Influencers are people in your network who are really interested in what you do. They amplify your message by passing it on through retweets, comments, and sharing, increasing the number of people you reach. Influencers are important both offline and online for expanding your potential business opportunities.
Identifying influencers in your network is the first step to cultivating a relationship. Are there people who regularly retweet your posts or comments on Twitter? Who is sharing or liking your content on Facebook? Are there people who are often mentioned as referrals? Who is talking about you? Because many of the conversations happening online are public, it’s fairly easy to see when your company or product name is mentioned and your content is shared. Doing regular searches for your company is key to identifying new inflluencers.
Once you’ve found influencers, reach out to them to start a conversation. This can be as easy as thanking them for sharing or commenting on your content and asking them about what they do. Try to check back with influencers from time to time to continue to build your relationship. Hopefully you’ll have an opportunity to meet them in person some day and by knowing a bit about them from online conversations, you’ll be able to advance the relationship much farther than if you have to start from scratch.
Some influencers are will be more vocal or influential than others. While any influencer is important, these people can be especially important to advancing your opportunities. Online or Off, they’ll be more likely to recommend your company. Make sure to spend a little extra time and attention to building these relationships.
Have influencers in your network created new opportunities for you?
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