Presentation about how to create an influencer marketing program, identifying key influencers and building a relationship with them.

1. Improving Relationships with Key
Market Influencers
Rebecca Steinberg Herson
The Lean Marketer
March 13, 2013
Copyright © 2013 The Lean Marketer

2. Why Influencer Marketing Matters
• Overcome market noise
• Overcome market objections
• Learn about RFIs, RFPs
• Gain insights into customer needs

3. Build Your Influencer Strategy
WHO
-Which buyer segment(s), job
titles you will focus on
-CIOs will have different
influencers than IT managers
WHEN
Where along the purchase
decision cycle Source: Influencer50

4. Identifying Your Influencers
Are you an
influencer?

5. Identifying Your Influencers
Conference Speakers/ Book Authors User groups, Forums
Organizers
Blogs Analysts Journalists
Look for lots of comments & • Direct to Gartner, Forrester, IDC • Your favorite publications – start
interaction, especially from other • techra.com keeping track of the journalists
influencers • analystdirectory.barbarafrench.net • Access more at Cision media lists
Ask your management, salespeople and
CUSTOMERS!

6. Prioritize
Important
Influencer
should NOT be
#223!!

7. Beware the Online Trap
As price/ risk
50
45 On-line influence
40 Offline influence
35
30
25
Offline influencers
20
Online influencers
15
10
5
0
$100, router device
$1000, professional software suite Management software global outsourcing deals
$20,000, mid-size CRM service $10m+ implementation
$100,000,
Source: Influencer50 White Paper: Are Your Customers Influenced Online, Offline or Both?

8. One Size Fits All is NOT for Influencers
Tailor your
approach to the
specific influencer
Image: Mad about Shanghai

9. Develop a Schedule
•Does the influencer prefer
monthly/quarterly/ biannual
calls?
•Monthly newsletters?
•Integrate with your PR
schedule, product release
schedule, etc.
•Send emails on behalf of key
executives
•Are they willing to meet in
person? Get your execs’ travel
schedule and arrange F2F
meetings

10. Give Them Something of Value
• Product roadmap before it is public
• One useful, industry-oriented slide
• Content when they need it
• Meeting opportunities with other
influencers
– Especially customers!

11. Be Patient
Year 0 Year 1
Started Influencer First mentions in
Outreach Gartner publications,
Not on quadrant
Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Niche Player Niche, closer to Visionary Visionary

12. In Short
• Approach Influencer Marketing like any
other marketing campaign
– Be organized, put together a strategy, plan
and budget
• Spend the time to research
• Be human – people talking to people, not
companies talking to companies
• Be patient 

13. Thank You!
Rebecca Steinberg Herson
rebecca@theleanmarketer.com
+972-54-444-2372
http://il.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaherson
@rebeccaherson
http://theleanmarketer.com