How to Keep Influencers Interested on Social Media After the Handshake

By Nyerr Parham

Congratulations! You’ve finally caught the attention of your brand’s target influencers. You’ve reached out your digital hand to introduce yourself and have been making small talk and exchanging niceties on social media platforms ever since.

But, after the basic chit-chat that gets tweeted, posted, and pinned back and forth, how do you move past the meet and greet and into the flourishing next stage of true relationship cultivation?

It’s simple: Provide the content and conversation influencers want, not expect, that can sometimes be off-topic but not off-brand.

Here’s your post-handshake checklist:

Twitter

Twitter is a powerful producer of one important thing: buzz. If you’re trying to call influencers to help spread the word, Twitter is the first place you should look. In order to cut through the chatter and calamity of a non-stop hashtag-and-handle-filled ticker, consistency is the key.

• Don’t Be Afraid to Share Your Insight: You already know to keep tweets short and sweet, but also remember to keep looking for new and meaningful information when starting or joining a dialogue with an influencer. For example, don’t just respond to an influencer’s theory behind bad customer service with “Great insight!” Dig a little deeper and make sure your response is not so generic it can be applied to an array of other conversations. Chime in with why you agree or reveal something that may change the influencer’s stance on the subject. A thoughtful response shows them that you’re not just listening; you’re spending time thinking about what they have to say.
• Follow Friday: Don’t underestimate the power of the #FF. On Friday, everyone’s in a good mood. Take advantage of that by calling them out and grouping them with other influencers they consider to be good company. It will increase the likelihood that they will share with their followers. Also, make sure the #FF makes mention of the topics they cover or are interested in so that you can demonstrate that you really know who they are.
• Have Some Fun With It: Post unique, funny, or interesting content that you know is in line with your target influencer’s outside interests in addition to the work-related content. There’s nothing wrong with posting fun videos or articles periodically, in fact these kinds of updates are often welcome among influencers and fans alike. As long as they also fit within the perimeters of your company’s interests, you can’t go wrong with throwing in some laughs every once in a while.

 

Facebook

Facebook is for the warm and fuzzies. It’s where soft-news gets to be the star. Facebook users prefer to use the network to stay close with friends, share pictures, and reminisce about milestones past while celebrating those that are coming soon. So, how can marketers keep influencers engaged with brands on Facebook? Be human.

• Show Your Roots: Take full advantage of Facebook’s timeline functionality by sharing your company’s sentimental history, illustrating how the brand’s benchmarks relate to the evolving lives of users in a captivating way.
• It’s All in the Details: Respond with just as much of a personal touch as the influencer does in posts on your brand’s wall. Make note to remember the simple personal facts that community members share, such as family photos, a favorite coffee mug, or even birthdays so that you can bring them up in future conversation and show your dedication to them personally.

 

LinkedIn

This social network is the hub for lead generation. To speed up this process a bit, tap into the business-focused influencers that abound first, which will help spread the word like wildfire.

• Give Them the Facts: Since most users on LinkedIn are business-minded and looking for solutions to their very specific industry problems, pay attention to what your influencers are taking about and offer answers that directly respond to the issues your influencers express.
• Become a Trusted Source: By establishing yourself as a go-to source on specific topics that influencers are passionate about, these key contacts will soon share your content with their large and engaged network.

 

Pinterest

This network is the newest kid on the social media block, and it’s booming in part because it puts more emphasis on information conveyed through visuals. Since the number of influencers who patrol the network increases daily, companies have the opportunity to reach them in a more subtle, natural, and creative way (and with less community management maintenance time).

• Stay Focused: The main way to stay top-of-mind among influencers is to, again, focus on relevant interaction. Carefully provide content they wouldn’t only be interested in viewing, but also interested in sharing, taking the quality and appearance of the image into serious consideration. Do this by researching the type of boards key influencers have already created. Ask yourself, where does my brand fit?
• You Get What You Give: Remember, interaction is a two-way street, especially on Pinterest, so be sure to re-pin relevant images pinned by influencers onto the boards your brand creates to strengthen your relationship and keep the momentum of the artistic conversation going.

 

Google+

Since its launch in the fall of 2011, Google+’s usage has significantly decreased, as reported by an eMarketer report, saying that users spend an average of 3.3 minutes on Google+ in a single session, which is down from 5.1 minutes in November 2011. What hasn’t changed, however, is its nurturing environment for media leaders (a.k.a. influencers). The possibilities are endless for journalists and other media as a result of Google+’s SEO impact. Also, the seamless sharing of information (plus live video conferencing) means that it’s still good place for brands to meet important players in their industries.

• Members Only: The main tip for cultivating relationships with influencers on Google+ is capitalizing on the network’s exclusivity factor. Google+ gives you the tools to provide a sneak peek into new products and/or services for a select few as a token of your brand’s appreciation for the relationship. With this special treatment, influencers usually take pride in participating, and if their time proves to be worthwhile, they’ll continue to disperse this valuable information with their networks.

 Have you tried any of these tips? What has worked best for you and brand?

Image credit: Alvaro Canivell