I’ve never much liked the term ‘influencer’, but for the purposes of saving word count I opted to use the term instead of a more aptly coined title of, ‘peer that is where you want to be’ or ‘individual that has leveraged their authority for the greater good’.
Make no mistake, when I use the title ‘influencer’ I’m not referring to those that have large vanity numbers on social media OR those with the most grandiose egos. To me an influencer is someone with a deep level of expertise, that has proven they get results, that practices what they preach and has a powerful ability to foster implementation and action in others.
Learning how to get an influencer’s attention online can lead to exponential growth in traffic, trust and authority, but it’s not as easy as one would think. Rightfully so.
If you want to win the heart of an influencer in your niche you need to show up and be seen, among other things, which we’ll get to in a minute. In fact, you need to be ‘seen’ by an influencer more often than you do by a potential client to get their attention. Why is that? Since influencers are bombarded by droves of people jockeying for their attention they typically have fiercely efficient visual and mental filters that block out hype, fluff and bullshit for them.
Most take that to mean they need to come at them with sugar laced compliments or blow smoke up their ass, as if killing them with phony compliments is going to win them over. If you’re like me you’re better than shamelessly sucking up to anyone, under any circumstance. If you’re not, get there! Contrary to popular belief, no one worth a damn likes a suck up.
Instead I’ve taken a very organic approach to building relationships with my peers that are ahead of me. Yeah, those we coin ‘influencers’. Today I’m sharing the recipe I’ve used to win the hearts of the badasses in my niche to help you attain the same results.
Here are 9 strategies for introducing your brand to an influencer without being a suck up:
BRANDING
There’s a clear distinction between a hobbyist and an entrepreneur. The most paramount being the investment in branding. The fact is, if you want influencers to take you seriously, you have to build a brand. That means hiring an expert or getting in the trenches yourself. Either way, you need a consistent and polished signature look and voice, which is the secret sauce in the brand recognition recipe.
You can bitch and moan about the exclusivity that’s involved in being in the proverbial cool kids circle of influencers in your industry but the truth is, it’s about supporting like minded folks. It’s about supporting others that are putting in the same work.
Take your hobbies or business for example. Do you want to hang with those at the same level as or better than you? Or ones that barely know what they’re doing?
I doubt a clothing designer wants to hangout with the local beginners crafter circle. I doubt an avid skier wants to spend the day on the bunny slopes. I doubt a sommelier wants to join a box wine club.
Look, it’s not about influencers thinking they’re better than you. It’s about them wanting to surround themselves with equals. Those that take the craft as seriously as they do. There’s a reason influencers always have highly visible and recognizable brands. It’s because they’re serious enough to invest in building their brand. They know what it takes to build a brand so it’s an easy qualifier on which to make assessments.
Bottom line:
Hobbyist need not apply! Either invest in your branding or lose the dream of having your brand noticed by the pros.
RELEASE NEW CONTENT WEEKLY
In the bright light ridden landscape of the web the odds of catching an influencer’s attention is greater with each additional time your content crosses his or her path. Repetition breeds familiarity, which leads to a higher probability they will want to know more. {i.e exploration}
Creating quality content {key word being ‘quality’}, whether that be videos, blog posts, social media posts, images, etc, on a weekly basis gives you a vehicle for that needed repetition. It’s a numbers game in some ways.
It goes back to the point I made in #1, if you’re not serious enough to create content on a regular basis you aren’t on the same playing field. Remember, influencers are the ones doing the work required to catch the attention of others, which earned them the status in the first place.
Bottom line:
The more you show your commitment to building a presence online with consistent and valuable content the greater likelihood you’re brand will get an influencer’s attention.
LINK BACK TO THEM
When answering the question. ‘How to get an influencer’s attention’, a great place to start is creating a dialogue with them. A novel concept, right? Linking back to an influencer’s content in your content is a great way to open a dialogue with them. How so? Linking back to their work gives you an organic reason to message them on social media, tag them in your post or email them, because you want to let them know you’ve featured something of theirs.
A couple words of wisdom on this strategy…
Don’t link back to anyone’s content unless it’s applicable and adds value
Don’t link back to anyone’s content if your own content is low quality
Don’t create your content on the sole basis of linking to a bunch of influencers
Don’t contact an influencer more than once to let them know you’ve featured them
But most all, don’t expect a thank you note, a bouquet of flowers or a parade. It’s a gesture not a guarantee! If you want an influencer’s attention, lose all sense of entitlement. Don’t bother doing this if you’re looking for kudos. They’ll see your sucking-up a mile away.
Bottom line:
If a piece of content from an influencer will add value to your own high quality content mention them and include a link back to their specific content, but never expect anything in return from them.
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Part of earning attention from influencer’s is being an authority on your topic. A killer strategy to position yourself as a highly knowledgeable source in your niche is to create a weekly roundup.
Most people are only exposed to a small network they devour content from in their niche, which leaves a wide open gap for you to fill. Not only does this give you another opportunity to feature an influencer’s content but it’s also a great way to introduce them to other new kids on the block that are doing great things. There’s no shame in being a chief connector in your niche!
By curating a weekly collection of posts for your target audience, (which may or may not include influencers’ content), you become an invaluable resource for your audience. Hint, hint you begin to build your own influencer status.
And since you probably share a similar reader, the more you become a resource to that reader the more likely it is that your brand will get the attention of influencers. Remember, a huge part of what made them influencers is that they have a finger on the pulse of their topic. If you become part of that pulse they’ll eventually be driven to learn more about you.
Two people who have done this brilliantly are:
Mick Sharpe
Ana Hoffman
And I do one myself called Visual Strategy Saturday, and it’s been received like gang busters by both my badasses and several influencers.
Bottom line:
Create a weekly roundup that’s beneficial to someone looking for mastery on your area of expertise. Do this consistently while maintaining high quality content and you’ll position yourself as an authority in your niche, which is a great way to get an influencer’s attention.
COMMENTING ON THEIR BLOG POSTS
What’s the first thing a blogger needs after they publish a post? Comments, right? Well, and influencer is no different. Their SEO and site rankings are based on the same things our sites are.
Helping an influencer out is the same as doing a solid for anyone in real life, it builds rapport. I mean come on, who doesn’t appreciate support?
Comments are a killer vehicle to informally introduce yourself and open up a dialogue with an influencer. You’ll find that engaging on social platforms doesn’t always get a response, but I’ve never seen in influencer who didn’t personally respond to every blog comment they receive.
I met the rockstar blogger that is Danny Brown in his comments {never had a single interaction with him before that} and now we’re always teasing each other in our social and blog posts.
Bottom line:
Commenting on an influencer’s blog is a direct connection that can’t be matched. It’s another way for you to build that coveted familiarity with them.
FOCUS ON ONE SOCIAL PLATFORM
I know it feels counter intuitive but spreading your social efforts far and wide really dilutes your reach. Social is about, you guessed it, being social. It’s about building relationships, which is really hard when you’re juggling engagement on multiple platforms all the while doing the other 972 things your business needs.
Many influencer’s have gotten to a place where they have teams helping them and they use an arsenal of paid tools. So while they make multi-platform social look easy, it’s not. Instead, dig a deep foundation and presence on one platform. That’s not to say you can’t create profiles on multiple platforms, it’s more about keeping your social efforts focused.
Bottom line:
Focus all your efforts on relationship building instead of blatant promotion and you’ll gain quicker brand notoriety from influencers. Later down the road, after you’ve won over an influencer they’ll happily find and follow you on other social platforms.
ENGAGE WITH THEIR SOCIAL POSTS
Once you figure out what social platform your relationship building efforts are best spent on start engaging with influencer’s posts. And by engage I don’t mean leave some vague, suck up, or spammy type comment. I mean engage! Tell them how their content helped you, give them feedback on how you used their guidance, let them know what exactly resonated with you or even that you’ve shared it on your social profile(s). It’s a good rule of them to say “thank you” when replying to their posts, especially if their content helped in some way.
By this point you probably get the idea. The goal is getting your name in front of them in a way that familiarizes them with you, so they will remember you in a way that builds rapport. All the while steering clear of being a useless brown noser.
If you’re on Google+, creating an ‘Infleuncer’ circle with notifications turned on is a great way to get notified anytime they post something new. Tip: Don’t feel the need to comment on everything someone posts. Depending on how many times a day someone posts that can be a bit much, especially if your comments dwindle in value.
Bottom line:
Use an influencer’s social posts as a way to send a proverbial handshake, or in my case, a big ass high five, their way. Be real, add value and above all else, don’t feel entitled to a response. If they leave you with your hand stuck out — it’s life, get over it.
ATTEND THEIR PODCASTS, SHOWS AND/OR WEBINARS
One of the best ways to stand out in the sea of bright lights online is to be an avid supporter of an influencer’s show, podcast and /or webinars. These type of things are not easy to put together, despite how easy some make it look, so loyal supporters are gold. Without their viewers and fans influencers wouldn’t be able to do the things they do, and they know that. So being a constant attendee and master of engagement will by default garner your brand some attention from them. It’s like anything else, people appreciate supportive people. Influencers and online interactions are no different.
If you’ve ever attended a Hangout On Air web show you know what I mean. Attendees get shouted out all the time, thanking them specifically for their support. By being a consistent presence you’ll earn a place in an influencer’s heart.
Bottom line:
Lend your support to the ventures, projects and causes that an influencer is part of. Your authentic generosity is the best relationship building tool you have.
BE AUTHENTIC OR DON’T BOTHER
Influencer’s have seen and heard a lot, so they can spot a phony a mile away. If you think you’re going to pull the wool over their eyes with a couple sugary sweet compliments you’re in for gargantuan disappointment!
One of the fastest way to earn the respect of an influencer {after garnering their attention} is by unapologetically being yourself. There’s something about confidence and transparency that lends itself to respect. More often than not, an influencer will respect you for staying true to who you are, even if that happens to be someone they don’t particularly resonate with.
The quickest way to kill your relationship building mojo is to try and be someone you’re not. Remember, an influencer has built a thriving brand around who they are, so they know how tough it can be to do that. This brings us full circle back to #1 in our list, branding.
If you don’t have the guts to stay steadfast in who you are than why should anyone, influencer or not, respect you? If you want the rewards, you have to do the work. If this was all as easy as being vanilla and kissing ass there would be a lot more internet millionaires.
Bottom line:
Be you, all you and nothing but you and you’ll earn the respect of influencers. Without respect you can get all the attention in the world, but it’s not going to do a damn thing for you.
WRAP UP
Like I’ve stated several times in this article, nothing you do, no matter the intentions, guarantees you a damn thing. An influencer has worked his or her ass off to get where they are so if you truly want one to take notice of you, you better put the pedal to the metal and do the work.
Let’s say you do catch his or her attention, there’s nothing to say the result will be that you get a fan. Just like in real life, not everyone likes everyone. The personalities may not be a match, it’s life. If you know who you are and stay true to that you won’t have regrets because you can seek solace in knowing you carried yourself with integrity.
It’s those that think sticking their beak up the ass of an influencer to ride their coat tails or siphon their success that are always left pathetic failures. Don’t be that idiot!
Create valuable content, build relationships, help people and the good shit will come. There’s no formula for success, there’s no finite timeline, it’s a lot of perseverance, fearlessness, confidence and hard work that got influencers to the top. If you want to roll with the big boys and girls you’re going to have to do the same.
End. Of. Story!
Hello Dre, your post is resonating! My few old grey cells are rattling and reverberating. (Oh! The alliteration is painfull.) Thank you so much.
Your views on branding are inclining me toward professional assistance.
On commentary, reassuring that I’m following the right track (belatedly!)
On linking back, something I hadn’t considered until a few weeks ago until Adrienne (http://www.adriennesmith.net/my-new-commenting-rules/) mentioned it.
I like your style!
I la la looove hearing I’m getting those grey cells churning with ideas…now go expel them, and make some epic magic happen. ; )
P.S. ALWAYS link back, it’s proper etiquette, and it’s a priceless relationship builder. Oh and I am coo coo for cocoa puffs for that Adrienne, she’s my FAVORITE!
Hey Dre. This is a post I missed the first time around. Glad Patty RTd it. I’ll be doing the same.
Simple rules of building relationships. Be authentic (I know how much you love that word, but it fits) and real. People can feel a BSer from miles away.
Be good to people. Recognize them when they create great stuff. Tell them thank you when they help. Let them know how they have helped you.
You’ve shared actionable steps that anyone can do. ??
Two words…NAILED IT! ; )
You ROCK, lady – can’t thank YOU enough for all you do and all you share with me and the rest of the badasses in the society!!
Hey Dre – First time I’m getting over to your site. I’ve seen some of the comment exchanges between you and Luke over at InterGeek, and I’ve been meaning to get over here for a while now. Just not enough time in the day you know…
Anyway, brilliant post you’ve crafted here. Your branding point really got me thinking. I definitely don’t consider myself an artsy kind of guy, and this is the piece that always seems to give me challenges. Your point about being a hobbyist or entrepreneur hit home with me. While this isn’t my full time gig, I do want it to be more than just a hobby. At least eventually. Need to do some work here.
I’ll also second your point about commenting. I’ve gone from being a nobody (ok I’m still a nobody really) to someone that is getting some decent engagement on my blog. I’ve had the fortune to interact with some pretty decent influencers and I attribute all of that to blog commenting. Yes it takes time, but it is definitely worth it.
I’ve think you’ve got me hooked here Dre. I’m picky about the lists I sign up for, but you won me over.
I’ll be back…
Craig
What up, Craig! I love that punk, Luke – him and I have a pretty epic banter that we lob back and forth. Anyhoo, it’s GREAT to hear this article spoke to your side gigging badass. I can’t speak highly enough about the power of blog commenting. Yeah it takes time, but so does any other genuine method of building a relationship. They don’t come out of thin air in real life, so it boggles me why people think they will online. Put in the work or don’t bother – that’s always my comeback!
Branding is a lot less about being artistic than it is about being clear about what you’re about, who you help and how you help them. It boils down to clarity, consistency and familiarity. Those three ingredients are MANDATORY to build an instantly recognizable brand that fosters that coveted know, like & trust factor. If you sign up for my list {and oh HELL YEAH I feel you on guarding your inbox like a piranha} you’ll get a copy of my ebook ‘The Quick & Dirty Guide To Branding for Solopreneurs’. It’s a pretty thorough guide that I think may help you on the ‘artistic’ side of things. No hard sell – just an fyi.
Big ass high five for the comment love and for coming back soon to lob some banter my way. I love that shiz….it feeds my solopreneur soul. ; ) ROCK ON, brotha…
Well, pleased to meet you, fellow sassy-pants! I just found you courtesy Google+, (an SM platform I know absolute diddly squat about) and now can officially add you to my blogging girl-crush list. I’m digging your attitude woman, and your content.
For me, it’s definitely all about being genuine, and kicking the “what’s in it for me” mindset to the curb. I’m doing all the behind the scenes stuff right now, preparing to launch my blog. My daily routine includes 2 hours every morning scouring the web for inspiration and info before I start working on my personal “to-do” list. When I happen across a post and/or site I love, I make a point of letting the blogger know. Not because I want them to notice ME, but because I want THEM to know how much I appreciate their work. I mean, I know they worked their ass off creating that content. If you love what someone did, don’t keep it a secret. Tell them, or share it with others.
It’s the Golden Rule, dang-it. And it totally applies to the blogging world too.
You’re rocking it woman. (And I mean that in the least suck-uppy way possible)
?
A-friggin-men to allll that, Whitney! I love that, ‘If you love what someone did, don’t keep it a secret. Tell them, or share it with others.’ I couldn’t have said it better! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you showering me with the non-sucking up love, girl. You should know your girl crush gave me a couple epic warm & fuzzies. My sass isn’t for everyone, but those of you that ‘get it’ are the only ones that matter to me. I don’t have time or patience for sugar coating, so straight shootin is just kinda in my DNA.
Google+ isn’t nearly as hard to tackle as the naysayers make it – it’s a platform that thrives on conversation and being yourself…which if you ask me, makes it a hell of a lot easier to tackle social. Send me a link when your site is live – I’d love to stalk ya up and see what your sassy ass is doing. ROCK ON with your badass oh sassy one…. ; )
As for Google+, I’m picking things up the hard way -trial and MOSTLY error – because apparently, that’s the only way I learn. I attribute this to a thick skull and sadism. But >>spoiler alert<<once I’m finally up and running, I’ll come hunt you down.
And I’m delighted about your epic warm and fuzzy experience. Those feel even better than a whiskey high!
Oh girl, you’re so speaking my language now…well, replace whiskey with vodka and I’m right there with ya. I welcome the hunt – I’ll even pretend to be surprised, just for you! : P
Hey, quick question – I’m been thinking about doing a free G+ mini course – would that be something helpful for ya??
YES! Yes it would.
Do you have any idea how many embarrassing blunders you could potentially spare me? Not to mention, it would probably get me out of that having-three-followers-I-don’t-know land of awkward I’m currently living in.
Cheers to that idea, woman. Seriously.
HAHAHA, blunder eradication it shall be! I think you just wrote the tagline for the course to…’Avoiding the blunders that come with being a G+ amateur’ – NAILED IT! ; ) Consider that donezo, girl. Stay tuned for the mini course…
Whiskey worthy cheers coming at ya!
I have a bookmark folder in which I put articles that hold my interest and will be useful for business purposes. I find that your posts, including this one, are prominently featured therein. Thank you for the well of knowledge and insight you are happy to share.
Gaines
High five for letting me into your coveted bookmark folder, Gaines! You ROCK…
As if telling me you had me in your influencer circle wasn’t enough ego-fuel, you go ahead and say “to me an influencer is someone with a deep level of expertise, that has proven they get results, that practices what they preach and has a powerful ability to foster implementation and action in others.” OHHH YEAHHHH! My melon-sized head is expanding by the second.
In all seriousness, I HATE sucking up, but I’ll happily do it if content is amazing and/or has helped me out in any significant way. That’s why you’re the bestest blogger ever ever EVER, with a cherry on the top [/suckup].
If I don’t like someones content, I definitely won’t lie and tell both them and the whole world about how great it is, I’ll just bitch about it in my head. If someone doesn’t like my content then I quite like hearing about it. It’s motivation for me regardless of whether I’m being told I’m shit or THE shit.
Be yourself, be real. If you’re mental – which I’m pretty sure you are – get that through in your content. You resonate well with people because of how real you are online, so there’s no surprise you’re such a hit with the *real* influencers out there.
Happy Thursday!
Luke
Intergeek
That’s exactly why you are in my influencer’s circle – you talk the talk and walk the walk. It’s inconsequential to me if someone doesn’t have a huge following yet or if they’ve made a raving success of themselves. It’s about who knows there shit and who gets people to get shit done. You my home dog, fall nicely into that category.
I don’t see giving genuine complements as sucking up, it’s more the intent for me. With that said, I’m off to go get your nose surgically removed from my ass. Just a day in the life of a badass…
Hahahaha, you’re too kind.
You’ll need a great surgeon!
Simply don’t get it. Everytime I noticed myself stopped on one blog (which is of course beautiful), I found out that is always a woman behing it. Men’s job is definitely too agressive. Must say one of the most beautiful blogs I have seen last couple of days. Of course, these are blogs worth reading. Exccelent tips insidealso. Thank, Matija, Slovenia
Hmmm, what can I say…Chicks ROCK! ; ) Thanks for the love, Matija.
THIS IS BRILLIANT. I could not not not agree more. (Hmm, I think I just used too many double? triple? negatives. Well, you get me. ? ) I will be spreading this far + wide. Thank you.
Daaaaaaayum, that means a lot coming from you, Erika! Oooh, an good thing I’m grammatically challenged, I didn’t notice that even after you pointed it out. hahahaha You ROCK, sweets…
P.S. What is the script font you use for your logo? I had a home dog ask me about that. It is a gorgalicious font fo show.
Love, love, love this!! For me, engagement is the key. I focused heavily on interacting with influencers in my niche. Commenting on social media posts, attending Hangouts On Air and sharing their posts. I managed to get on their radar before I even created a single blog post!
Your suggestion of a weekly roundup is a great one, Dre. It’s an effective way to call someone into a post without seeming pushy.
Another fabulous post!!
And you’ve done an EPIC job of building connections, Carrie Anne. In fact, you should create a product, post or checklist around your strategies. It never fails, I’m always seeing you interacting with another rockstar that I’ve only just discovered on the plus. Is there anyone you HAVEN’T built a real deal relationship with that you want to?
The roundup has really helped me open up dialogue with my fellow badasses, so I’d highly suggest it to anyone looking for ways to build relationship and authority in a new market.
For me, the best way to “catch the eye” of someone you want to get to know better, for whatever reason, is to be genuinely interested in what they have to say and do.
This kinda ties into your point 9 – but so many miss this simple approach, and then wonder why they don’t hear back. After all, if I can’t be arsed to understand the person I want to connect with, why should they be arsed to return the favour?
PS – brushing up on my mud grip!
PPS – You need to set up some form or comment reply notification system too. ?
Exactly, Danny! You shouldn’t ‘connect’ with anyone for any reason that isn’t real deal. A lot of it stems from entitlement and ego, both of which have no place in outreach or relationship building.
P.S How about I do that right after you optimize for Pinterest? : P
Pish posh.
You are fabulous.
—Sincerely, Hillary
Why thank you for the warm & fuzzies, Hillary! Right back at ya, lady…
Hey Dre,
These are some awesome ideas you have here. There are several im going to start doing whenever I can. Number 4 is especially awesome. I’m going to create a graphic and start doing that each week. What a great way to authentically get in the path of influencers. ?
P.S. I have the exact same fears you listed in your newsletter. Wow! I loved the ways to get past them you listed. Oh and by the way, you have nothing to worry about! You kick ass…not sucking up, just sayin’. ?
Oh yeah, the weekly roundup is so awesome pack for everyone involved, you’re going to love it, Jess! Send me a link when you do, I’d love to how you create yours.
P.S that means a LOT, girl!
Yet another badass post!! Thank you for this, I agree with everything you said! Engaging in social media has helped me the most. That is how we met right? ?
Eggszachery – how else would I have met the coolest girl in Thailand?? ; )
Hi, Dre,
I knew we were sisters from another mother! This is EXACTLY what I teach my clients and my readers – blogger outreach. And sometimes they ask me why they should do it and I point at my own success with outreach – guest post opportunities, more traffic and more subscribers.
Another great way to get the attention of an influencer – buy one of their eBooks, courses or coaching hours. They will always remember you, especially if you give them a testimonial afterwards or write a case study about their help on your blog.
Thanks for the great info! Off to share it.
Sue
That’s sooo true, Sue! It’s about building rapport and relationships, not being phony or kissing ass. I think all of us badass blogger newbies-ish are proof of that. High five for all the social love lady – you ROCK!