6 Proven Tips to Grab the Attention of Influencers

Today, influencer marketing stands out as one of the most important marketing tactics available. According to Convince and Convert, businesses generate an average of $6.50 for every dollar they invest in influencer marketing. Before you can dive into influencer marketing, though, you’ve got to catch the attention of said influencers, which is easier said than done.

Luckily, these tips are here to provide the inside scoop you need to grab influencer’s attention and keep it.

6 Tips to Become an Influencer Magnet

Whether you’re a fast-growing company or a new startup, these six tips will help you earn the backing of prominent industry influencers:

 

1. 10X Your Content

“10x content” is a term coined by ex-Moz CEO, Rand Fishkin. According to him, 10x content is content that is “10 times better than the best results currently found in the search results for a given keyword phrase or topic.”

If you want to catch the attention of influencers, you need to outpace your competitor’s content. This means creating 10x material that blows them out of the water. Here are some “must-haves” to keep in mind as you build your content dynasty:

• 10x content offers a great UX on all devices and all platforms, including Facebook and Instagram
• 10x content is trustworthy, authoritative, and high-quality
• 10x content takes a different approach to an existing topic
• 10x content drives emotional connection
• 10x content solves problems

Also be sure to check out our post on ‘Optimizing Your Social Media Channels for Ecommerce Growth’, here.

2. Engage with the Influencer’s Content

Let’s be honest: it’s a little unrealistic to expect an influencer to take notice of you if you’ve never interacted with their content before. Here’s why: influencers are busy people, and they specialize in providing value. If someone reaches out to them, cold, and asks for a share or a mention, that’s going to look spammy and cheap, unless that person has a history of being a loyal reader and productive member of the conversation.

To boost your chances of being noticed by influencers, dedicate yourself to understanding their content and approach. Read their material, comment on their blogs, and share their articles across your own social feeds.  Not only will this make your eventual reach-out more authentic, but it will also allow you to target your message more carefully.

3. Feature the Influencer in a Blog or Facebook Post

Want a mention without asking for a mention? Spend some time writing a blog or social post about the influencer and then reach out and notify them about it.

By creating a piece of content that directly benefits the influencer (it’s material they can share, but which they didn’t have to create), you establish a symbiotic relationship that allows you to shoot to the top of the influencer’s awareness.  Plus, if you spend the time to 10x the content, it might earn you the attention of other influencers, as well.

4. Start with Smaller Influencers and Level Up

When you start fishing, you don’t immediately drop $10K to go bone fishing in the Bahamas. Instead, you buy a cheap spinner reel and some worms, and spend a few months on a muddy riverbank somewhere. In fishing, like in influencer marketing, you’ve got to build your skills.

You’ve got to start small and work your way up to the big dogs.

When it comes to influencer marketing, starting small allows you to hone your approach and minimize your mistakes. After all, if you’re going to mess up, you’d probably rather do it in the minor leagues, right? While starting slow can be frustrating, it’s a critical step in successful influencer outreach. Marketing Dive wrote a great piece on sparkling water giant La Croix’s successful micro-influencer campaign. Bigger doesn’t always mean more successful. La Croix’s level of success — beyond skyrocketing sales, the brand’s served as the inspiration for everything from Halloween costumes to pop art — underscores how leveraging newer digital marketing tactics like micro-influencers can communicate a deeper level of authenticity to connect with consumers.

 

5. Be Genuine

Influencers became influencers because they’re smart and have higher-than-average B.S. detectors. With this in mind, be genuine. Putting up a front will only hurt your chances of establishing a relationship, and turn the influencer off in the process.

6. Just Ask!

Instead of playing cat-and-mouse games with your target influencer, why not just reach out and start a conversation? As long as you’re genuine, specific, and convincing, the influencer might just say yes!

Improve Your Influencer Relationship, Starting Right Now

In the world of ecommerce and online business, influencer relationships are essential for success. These six tips are the perfect roadmap to get started with influencer outreach and marketing and use it to build your audience and drive ecommerce sales.