By Joshua Nite

  When you think about who is influential in your industry, you likely think about professional influencers first. These are the consultants, public speakers and authors, the ones who give keynote speeches and have huge followings on social media.

These folks are absolutely essential as part of your influencer mix. Their reach, knowledge and professionalism are incredibly valuable. 

However, you need more than just these folks for authentic and useful content. To create the kind of experience that earns the attention of qualified prospects, you need to expand your definition of what an influencer is — and what influencer content should look like. 

Here’s how to optimize your influencer marketing to create authentic experiences that attract your most valuable audience.

#1 — Expand Your Definition of Influence

Who is an influencer? Now that Instagram models are using the word as a job title, it’s important not to forget the meaning of the word. Influencer (n.): One who has influence over a group of people. Someone whose opinion is trusted because of their experience and proven track record of success.

Some of the most influential people to your prospects don’t have a huge social media following or an outsized personality. They’re the ones who quietly build a reputation for excellence in your industry. 

For example, the CEO of Coca-Cola might not have millions of followers. But you can bet that when he speaks, anyone in the beverage business listens. 

The problem is that many influencer identification tools are focused on audience size more than this type of practical topical relevance. Tools like Traackr are getting better with it, but for now you may need to get creative. See who the executives at your most valued accounts are following on LinkedIn. Ask your customer contacts who they admire in the industry. See whose panel at the last industry conference had everyone talking, even though it was in the small conference room.

Our survey found that marketers are seeing the value of including these folks in their influencer mix. When we asked what qualities they look for in an influencer, follower count was 5th on the list. Relevance, trustworthiness and expertise all scored higher.

[bctt tweet=”“Some of the most influential people to your prospects don’t have a huge social media following or an outsized personality. They’re the ones who quietly build a reputation for excellence in your industry.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites” username=”toprank”]

#2 — Look for Influence in Your Organization

When you’re looking for subject matter experts, you may find you don’t have to look too far from the office, either. Your executives and employees have practical experience that your most valued prospects want to hear. 

It might be illuminating, for example, to …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog

Author: Aaron