May 08, 2015

Marketers: Consider Recruiting Influencers to Create Meaningful Content

It’s not a question of whether or not marketers are utilizing content marketing today—as 90 percent of B2B companies do according to research presented at the B2B Content2Conversion Conference—but rather how effective is their strategy? And with 82 percent of senior executives reporting that content is what drives their buying decisions, it’s crucial that marketers know how to cut through the noise by creating more meaningful content.

According to Lee Odden CEO of TopRank Online Marketing, and a presenter at the Content2Conversion Conference, the best way for marketers to differentiate their content is to leverage insights from influencers to add credibility and value.

As such, Odden suggests that marketers create relationships with today’s top influencers. But, marketers can’t simply reach out via email to the top influencers in their company’s industry and expect an immediate partnership. Rather, they must recruit influencers by engaging them through strategic networking and stellar content creation.

Here are two effective ways to get noticed by influencers:

Use social media: One of the best ways to connect with the top influencers in your industry is through social platforms. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter are great tools to use to connect with professionals. For example, LinkedIn—a platform built specifically for professional networking—enables you to introduce yourself with an invite or leverage mutual connections to ask for an introduction. In addition, platforms like Facebook and Twitter are great places to join in on influencers’ conversations. For example, try retweeting or sharing their Facebook posts to steer their attention back to your business’s social account. Also, plan to post more compelling industry insights on your company’s accounts to inspire conversations from your following and perhaps land you on an influencer’s radar as a result.

Lend extra attention to your blog: For influencers to consider engaging with your brand, you must first prove yourself as an innovative thinker and content creator. It’s not enough to post the same bland posts with titles like “Three Ways Our Unified Communications System Can Improve Your Business” week after week. Instead, you must amplify your weekly content by leveraging compelling market research or perhaps playing the devil’s advocate on a controversial industry topic. Then, make sure you share your blogs on your social accounts to drive more traffic and spark more conversations. In doing so, you’ll gain more relevance and reputability in the eyes of an influencer—which boosts the likelihood of him or her interacting with your business.

If you want to add more value to your organization’s content marketing efforts, engaging with influencers is business savvy approach. But, if you need a little help beefing up your content to grab their attention—or simply to identify influences in your industry—a content strategy vendor can help you craft content with more impact.







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