Tips on Reaching Influencers as an Unknown
How have you cultivated relationships with influencers -- bloggers, podcasters, etc... - in your industry? I am a big believer in the maxim of providing value before asking for value. But as an unknown site with few connections in the industry, what are some proven ways I can add value for these influencers?
#marketing #growth
Cash
Thanks, but this doesn't work long term. My intention is to cultivate relationships, not get a one time shout out.
Totally understand your goal and maybe we are playing semantics, but I stand by that, even for long term. The ‘influencer economy’ is driven by cash, this goes for bloggers, vloggers, social media stars, etc etc. Even reputable publications like Forbes and TechCrunch offer pay to play options.
In the long term, these folks would engage because they see you as driving revenue opportunities for them. This could be via affiliate commissions, consulting fees, cross sell opps or something like that. But they are unlikely to offer much upfront without some sort of guarantee that they’ll be compensated for their time/energy/social capital
Interesting, thanks for the context.
Be human, be real, don't treat people like a transaction.
Show up where they show up, be friendly, look to build a relationship.
Understand what triggers them and what would make them say yes to something. Find your common ground on a human and professional perspective.
Start conversations with them. Get them to remember who you are.
I generally find the whole influencer thing icky. I much prefer to view it with a long term view as building your community.
Be relentlessly helpful.
There are a lot of market places that let you see the rates that bloggers and podcasters charge for promoting your product. If you provide the dollars, they'll provide the audience.
This is great for one-offs, not sustainable, IMHO. I am more interested in strategies for building relationships over the long term.