Building Your Audience with Influencer Content
This week, we approached influencer content creation from two POVs from the same team—the social media side as represented by Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) and the content marketer side as represented by Tatiana Beale (@TatianaBeale). Before we dive into the questions, let’s start with a definition of an influencer, since this came up at the start of the chat.
@M1_Public For me, an influencer is someone who is a trusted authority on a topic of interest to my audience+motivates action. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
@SFerika @tatianabeale @M1_Public An influencer is a subject matter expert who is trusted by their community #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A1 I tend to break influencers into two categories: Opinion Leaders (interactive) and Celebrities (non-interactive) #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
An influencer is someone who has proven themselves an authority on a certain topic or subject. #ContentChat
— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) October 17, 2016
@jfeiseee @SFerika @M1_Public Also an #influencer will prove their expertise with the content they share with their community #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
Q1: Why should you involve influencers in your marketing?
A1: ego-baiting. If you write content about them based on their content, they will be more apt to share and tweet about ti #ContentChat
— Sean Van Guilder (@seanvanguilder) October 17, 2016
A1: Involving influencers can help you generate brand awareness & break into untapped audiences #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A1: Involve #influencers in #content creation to connect with authentic, trusted authorities already loved by your audience #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A1. People trust people more than they trust #brands – influencers give a face to your company @SFerika #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A1: Influencers elevate your brand. They market your product/service + provide you with valuable feedback. #contentchat
— Mary Mangione (@marymangione) October 17, 2016
A1: Influencers offer third party validation for ideas that support your business. They offer complimentary perspectives. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) October 17, 2016
A1: Because you want quality leads for your product/service, because you want to create trust, and touch other audiences #contentchat
— Spin Sucks (@SpinSucks) October 17, 2016
A1: Having an influencer endorse or mention your product/service is the utimate customer review. It builds a lot of trust. #ContentChat
— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) October 17, 2016
A1: Influencers can be a trust signal, can amplify your message to key, niche audiences and can provide important feedback! #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A1 Few exceptions (of brands) aside, your audience places more credence in influencer content than your brand’s #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
@record_nations @SFerika By connecting with #influencers your company can achieve that human element, which many brands lack #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A1: connecting w/ influencers gives credibility to your brand AND brand message. Allows alignment w/ likeminded consumers #contentchat
— Ferebee Lane + Co. (@FerebeeLane) October 17, 2016
A1 Reach (Influencers tend to have large professional networks), they can also give your org some legitimacy #contentchat
— Phil Siarri (@philsiarri) October 17, 2016
A1: Influencers help amplify your message and your connections with your customers in an authentic & complimentary way. #ContentChat
— Berrak Sarikaya (@BerrakBiz) October 17, 2016
A1: Influencers can help you gain exposure for your brand and can help establish you as an authority in your field. #ContentChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) October 17, 2016
A1 I don’t follow brands who don’t interact with me… I do follow influencers I like regardless of whether they interact. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A1 There are people who follow (and listen to) your influencers who do not follow your brand #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
Q2: How do you identify potential influencers to work with on content?
@SFerika A2: Those in my industry that are gatekeepers, constantly teaching or speaking on certain topics. #ContentChat
— Stephanie Zatyko (@ExperianDQSteph) October 17, 2016
A2. Take a look at any internal employees with an already existing social media presense. No need to be top execs! @SFerika #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A2. By looking at your target market and seeing who already influence them #ContentChat
— Shelby Watson (@shelbshells4) October 17, 2016
A2: Who are the influencers your audience is reading+sharing? Who are the top rated speakers at your industry events? #ContentChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
A2: Influencers should be an extension of your brand, ensure you are aligned & focus long-term #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A2: Very carefully. No, really. Make sure their perspective lines up with yours. Know what they’re about. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) October 17, 2016
A2: Don’t just focus on an influencer’s reach, focus on context & ensure the influencer’s content resonates with your audience #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A2: The influencers you work with should be relevant to your brand and have an established audience you want to reach. #ContentChat
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) October 17, 2016
A2: Find content producers that are already focusing on topics (and demonstrate thought leadership) related to your niche #ContentChat https://t.co/YanyoYg6bm
— Scott Phillips (@scott_phillips_) October 17, 2016
A2 – #brands shouldn’t overlook their own #brandadvocacy programs. #Influencers can be right under their eyes. #contentchat
— Sue Duris (@SueDuris) October 17, 2016
A2a: Google Analytics source data will tell you which influencers are driving visitors to your content #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A2: Influencers are not celebrities. They are respected members of a community. #ContentChat
— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) October 17, 2016
A2: One way to find influencers is to look at who’s writing/publishing the content your audience is consuming. #ContentChat
— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) October 17, 2016
A2b Riffle by @CrowdRiff will give you a free snap shot of a potential influencer’s relevance and reach on Twitter #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A2: When I worked in B2C marketing we found influencer based on quality of content in diff networks and relevance of profession #ContentChat
— Nichole Muller (@muller_nichole) October 17, 2016
So smart @dshiao! This feeds into both your personas and your content strategy too. #ContentChat https://t.co/o9CYwF1WW1
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
A2 I read what people say in articles, essays, posts. #contentchat I watch them interact on social. Content-pushers aren’t influencers.
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) October 17, 2016
Q3: When should we expect to be paying influencers for working with us on content?
A3: Influencer compensation should be about paying for the craft, not the influence or brand mention #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A3 Depends on the industry you are in, what influencer you hope to interact with and what kind of format you are aiming for #contentChat
— AnnSi Krol (@annsikrol) October 17, 2016
A3: Ex. If an influencer uses their expertise to co-create content with you, compensate them for their time #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A3. It’s best to find un-paid, authentic influencers. When you can’t, pay when it is associated with a larger brand contract #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A3: Never pay #influencers for brand mentions, it’s inauthentic & puts audience trust at risk #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A3. The influencer should naturally be representing the brand in their everyday life unless there is a collaboration. #contentchat
— Shelby Watson (@shelbshells4) October 17, 2016
A3. Pay when the influencer is going out of their way to promote you. When it changes from “them” to “us” #ContentChat @SFerika
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A3 For B2B, I believe in intrinsic (vs. extrinsic) payment: make them look good, give them reach. Not dollars #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A3: Tricky line. Depends on involvement and platform to a degree. “Compensation” can vary, too. #ContentChat
— Alan Fleming (@alan_fleming) October 17, 2016
A3b: Paying for brand mentions = endorsement. This is NOT #InfluencerMarketing #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A3: If you can prove an influencer has made a difference in your ROI maybe it is time to convert from swag to monetary payment. #ContentChat
— Danielle Siarri (@innonurse) October 17, 2016
@jfeiseee Great point!! Influencer marketing should be win-win prop! https://t.co/BSHhB5InWE #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
Q4: How can we involve influencers in our content creation and distribution?
A4: Guest blogging, social shares (seems like an obvious answer) #ContentChat https://t.co/Hwvx16Le5f
— Scott Phillips (@scott_phillips_) October 17, 2016
A4 Ask influencers a question, then assemble their answers into a blog post. They’re naturally incented to share it #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A4: You can co-author content with influencers, quote them in your content, and send them content as part of ongoing outreach. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
A4: Start a conversation! Involve influencers by asking them for feedback or seeding a question #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A4. Invite them to join your creative brainstorm sessions. Ask them what they think about your brand @SFerika #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A4: Look to influencers for inspiration, what topics are they talking about? What’s getting the most engagement? #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
@SFerika Interviewing and quoting can be more time efficient for influencers. #ContentChat
— Josh McCormack (@joshmccormack) October 17, 2016
A4: We send concept ideas to trusted community members for feedback. This helps identify opportunities and resolve any issues. #contentchat
— Mary Mangione (@marymangione) October 17, 2016
A4b: Curate influencer’s content into your own to let them know you value their opinion (by giving credit) and provide your POV #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A4 #Influencers can tag team with #brand on where their impact can help move the needle along the buyer/customer journey. #cx #contentchat
— Sue Duris (@SueDuris) October 17, 2016
A4 You could assemble influencers onto a panel discussion that you host (webinar or face-to-face event) #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A4 Collaboration is a two way street , you vouch for/promote the influencer (and ideas) and … vice versa #contentchat
— Phil Siarri (@philsiarri) October 17, 2016
A4: We like to interview influencers for eBooks. It gives us a great piece of content to leverage in a lot of different ways #ContentChat
— Brandfolder (@Brandfolder) October 17, 2016
A4d They are influencers for a reason, trust them to find the story. If you’ve done your homework you’ll be pleased w/ results. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A4 Make it a DIALOGUE! Hold up your end of the damned conversation! #contentchat https://t.co/2RCed8JxgA
— Ken Gordon (@quickmuse) October 17, 2016
Q5: What are some ways in addition to $ to recognize influencers for their content participation?
A5: You can support an influencer by sharing their content, featuring them in your content, & giving them speaking opps #ContentChat
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A5 Tip from @carterhostelley: introduce them to potential customers #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A5: You can thank your influencers by including them in “best of” lists, sharing their content, sending small token gifts. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
A5 – Especially if you’re a large #brand offer them to keynote your annual Sales/Mktg meetings, conferences, etc. #contentchat
— Sue Duris (@SueDuris) October 17, 2016
A5. Promote them as your influencer! Most likely they will be excited to be recognized through your promotions @SFerika #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A5 Baby steps, simple thanks to start. Learn what influencer is trying to achieve to grow an ongoing productive relationship. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A5 You could also ask them (e.g. “How might we help YOU”?) #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A5 Staying in touch with influencers, and not asking for anything, shows you truly value the relationship. #contentchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) October 17, 2016
A5 Basic promotion or a one size fits all strat (esp. if you’re small) could backfire if doesn’t line up w/ influencer’s goals. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@dpillie) October 17, 2016
A5:Promote influencers to write featured content and heavily promoted blog post, support their brand if it aligned with yours. #ContentChat
— Danielle Siarri (@innonurse) October 17, 2016
A5) This is still $, but paid promotion of their content on sm channels i.e. facebook ads #ContentChat https://t.co/O7mSvZl0ll
— Scott Phillips (@scott_phillips_) October 17, 2016
A5b: If you cocreate content together, reach out and share the results. This helps #influencers feel like part of your team #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A5: treat them as the valued partner they are! Sneak peeks of new products, promotion of non-sponsored content, brand swag, etc #contentchat
— Ferebee Lane + Co. (@FerebeeLane) October 17, 2016
A5 part2: Small gifts of acknowledgment and meet & greets at conferences, influencers to show the person behind the curtain. #ContentChat
— Danielle Siarri (@innonurse) October 17, 2016
A5: Call me old fashioned but keep it simple. Say thank you and continue the relationship. A handwritten card goes a long way #ContentChat
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
Q6: What are some examples of some effective brand influencer content collaborations?
A6. @austindillon3 does a great job at representing his sponsors as one of their influencers as well! @SFerika #ContentChat
— Record Nations (@record_nations) October 17, 2016
A6: We partnered with @TopRank to learn more about brand/influencer relationships #ContentChat https://t.co/h6L395oLUn
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
A6 @Leadtail does these interesting Social Insights Reports: https://t.co/lmDjPmv8oi #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A6 @offbeatbride does an incredible job with their sponsored posts. Clear, transparent and particular. #ContentChat
— Maureen Jann (@MaureenOnPoint) October 17, 2016
#ContentChat Love seeing complementary #contentmarketing orgs do webinars & write useful blogs together, i.e., @wistia or @uberflip or @Moz https://t.co/T46CkNKQEr
— LaDonna LaGuerre (@ladonnajonze) October 17, 2016
A6: @Travelocity partners with travel #influencers to create unique & engaging content #ContentChat https://t.co/rsTifRZnbQ
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A6: Fav combo of influencers & brand is selecting diverse influencers for your brand. This is the time to show inclusion. #ContentChat
— Danielle Siarri (@innonurse) October 17, 2016
A6: enjoying the 50 styles, 50 states campaign from @oldnavy; smart distribution + totally on brand content #contentchat
— Ferebee Lane + Co. (@FerebeeLane) October 17, 2016
A6 @CMIContent is awesome at involving many great #ContentMarketing minds while keeping a community vibe #contentchat
— Phil Siarri (@philsiarri) October 17, 2016
A6: Fav combo of influencers & brand is selecting diverse influencers for your brand. This is the time to show inclusion. #ContentChat
— Danielle Siarri (@innonurse) October 17, 2016
Q7: What are some influencer content creation and promotion resources you recommend?
A7 Check out the @Toprank blog. They publish often on #InfluencerMarketing #contentchat
— Dennis Shiao (@dshiao) October 17, 2016
A7: We get asked about resources a lot! Here are 11 resources to do #InfluencerMarketing Like a Boss #ContentChat https://t.co/6npGK9WolB
— Jordan Feise (@jfeiseee) October 17, 2016
#ContentChat Not a resource. but good old trial & error is the best way to learn. Hard to go wrong with a good partnership that benefits ppl https://t.co/G7jL6lAIyF
— LaDonna LaGuerre (@ladonnajonze) October 17, 2016
Check out @toprank for best practices on engaging with influencers to build authentic relationships #contentchat https://t.co/3sHHHYvS1E
— Tatiana Beale (@tatianabeale) October 17, 2016
A7: I’ve used @buzzsumo to help ID influencers interested in my key topics. #ContentChat (they’re one of my all-time fave content resources)
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) October 17, 2016
A7: We use @SproutSocial here & it’s definitely helped us identify some key influencers for our clients @BuzzSumo is great too. #contentchat
— Ferebee Lane + Co. (@FerebeeLane) October 17, 2016
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