Influencers: influential people who affect and make a mark in their field. They can be anyone from journalists to bloggers to faithful customers and employees who are experts in your products and services. How successful your digital marketing is depends on how well you, as a communicator, succeed in communicating effectively in your industry.
More and more companies are vying for space on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, but surprisingly few have a conscious strategy of what they want to achieve or how to do it. To identify important influencers and build relationships with them via social media is an effective way to succeed in digital marketing.
With the right tools, influencers can become valuable ambassadors for your brand. A pre-requisite for you to succeed, however, is that you communicate the influencers’ conditions and platforms, not your own.
Below are our top tips on how to succeed!
1. How to find your potential ambassadors
Identify your audience
Who are your customers? What are they interested in? What do they listen to? Chances are that you already have this information.
Look among your customers
Loyal customers are already familiar with your brand and are happy with it. Even potential customers can appreciate your company and be good ambassadors.
Browse journalists and experts
Who are the most prominent journalists within your industry? Who are the experts everyone listens to? Which blogger has the most readers? These people are key influencers and potential ambassadors.
Search within your company
Are your employees using your company’s products and services? Are they good at publicizing and promoting the brand? The most important ambassadors might well be within your company.
2. How to find the right platforms
Find out where influencers are
Do a Google search and use filters to find items in Blog Search, Discussion Search and Real Time Search. Try other search engines like Technorati.com, Boardreader.com and SocialMention.com.
Stick to the topic
Turn to the right person with the right information and stick to topics where you have something to say.
Avoid commercial messages
Social media is for communication between friends and acquaintances. Advertising often stands out as advertising, so word your posts carefully.
Take a leap forward as a communicator
Social media requires a social presence. Let the people who represent your brand be seen and dare to be personal.
Do not comment just for the sake of commenting
The desire to comment on a blog post or an article is not enough to write something that is just mediocre. Take part in the discussion, ask questions, and share tips or opinions.
Listen to your audience
Continue listening and adapt your message to what your network wants. For example, is it news they are interested in or a new platform for customer support?
3. Get close to your influencers
Information is the key
Find out as much as possible about your opinion leaders and ambassadors. When are their birthdays? Where do they live? What are their interests?
Keep the dialogue alive and personal
Don’t ignore anyone and answer all questions. This applies online more than anywhere else.
Create interest
Want to start talking about a new product or service,? Spread the word to your exclusive groups of influencers and ambassadors before releasing it to a wider audience.
Offer exclusivity
Let your ambassadors take advantage of exclusive offers. Take care that they get something extra when you go out with wider campaigns.
Encourage feedback
Let your ambassadors present ideas and feedback. Show that you appreciate and value their opinions.
Want to know more?
Download How To Build An Online Network Of Influencers, Mynewsdesk’s White Paper with concrete tips on how to go about working with influencers and ambassadors.
Read more:
Employee Ambassador, an entire blog dedicated to the art of acquiring ambassadors, by Ron McDaniel
Ten Tips For Better Cooperation With The Ambassadors, by Colin Alsheimer
Five Examples Of Successful Ambassador Campaigns In Social Media, by Stephanie Marcus
You can find more good examples of ambassador campaigns at Ignite Social Media Blog.
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