Influencer marketing is the practice of reaching out to individuals or groups whose opinion carries significant weight in your market in order to educate them about your brand. The hope, of course, is that they will make a favorable comment about your products or services. And, when it is read or heard by their audience, they will contact you to learn more. As an experienced marketing firm with offices in Fort Collins and Denver, we know that taking advantage of this kind of powerful (and free!) advertising can give your company a tremendous lift.
Your Marketing Megaphone
In order be successful in influencer marketing, you have to have a plan. Simply emailing trendsetters in your industry to say, “Hey! Check us out!” will not be effective. In fact, it will likely turn people off. Here are some things you should do:
- Define your goals. What are you looking to accomplish in contacting influencers? Are you trying to get attention for a particular marketing campaign? Do you want to grow your social media following? Is the objective to get more people to sign up for a virtual event? By clearly identifying your goal, you make it much easier to assess your progress in that direction and adjust course as needed.
- Do your research. An influencer will want to see that you know who they are and what they’re about. The better you understand their perspective on your industry, the better you can tailor your message to them. The last thing you want to do is irritate someone who has the power to speak either positively or negatively about your company!
- Start small. From our decades of experience in Fort Collins and Colorado marketing, we know that in every industry there are gurus who are the big fish, the minnows, and every size in between. In order to get the attention of the most notable names, you will, in all likelihood, have to have had some success with the lower tier influencers.
- Always contact them individually. Influencers have neither the time nor the patience to open and read a mass email. Your initial outreach needs to be specifically written to them. Later, when they’ve come to see the value in your offering, they may sign up for your newsletter or other mass communication. But, initially, you need to contact them directly.
- Be transparent. Influencers don’t get to their position by being easily swayed. Don’t try to disguise our pitch. Be honest. Tell them why you are contacting them and that you are hoping they’ll check out your offering and recognize its benefits.
- Give and receive. It may seem like you have nothing to offer an influencer, but they appreciate a shout out just like anybody else — especially if it grows their audience by even a few members. And there might be other things of value you can share, like an industry survey you paid to conduct, for example.
- Provide what they need to understand you. If an influencer says they want to learn more about your company, have a set of materials prepared that gives them a quick and clear overview. But don’t overwhelm them. Provide only what they ask for and nothing more.
Spread the Word
It will take some time and effort to develop a relationship with an influencer. But once you’ve earned their trust and respect, they can be a very effective advocate for your brand. And best of all, their “advertising” for you is free!
A-Train is a leading Colorado-based marketing firm, with extensive experience in connecting clients with industry influencers. How can we help you? Give us a call and let’s talk about your needs!