Bring Your Social Media Marketing to the Next Level with Influencers

In today’s marketing arena social media is the place where people connect with each other for conversation, customer service, information, and now influence.
Successful marketers know who to make the right connections with. That is because these relationships affect a buyer’s decisions, which turn into sales.
According to a study by TheShelf.com conversions from content shared by influencers increase anywhere from three to ten times more than the average tweet or post.
The good news is that forging relationships with the right influencers is possible whether you are a small or large business. And the first place to start is understanding exactly who the players are on places like Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.
As your business shares valuable content your leads and customers will begin to share that information in social groups, Facebook Fan Pages, and forums. High level professionals in your niche will also be interacting in these areas, and especially on places like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
By engaging in the same places as your market where your competitors are also active you can grow relationships with those who have a high level of influence and are trusted by your leads and customers. This in turn will help build your business as a trusted source, which evolves into word of mouth marketing.
Here are four ways you can connect with the right influencers in your market who can help bring visibility to your brand or business:

1) Provide something of value

What can your business offer that will be of value? Maybe this is an offer to interview them for your blog or a mention in an eBook? People love to share their story as they know this will bring additional exposure and access to potential new business partners. Find out how your business can help theirs instead of asking them to give yours a leg up. That will come later after a beneficial relationship has been established.

2) Comment and participate on blogs

Find out where your influencers are publishing and the blogs your market turns to for information and begin to add valuable input to their articles. Share their content on social media and include any information that has been beneficial to your business in your tweets and posts.

3) Use LinkedIn and Google Plus to network

Professional groups can be a great way to connect with influencers because they are already interacting with your market. LinkedIn especially makes it easy to begin connecting with high level individuals. Start with at least ten and contribute helpful information, articles, and input to other posts in each group while paying special attention to the rules of each community.

4) Promote influencer events and new releases

Perhaps there has been a new product or book release or an important event coming up. Applaud and share what your influencers are doing and they will love you for spreading the good news. Be cautious not to over-do this tactic, but instead keep communication at a balanced level while building a trusted relationship.
After a time your business will begin to get offers for guest blogging, have your content shared, and attract more leads and customers after patiently building your network. Remember that the focus should always be more about giving than asking for help, especially at the very start of your process.