How are messages supposed to get to our customers with all that noise? It’s simple: influence. Influence marketing is perhaps the most powerful tool. As marketers, our job is to get products, whether tangible or intangible, to the customer. By finding people who can amplify our voice, we can gain top-of-mind awareness and leave a lasting impression.
Why It Matters. The best way to describe why influence matters is by using this example: Ever been in a meeting where one person has the floor and he or she is just owning that meeting? I mean, they really know what they’re talking about and everyone knows it. This is our influencer—but in the social realm. Influence marketing reaches out to this person who already knows what they’re talking about and has a soundboard. We just help nurture the conversation along the way.
Word of Mouth. Would you trust a company over a friend? Research says you won’t. Influencers are key targets for a reason, and it’s not just based on the number of followers, page views or publications he or she is sourced in. It’s about trust. Others listen and trust the words of these individuals.
In line with this idea, as marketers, we find people who are already engaging in conversations that align with our client or brand. We don’t force a conversation where it doesn’t already exist, and influencers always have the right to refuse a working relationship. In addition, the FTC issued an update to its .com disclosure policy that requires anyone who receives compensation for endorsements to disclose this information. It’s complete transparency.
What’s Your Role? As a marketer, you’re there to be a mentor for these influencers. After viewing an influencer’s footprint online and deciding he or she is the right fit, you’ll reach out to this influencer and start to build a relationship. The rules and guidelines of the relationship should be given up front so there is no confusion about what you’re asking from them and what he or she is getting in return (e.g., advanced copies of software to use, VIP tickets to a trade show, etc.).
Throughout the next several months, you’ll continually view the influencer’s engagement, assist with any questions that arise and essentially give the influencer tools so that he or she can continue an informed conversation around your client or brand over time without much involvement on your end. Of course, you’ll always be there should the influencer need to reach out to you.
What Now? Influence marketing is a process, and it takes time to see the benefits. The relationship you build with an influencer is no different than how you’ve formed friendships over the years: Introduce yourself, make a connection, create conversations and be there for one another. You can’t expect to immediately see results, but have no fear—you’ll be able to show off your new “bestie” soon.
Influence marketing is an authentic, humanly relevant approach to getting messages to the masses. We’re not asking influencers to use “advertising speak” but instead their own words. In a world that is becoming increasingly numb to traditional advertisements, influencers use word-of-mouth tactics to reach others and keep the conversation going.
Mike Montano is an influencer marketing account executive at gyro Cincinnati.
Follow Mike @mikemontanoME
