Reading Time: 5 minutesThe world of online marketing has skyrocketed over the last several years and with good reason. Online business has escalated and the power behind those working online is huge with influence marketing. It is no more a world of cyberspace where advertisers simply should be requesting a simple text link with a company they want to do online business with. Opportunity working with online business owners now has so much more possibilities.
Tips an Advertiser should consider when looking for an Influencer
• Dangle the carrot you have to offer! By that I mean, offer them a sample or a free product to all them to see what it is you have and how good it is! You can’t expect someone to promote a product and offer amazing results about it if they in fact haven’t become attached to it to begin with!
• Listen to what the influencer actually has to say! If you truly want to work with the publisher, it is important to hear what is being said. Consider them a free voice as if you set up a small test group. You would listen to them, right? You should do the same thing when working with an influencer. They are the ones after all who are going to have something to say to a HUGE audience about what it is you have to sell!
• Get yourself connected! The influencer has lots of social media sites they are on and you should be on them connecting with them as well. This allows you to see what kind of character and dialogue the influencer has with their audience! Plus, it gives you the opportunity to see what and how they are working with your company. You get to learn how great they make you look. You should be communicating well with the publisher to make sure they know what exactly and how exactly you want them sharing your content.
• Building a relationship with an online business guru offline as well as online can bring you even more connections and opportunities to additional opportunities. Many times, online influencers link up to do BIG EVENTS together. When this happens and you are included in the event, it gives you even more optimum reach.
Know Your Influence Types and Who You are Working With
• The Almighty One! These individuals have mega influence over their audience and can get their attention by what they have to say. What they say matters! Even if they said the sky is grey and it was really blue. Crazy isn’t it, but there really are some individuals who are that influential out there in this way!
• Triple Threats! – OK, maybe not every celebrity is a triple threat but almost all of them have a mass following where their fans eyes stay glued to them and that is powerful to you when you want to get an audience’s attention!
• Those Social Butterflies! – There is getting to be many online businesses that are working at doing nothing more than getting online influencers linked up to the brands and helping them to connect. They are in many ways a host to connectiveness. They are the facilitators of the group per se.
• High Profile Journalist – These writers may be bloggers or magazine writers but they have a pop of influence when it comes to their readers. They always know the right thing to say and the write way to word it!
• The Brains Behind the Screen! – These influencers are the ones you know who are highly educated in your area or product line. If you have a health product, this influencer would be a doctor in the field. They are in the expert in their field.
• The Feisty Warrior – You know these ones. They have a sassy tongue on them and a whole crowd of followers around them who can’t wait to hear what nasty saying or comment is about to come out of their mouths next! Yet, they SELL it for you! It’s all about what you want and how you want it delivered!
• The Valedictorian of Product and Messaging! These individuals are very analytical. They are in many ways bookworms. They do their homework and go above and beyond for you. However, many might say they sometimes over analyze a situation and some may even take up too much of your time. It’s ok! It is all in how you want it delivered and what you want to put into it! The Valedictorian type will give you a HUGE BANG FOR YOUR BUCK!
• The Passion Advocate! You better bet if you have a cause to talk about there is someone out there who is an advocate for it. The one who has a passion for your cause will be the one who will have a voice and a whole lot of emotion put behind a campaign! When looking for a spokesperson, this is the type that will go far for you.
What Is It You Want Done?
I’ll keep this short and sweet. Know what it is you want from your influencer and make sure it is clear! Not every person who has a large mass audience is going to be the best one for sales but they might be the best one to bring awareness to a cause you are working on. Or vice versa! There are some publishers who are really good at getting the word out when there is something you want relayed to the public. They are very good at spreading the word. Be sure that you know what it is you are wanting from who you hire. Just because you know what you want, doesn’t mean they are going to know. Don’t assume they do. Communicate it well. Put it both in writing and verbally as well.
Above all, make sure when working with whoever it is you do business with online that they know the information you want delivered. Make a point to let them know that you do expect them to engage with the audience about the product. If you don’t, there will be plenty out there who will do the job and then think it’s done and you might not get the engaging with the readers or audience that you are looking for. The bottom line when it comes to communicating is this! If you want hashtagging to take place, ask for it! If you want a twitter party or a google hang out event, ask for it. If you don’t, certainly don’t be surprised if you don’t get it!
I hope this helps you as an advertiser to learn how to engage with those of us online influencers in a more effective way. I always make an effort to personally connect with those who I am doing business with so I know what exactly it is they want but you can trust that there are many who don’t. If you want the best, you have to plan and take the steps for the best. Good luck with your advertising and connecting with your online influencers!
About the Author:
Irish Carter is a Wellness Specialist and Development Coach. She is the owner of Dedicated 2 Life where her mission is to help others rock Wellness to be the best they can be in both their personal and professional lives. Besides being a Coach in Personal and Professional Development, she is a proud mom, serial entrepreneur, author of 2 books and several publications, as well as a motivational speaker. Irish has over twenty years’ experience assisting in Wellness and Development topics and holds degrees in both Social Work and Human Services. She is available for private consulting and public speaking events worldwide.
