There is nothing more important than getting the right people in your corner. Once you know the top influencers in your market, you can focus on how best to reach them, target them in the most effective ways, and cultivate a long-term beneficial relationship from here on out.

First, what and who is an influencer? And, why should they matter to you? At the tip of the iceberg, these influencers are rock stars. Not only do they get the attention of the biggest brands out there, they also attract a huge following that craves their news and opinions. Influencers won’t be the same for everyone. There are specific people that will carry your message infinitely further than others. Some of your influencers may be very mainstream and very well known, while others may seem small and obscure. But, don’t write these people off since these “small” influencers may be the “big” voices of your target audience.

In her article “Influencer Marketing 101: How to Get Started,” Amanda Nelson published some helpful tips on The Official Klout Blog on getting started with influencers – starting with the most effective ways to find them. Influencers appear in many forms such as guest bloggers, webinar speakers, podcast speakers, event speakers, infographic writers, video bloggers, eBook authors, and interviewees. Nelson suggested looking to tools like Klout to better find your industry-specific influencers as well as Twitter’s “Who to Follow” and “Similar To” suggestions. If you need a place to store these contact details, Capture may be able to help.

Here are some other key points from this article that are included and generally summarized below.

If you want to invite these influencers to your party, build an awesome place to host it! In other words, your organization should have a blog, news area, or other online forum that creates a centralized place for content – a place where influencers can add their two cents. Once they have a place to contribute, they can create some content that hits their sweet spot – something that they are experts on AND something that your audience is interested in. This content really will soar if it can solve a common problem of your target audience. To make a topic irresistible, think of a unique angle that will be widely anticipated, and make sure that you are posting this content frequently on a consistent basis.

There is no way that you will ever secure the deal with an influencer if you aren’t prepared to give something back in return. In her article, Nelson provided many ways to transform this into a reciprocal relationship:

• Include their bio and headshot on ALL blog posts.
• Create a “Contributors” webpage that lists all your guest bloggers and influencers.
• Make sure that all bios and mentions are preferred links to influencers’ websites, books, products, offers, or something else they want to promote.
• Share page results (shares, page views) with them on a regular basis, and ask if your promotion is helping them with any metrics (web traffic, new business) that they are focused on.
• Include relevant product giveaways.
• Purchase their product, service, or book so they know you’re a fan!
• Exchange products or services if applicable.
• Pay them.

When it comes to payment, product exchanges, or other related items just double check on any legal requirements or language that you need to incorporate.

In this day and age it seems strange to meet influencers in person – face-to-face contact is still around and is a GREAT way to foster strong relationships. If you have the chance to attend their conferences, do it! And, go the extra mile, and see if you have a chance to get their ear one-on-one while you’re there. You can even host a small breakfast before the keynote presentation. You’ll also likely meet plenty of other similar influencers while you’re there!

There is never a point where you’ll be “done” with your influencer list. There are always new people that can benefit your business, and there are always emerging bloggers that should be a huge part of your communication outreach. Keep this as a top focus and a top goal in your business as you continue to expand your footprint.

This article is made possible by Checksforless.com For more than 35 years, Checksforless.com has provided over 500,000 businesses with high quality business checks, deposit slips, and other banking supplies with easy ordering and fast production times; all at the guaranteed lowest price in the nation. Our discount business checks are easily customizable and compatible with over 4,500 software programs including QuickBooks® and Peachtree®. Email or call us toll-free at 800-245-5775 or visit us online at Checksforless.com.

References: http://blog.klout.com/2015/04/influencer-marketing-101-how-to-get-started/#more-10486