To this end, create a fully fleshed out marketing persona. This includes
developing a social media buyer persona.
Among the questions to answer are:
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Who contributes to your customer’s buying decision? Consider how
and when these people sway your prospect’s decision.
What tradeoffs will your buyers and end-users make?
Where do they spend their time online and offline? When, where
are they physically located, what device are they using, and how do they
consume content and communications?
2. Who are the influencers relevant to your target audience?
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Based on your marketing persona, find the key influencers in your
niche. While you may uncover some influencers during your marketing
persona research, still do your homework. Include a mix of connectors,
mavens and persuaders for your offering to get the maximum reach.
Who are the key authorities in your specific niche? Do your
prospects and customers recognize and respect them and their targeted
knowledge.
Do these influencers differ across different platforms, channels
and devices?
Are these influencers representative of your audience? Don’t
forget to tap into a representative group to show that you support
diversity and inclusivity.
3. What makes the influencer tick?
Do your homework to discover who the influencer is as a
person. Research them via social media, search and personal contacts.
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Your goal:
Find out more about potential and to build a relationship that goes offline
and meets in real life.
What topics do they talk about? Also consider who follows them.
Do their interests and behaviors align with those of your
brand? Engage with them on social media and in real life.
4. What gives the influencer their authority?
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Assess the expert’s body of work, community and realm of
influence. Analyze your market and business landscape to see where they
fit.
Are there specific topics your audience turns to them for
answers?
What is the size of their community and/or reach? Is it limited to a
specific platform or geography? How doest this relate to your target market?
5. How does the influencer engage with their community?
Consider how you’ll be able to leverage the power of the expert’s
following. This has a direct impact on how you work together to persuade
your target audience about your brand and it trustworthiness.
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What does the influencer’s newsletters, blog posts and other
content focus on? Assess the quality and consistency.
What does the influencer say in public? Participate where the
influencer engages in public forums.
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6. What do you want the influencer to do for your brand?
While this may strike some as an obvious question, it can be a make it or break
it for the influencer. At the heart of your request, you must have respect for the
influencer.
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What makes this influencer the ONE person you want to talk
about your brand? This means you need to engage with them on their
home bases before sending a request.
7. When do you want the influencer to engage on behalf of your
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brand?
This relates to your marketing plans including your promotional
calendar and editorial calendar.
What do you want the influencer to do for your business? Be
specific. This includes presentations, blog posts, endorsements, event
attendance and/or other needs.
Do you expect on-going influencer interactions? Remember
influencer relations take time to develop.
How does your marketing timing relate to the influencer’s
schedule?
RECOMMENDED READING:
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Co-Created Influencer Content Note: This article covers thought
leaders, employees and customers!
8. What motivates them to support your brand and/or offering?
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Make the case that associating with your business will help the
influencer and their audience and community as well as your
business. Think in terms of what you can offer them.
What will you do to support the influencer? Share their content on
social media, comment on their blog posts, buy their books, etc. Show you
care about the expert as a person.
How will helping your firm, brand or product improve the
expert’s relationship with their audience?
9. What’s in it for the influencer?
Influencers work hard to build their following. To do this, they invest time and
energy to establish themselves. So consider the value you bring them.
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What type of compensation will you offer? This is particularly
important if you’re part of a PR agency or employee being compensated to
attract the influencer.
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What type of legal disclaimers will be needed? Since you must be
transparent about your influencer relationship and compensation.
10. What are the marketing results from using influencers?
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As with any marketing program, set measurable goals and related
metrics before you start. So your influencers can include tailored calls-toaction in their content and other forms of communication. Because without
data, you won’t know which influencers are moving your performance
needle.
What metrics will you use to show measurable influencer
results? How do these results translate into financial terms that your CFO
needs?