Build relationships with influencers and provide value before you want or need something from them.<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t just the polite thing to do. It will also increase your chances of getting influencers to do what you\u2019re asking of them.<\/p>\n
Robert Cialdini, perhaps the world\u2019s top expert on persuasion and compliance, claims that all compliance tactics fit into six psychological principles. Two in particular are especially helpful when dealing with influencers.<\/p>\n
According to Cialdini, \u201cPeople prefer to say \u2018yes\u2019 to those they know and like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Think again about the party scenario, but replace the stranger with a friend. Aren\u2019t you more likely to help them out with a request?<\/p>\n
So how do get influencers to like you?<\/p>\n
Here are a couple of things you can do.<\/p>\n
Give honest compliments.<\/strong> Everyone loves flattery. Even people who are already admired by thousands of their peers and followers.<\/p>\n This is easy to do in today\u2019s connected world. Simply shoot an email to the person or do it in a more public way by mentioning them on social media or leaving a comment on their blog. But don\u2019t just write \u201cgreat post\u201d or some other generic compliment. Let the influencer know specifically what you liked and how it will help you or your comment will be seen as a BS attempt to kiss his or her butt.<\/p>\n Find common ground.<\/strong> We bond with people who are similar to us. So if you can find and mention something you have in common, you have a better chance of forming a bond.<\/p>\n The second principle of influence you can use to get influencer’s help is reciprocation. When someone does something for us, we feel indebted to him or her. If you get a Christmas card from someone who isn\u2019t already on your list, don\u2019t you make sure to send her a card, too?<\/p>\n For this reason, it\u2019s important to do something for the influencers you\u2019ve identified before you ask for anything. Share their work with your network. Feature them in your content. Provide a testimonial. Make an introduction to one of your contacts. There are a lot of ways you can add value.<\/p>\n Jason Quey offers a great guide<\/a> on how to do that.<\/p>\n Influencers are busy people. And the more in-demand they are, the more competition you face for their attention. Neil Patel illustrates this well in this page of QuickSprout.com.<\/p>\n Influencers need to prioritize when they get this many requests. And if you aren\u2019t well known or personally connected with them, you aren\u2019t likely be very high on that list. But there is a way to fix that.<\/p>\n What to do instead.<\/strong><\/p>\n Target mid-tier influencers and work your way up. There\u2019s a little less competition for their time. And the best part: Influencers are often on other influencer\u2019s radars. So once you start having success with these people, you have a better chance of getting noticed by even bigger influencers.<\/p>\n Think about it like this. If you had a political cause you\u2019re passionate about, how much luck do you think you\u2019d have trying to go straight to the president?<\/p>\n But if you start by rallying community support, that could get the attention of local politicians. And if they spoke out about the cause, you could gather support of state representatives. And it could eventually build like that all the way to the top.<\/p>\n Look for influencers who have a larger active following than you currently have, but not as many as the mega followers. But it\u2019s not just the size of an audience that makes someone and influencer. Try to find people who actively engage their audience.<\/p>\n Build relationships with these people. Then, slowly work your way up to connecting with mega influencers over time.<\/p>\n How you ask for what you want is just as important as what you\u2019re asking for. And I don\u2019t mean just saying \u201cplease.\u201d<\/p>\n I mean being friendly, authentic, personal and respectful. And far too many aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I use a great template,\u201d you’re saying to yourself. \u201cIt worked gangbusters for the person who shared it with me.\u201d<\/p>\n It may well have worked for them. But once everyone starts using it, influencers recognize it for what it is. And they delete it, as Tim Soulo of Ahrefs explains, without remorse<\/a>.<\/p>\n Can you blame them? An obvious template says that you\u2019re too lazy to take the time to reach out with a personal email. Or that you don\u2019t respect them enough to do it.<\/p>\n Often the templates themselves suck, too. They provide no value to the influencer. Instead, it\u2019s all about the person doing the outreach.<\/p>\n What to do instead.<\/strong><\/p>\n First, focus your strategy. Instead of spamming every influencer you can find, identify a handful of people who would truly get value from your outreach. Make sure that reason is specific to each person. No generic \u201ctheir audience would love it\u201d or \u201cthey\u2019ve written about something similar\u201d is going to cut it.<\/p>\n As you craft your email, imagine you are in their shoes. Why would you share, link to or do whatever it is you\u2019re asking of them? Again, make it as specific and unique to each as possible.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be pushy. Nobody likes to be told what to do. Some marketers say they have more successes asking influencers if they would like to view the content rather than sending it in the initial emails and asking for a share or link.<\/p>\n Be concise and make it easy for the person to do what you\u2019re asking. Remember, these are busy people who receive a ton of email.<\/p>\n Rand Fishkin provides a good framework in this Whiteboard Friday<\/a>.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not going to lie and say that building relationships with influencers is easy or quick. It takes time and work. But the results are well worth the effort.<\/p>\n The key is to start making connections before you need anything from those people. After you\u2019re done reading this sentence, make a list of the influencers you want to connect with and figure out the best ways you can add value for them.<\/p>\n Feature Photo credit:Peter Alfred Hess<\/a> \/ Foter<\/a> \/ CC BY<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It sounds so simple, doesn\u2019t it? Reach out to influencers in your industry. Get them to spread the word with their followers. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nYou\u2019re aiming too high, too fast<\/h3>\n
![\"Neil](\"https:\/\/mlzf3ramde6k.i.optimole.com\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/ig:avif\/https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.seankirbycopy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Contact-Neil-Patel.png?resize=813%2C3902&ssl=1\")
<\/a>Your outreach emails suck<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h3>\n