Today’s tip: Foster a network of advocates and influencers.
What or who are advocates and influencers? Advocates are those people who have an affinity for your brand and who are trusted by your target market in a way that you as the brand cannot command. There’s a statistic out there that says 92% of consumers rely on referrals from people they know above all else. Advocates can be current customers, but they can also be your employees or partners.
When selecting advocates, ask yourself if they understand and can speak accurately about your brand. Are they storytellers, network builders, or rising stars? What value will they add to your brand if you engage with them and they with others? What kind of compensation might they want? This is not always monetary. It may be in the form of acknowledgement or some other recognition. For example, you can help a blogger grow by promoting their blog on your own social media channels.
Influencers are those “web celebrities” who have a significant audience and can drive people to your brand by commenting on it, blogging about it, and recommending it. Influencers are trusted by prospects because they are seen as experts.
What to think about when choosing your influencers: First, are they relevant to your brand? Do they have significant audience engagement? How often do they post and are those posts professional in nature? Do they want to develop a relationship with you? Do you each understand each other’s goals? Do they expect compensation?
Depending on your own goals, one or both of these networks could work for you. Probably the most important thing to remember here is that you are building relationships. You’re not selling your brand. If you do this right, that’s what your advocates and influencers will do.
TechniGrafic Solutions, Inc.
Internet Marketing and Lead Generation
getlocalweb.us