Find out why engaging with social media influencers should be a key element of your content marketing. Influencer marketing is increasingly becoming a mainstay of the digital mix. Put simply, social media influencers are any group or individual that can potentially affect the purchase decisions of your customers and prospects, by driving brand awareness, encouraging consideration, or validating decision making through social media channels. Developing ongoing relationships with social media influencers allows brands to reach new audiences, encourage customer advocacy and extend reach beyond their brand channels, driving social proof and increasing trust and transparency.

1. HOW TO MAKE
FRIENDS WHO
INFLUENCE
PEOPLE

2. “SO, WHAT’S AN
INFLUENCER?”

3. Put simply, influencers are
any group or individual that
can potentially affect the
purchase decisions of your
target personas, by driving
brand awareness, encouraging
consideration, or validating
decision making.

4. WE MEASURE
INFLUENCE
BASED ON 4
KEY FACTORS:
AUDIENCE
VISIBILITY
ENGAGEMENT
RELEVANCE

5. INFLUENCE

6. “...AND WHY
SHOULD I CARE
ABOUT THEM?”

7. “Influentials typically generate
three times more
word-of-mouth messages than
non-influentials do, and each
message has four times
more impact on a recipient’s
purchasing decision.”
Source: http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/a_new_way_to_
measure_word-of-mouth_marketing

8. 84%
In a 2013 Nielsen survey on
trust in advertising,
Source: http://www.nielsen.com/content/dam/corporate/us/en/reports-
downloads/2013%20Reports/Nielsen-Global-Trust-in-Advertising-Report-
September-2013.pdf
of global consumers said they
trusted recommendations
from people they know, making
them the highest rated form of
advertising.

9. INFLUENCERS HAVE
THE POTENTIAL
TO FAST-TRACK
PROSPECTS INTO
YOUR SALES FUNNEL

10. A successful influencer
strategy allows you to shape
the conversations happening
around your brand, products
and industry, ensuring the
right people are saying the
right things.

11. INFLUENCER ENGAGEMENT
CAN HELP TO DRIVE:
Word of mouth and
brand awareness
Social proof and
endorsements
Brand trust, reputation
and authority

12. “SOLD! SO HOW
DO WE GET THESE
INFLUENCERS ON
BOARD?”

13. Working with influencers
centres on nurturing genuine,
reciprocal relationships.

14. WE HAVE A SIMPLE, 5-STEP
PROCESS TO NURTURE
INFLUENCERS
IDENTIFY ENGAGEINITIATE CREATE NURTURE

15. STEP 1:
IDENTIFY

16. STEP 1: IDENTIFY
Influencer identification starts
with finding individuals who are
the right fit for your brand and
your industry

17. There are a range of free
tools you can use as a
starting point to discover
influencers in your industry
STEP 1: IDENTIFY

18. STEP 1: IDENTIFY
ManageFlitter
Followerwonk
Klear
Keyhole
BuzzSumo
LinkedIn
discussion groups

19. You can also use the
advanced search features on
LinkedIn and Twitter to find
highly targeted results.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY

20. Think about the following
search terms:
∙∙ Key industry topics and terms
∙∙ Your brand name
∙∙ Your products and services
∙∙ Competitor brands and products
∙∙ Industry media and publications
∙∙ Job titles and roles
∙∙ Location
STEP 1: IDENTIFY

21. STEP 2:
INITIATE

22. STEP 2: INITIATE
Once you’ve narrowed your hit
list to a targeted selection of
influencers, spend some time
getting to know them.
(This is a really important part of the
process that marketers often forget
about, but it could make or break your
relationship)

23. Great conversations are
built on listening to what
the other person is saying,
and the same goes for
influencer relationships
STEP 2: INITIATE

24. Follow their social profiles,
read their blogs, look at what
content they are sharing
STEP 2: INITIATE

25. Use this information to build
influencer profiles, in the
same way that you would
build persona profiles
STEP 2: INITIATE

26. STEP 2: INITIATE
What are their
business pains?
Where do they
stand on key
industry issues?
What media or
publications are
they interested in?

27. STEP 3:
ENGAGE

28. STEP 3: ENGAGE
An influencer who is unaware of,
uneducated on, or uninterested
in your brand is not an asset.

29. The next stage of the process
is about introducing yourself,
and your brand, to your target
influencers
STEP 3: ENGAGE

30. Establish a dialogue with them
by engaging with their content,
reaching out to them via social
channels, or featuring them in
your own content
STEP 3: ENGAGE

31. TOP TIP: BE
GENUINE!
Speak to influencers as a
person, not as a business
STEP 3: ENGAGE

32. Find some common
ground, and use that as a
conversation starter
STEP 3: ENGAGE

33. STEP 4:
CREATE

34. STEP 4: CREATE
So, you’ve found your
influencers, you know a bit
about them, and you’ve started
to engage them.

35. The next step is to develop
opportunities to partner with
your influencers, creating
content, campaigns and activity.
STEP 4: CREATE

36. STEP 4: CREATE
When working with influencers, there are two
factors to consider
1: the value to
your audience
2: the value to
their audience

37. Your activity should not only
meet your business objectives;
it must also consider the
needs of the influencer
STEP 4: CREATE

38. It should contribute to
the development of their
individual profiles and
address the needs of their
audience by providing them
with valuable content.
STEP 4: CREATE

39. STEP 4: CREATE
Ask yourself the following questions
Relevance - does it speak to their business pains?
?
?
?
?
Exclusivity - does it provide insight that is
unavailable elsewhere?
Quality - does it provide information in an
entertaining way?
Authority - does it provide an expert viewpoint,
backed by research and experience?

40. STEP 5:
NURTURE

41. An influencer could be for life,
not just for a campaign - don’t
just drop them once you’ve got
what you wanted
STEP 5: NURTURE

42. Build and develop your
relationships by repeating
the Engage - Create -
Nurture cycle
STEP 5: NURTURE

43. Over time, and with a bit of
effort, you can turn influencers
into genuine brand advocates
STEP 5: NURTURE

44. REMEMBER:
Identify - Invest time finding the right influencers
for your brand
Create - Consider the needs of your influencer as
well as your brand
Engage - Open a dialogue by engaging with
influencers online
Initiate - Get to know your influencers and build
persona profiles
Nurture - Continue to build influencer
relationships beyond the campaign

45. DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE EGUIDE
NOW:
LISTENING IN: HOW
TO USE SOCIAL TOOLS
TO CREATE CONTENT
WHICH CONVERTS
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Listening in: How to
Use Social Tools to
Create Content Which
Converts