Leaders in your industry or genre have popular, successful blogs, write books, deliver keynotes, and are household names. Everyone in their industry – and usually in surrounding industries as well – knows who they are. Try these three social media marketing steps for finding and connecting with the thought leaders and influencers in your industry. It’s a smart, strategic way to increase awareness of your blog and grow your readership.
- Find these thought leaders on Facebook and like their fan pages. You may even be able to friend them personally. Social media marketing is about tact, not pestering. Don’t overpromote your blogs on their pages, but do make insightful commentary and let their friends friend you, like your page, and subscribe to your blog.
- Find these thought leaders and follow them on Twitter. Everything you tweet (especially if you tag them in it) gets seen by their myriad of followers – even if they don’t follow you back. Be sure to retweet and favorite their tweets as well.
- Find these thought leaders and follow them on LinkedIn. Send a connection request once you’ve read, liked and commented on their Pulse posts. It’s an organic way to make high-profile connections and gain brand exposure in a professional atmosphere.
Of course, the key to effective social media marketing is finding, following, and benefiting from these influencers is to know who they are in the first place. That means clearly, almost ruthlessly, identifying your target market and ideal reader. Once you’ve done that, then – and only then – can you identify the influencers they follow. Those influencers are the ones you need to approach, try to form strategic partnerships with, and build mutually beneficial relationships with. Go get ‘em! Stay up to date on small business and social media. Subscribe to my blog for more social media tips.