How To Connect With Online Influencers
The term ‘Online Influencer’ has become somewhat of a buzz word in recent years. An ‘Online Influencer’ can be an entrepreneur, journalist, photographer, blogger – basically anyone who holds sway or influence online. So why should you connect with an influencer? Potentially they can share your news or blog content. They may even review your product or do a guest blog for your website. There are a number of ways that influencers can benefit you, but it’s up to you how you choose to engage with them. In this blog, we’re rounded up four important points to consider when approaching and connecting with an online influencer.
- Find a good fit
For starters, you should develop a list of criteria for the influencers you plan to target. Essentially you want to find influencers that will really benefit from your product or service that you provide. Ask yourself will it help them do what they do better? You’ll be able to get answers to your questions by rooting around their social profiles and blogs. Bear in mind influencers are contacted a lot with requests to promote a product or brand, so you’ve got to bring your ‘A game’ if you want to stand out.
- Reach out to them
Like any relationship building, you’ll want to make a long-term plan to connect with these influencers. Begin by following them on social media and share that content, but also engage with them by responding to what they share.
And don’t get touchy about not getting a personal response every time. As you’re competing with many others online to capture their attention, all you can wish for is to get into their line of view by being consistent in your behaviour.
- Give your best pitch
Before you ask for anything you will need to develop some sort of friendship or comradery. If there’s no connection there then what you’ll be offering to them won’t resonate or make the impact you would like.
Once you’ve built a friendship, you should then have a better idea of what tone to use when making your pitch. Be sure to include a brief introduction, an intro to your product and tell them what’s in it for them by spelling out the benefits to them personally. Make your offer crystal clear and don’t go in too strong – tell them you’re hoping they will like it and share it with their audience.
- Work on your relationship
Having reached out don’t expect to get an instant reply. After all, these people are super busy. Check in after a week to see if they are interested, and once you found out whether they are or not, swiftly move on.
And if he or she agrees to promote you or not, be a good egg by continuing to show your support through their blog and their social media accounts.
KashFlow is jargon-free accounting software designed especially for small businesses and sole traders. You can manage your business finances from anywhere and create professional, branded quotes and invoices in minutes. For a free, no-obligation 1-2-1 demo of the software just call the KashFlow onboarding team on 0844 815 5779.
Keep reading:
Online influencers are just one of the ways you can use social media to effectively promote your business online. Want some insider secrets? Download your free guide to online marketing now.
