The Ultimate Guide to Building Authentic Relationships with Influencer

Step 1: Identifying Your Ideal Influencers

The first step in your influencer marketing journey is pinpointing the individuals who hold sway over your target audience. 

While it may seem intuitive to gravitate towards those with massive followings, relevance is key. 

Tools abound to assist in this quest, allowing you to analyze data and uncover the influencers who resonate most with your audience.

Understanding the hierarchy of influencers is crucial:

• Macro-influencers: With expansive reach and sizable audiences, these influencers come at a premium cost.
• Influencers: Positioned in the mid-tier, these individuals wield considerable influence within specific niches or industries.
• Micro-influencers: Operating within narrower niches, micro-influencers offer cost-effective opportunities to engage with highly targeted audiences.

Tools like BuzzSumo and Klear can help you delve into the nuances of your target market, providing insights into content performance and identifying potential collaborators based on location and expertise.

Step 2: Garnering Influencer Attention

Influencers are bombarded with requests daily, making it essential to stand out from the crowd. 

Rather than approaching them only when you need something, focus on establishing rapport beforehand.

Social media serves as a gateway to influencer relationships. Start by following them on platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, engaging with their content, and sparking meaningful discussions. 

While it's tempting to shower them with retweets, moderation is key to avoiding the appearance of spam or insincerity.

When commenting on their posts, strive for quality over quantity. Generic remarks won't cut it; instead, offer insights, pose questions, or respectfully challenge their perspectives. 

By adding value to the conversation, you increase your chances of catching their eye.

Tips for crafting standout comments:

• Be original: Avoid regurgitating what others have said; inject your unique perspective into the dialogue.
• Provide value: Offer additional information or anecdotes that enrich the discussion.
• Initiate dialogue: Foster meaningful exchanges by asking questions or respectfully disagreeing with the influencer's viewpoint.

A well-crafted comment can pave the way for deeper engagement, laying the groundwork for a mutually beneficial relationship.

Step 3: Initiating Contact

For many, reaching out to an influencer is the most daunting aspect of the process. Given the importance of this initial connection, certain considerations should be taken into account:

Avoid Automated Outreach

While automated outreach tools have their merits, manual outreach is preferred for establishing genuine connections, particularly for long-term relationships. It's worth the effort to ensure accuracy and personalization.

Craft Compelling Subject Lines and Introductions

Influencers receive numerous messages daily, making it crucial to capture their attention with engaging subject lines and intros. Avoid generic or spam-like subject lines, opting for concise yet informative openings that resonate with the recipient.

Ensure Clarity and Brevity

Long-winded messages risk being overlooked. Keep your communication brief and to the point, ideally around 100-120 words, to convey your message effectively.

Offer Genuine Flattery

Sincere compliments can be effective in fostering goodwill, provided they're genuine and heartfelt. Acknowledge the influencer's contributions and express appreciation for their work.

Step 4: Extending Collaboration Opportunities

Another effective strategy to foster relationships with influencers is by inviting them to collaborate. 

When influencers are involved in creating content, they are more inclined to share it with their audience.

Engaging influencers in activities such as expert interviews, guest posts, or webinars with guest speakers presents ideal opportunities for co-creating content. 

However, keep in mind that such collaborations require time and effort from both parties. Especially when you're still in the early stages of building rapport, it's wise to be considerate of the influencer's time. 

You don't necessarily need to conduct extensive interviews; even incorporating brief quotes, tips, or insights from relevant influencers can greatly enhance your content.

Adopting a modular approach can also be fruitful, where small contributions from various influencers are compiled into comprehensive articles or posts. 

This approach minimizes the time commitment for influencers while facilitating their participation.

A notable illustration of this approach is the SEMrush Twitter Chat, which occurs weekly on various SEO topics, featuring renowned specialists from the field. 

Continuously nurture the relationship by sharing the influencer's content, engaging with their posts, and remaining on their radar. 

Expressing gratitude is crucial; whether through private messages or public acknowledgments, thanking the influencer demonstrates appreciation for their contributions and introduces them to your audience, further amplifying their influence.

Additionally, offering assistance to the influencer demonstrates genuine interest in reciprocating support, laying a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial relationship