September 23, 2018
Admittedly, one of the hardest things about finding the right influencer is knowing exactly who is really influencing your audience. Like searching for a needle in a haystack, the right influencer can work wonders, while the wrong one can wreak havoc.
In a recent market research survey, 60% of respondents stated they had difficulty locating influencers, and when they did, 66% stated it was nearly impossible to track the effects of their influence on campaigns.
It’s no secret that social media marketing can be tough to track, but one trend that is stronger than ever is that social media is where the majority of consumers choose to congregate online. It’s also your surest bet for finding the people that can sway your audience best; i.e. influencers. The first step to locating these gems is to practice active social monitoring to locate relative conversations.
If you want to know what people are saying about your brand or industry, you must listen first. The easiest way to accomplish that task is through a method known as social monitoring (also called social listening). This is a means of using automation to alert you when activity happens on the web that is essential to your business.
There are tons of marketing automation tools out there to help you keep track of the chatter (which ultimately leads to influencers). Google Alerts is stellar if you are looking for a quick and simple solution. A tool like Google Alerts allows you to discover new influencers through automated and avid listening.
It’s a tough call because the market has become saturated with professional “influencers.” Be careful. It’s easy to fall into the trap of a professional influencer, only to have them put your brand on the back burner. The idea is to get someone already excited about what you offer. Otherwise, people will know when it is paid and forced.
The ultimate influencers in this current market are satisfied customers engaged with your brand. Otherwise known as “brand advocates,” these are the people whose pain points have been solved perfectly by whatever you are offering. Their excitement is organic and harnessing it is truly the most powerful marketing material the web can offer.
A good influencer is someone that can drum up word-of-mouth advertising and help create a community around your brand. They’re not in it for the money, rather, they are excited about the message you want to spread with your business. The best influencers will generally present themselves to you, verses having to search for them high and low.
Social monitoring is only a success when it produces deep insights that can change your business. Modern marketing is about collecting social data and making informed decisions based on analytics. It’s also about trust. Influencers bridge that gap and the best way to get there is to stop what you are doing and listen.
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