Engaging with influencers in any industry can be a challenge for social media account managers. One of the biggest hurdles is that first connection online, which is often a follow of some sort on Twitter, Facebook, etc. Even though it’s easy for you to make that first follow or friending from your side, to really connect with an influencer requires them to follow you too, which is not always easy. Anyone who is influential on a topic is likely a busy person who has a sizable number of gadflys hawking for their attention, so how do you stand out in the crowd?
Over the years we’ve found these seven tactics to be a good list to start with when trying to engage with someone. Check them out and see if they work for you.
- Reach out
This should always be your first shot at connecting. Short of the person you’re interested in connecting with being behind a private account, this is one of the best ways to get someone to follow you. If you’re funny, can pose a great question, or can help them out with something relevant to their needs, the likelihood that they’ll follow you increases exponentially.
- Be engage-worthy
If all you’re doing is sitting there like a bump on a log, no one will ever want to follow you. No one who you care about, at least. (Spammers would love to follow you, though) Your followers expect things from you, and it’s primarily things like being interesting, funny, or sharing great content. If you can’t create compelling content, then curate it. Find it and spread the love. Comment on the links you share, and look for feedback from your network to see if they like your choices.
- Offline connections equal online follows
If you’re fortunate enough to live near the influencer, find out if he or she regularly attends any networking meetings, conferences, etc. People are more likely to follow someone they’ve met in real life. It’s also a great way to exchange business cards, find new followers, and get a more solid connection with your community.
- Chat time
If your influencer is active on any Facebook groups, forums, or even Twitter chats, be sure to be a part of those discussions. The latter tends to be a great place to connect with people, because most structured Twitter chat events are weekly and are part of a hashtag that you can easily put into your saved searches.
- Faves and RTs
Twitter is great in that it tells us who follows us, who favorites our tweets, and who RTs our tweets. These are 3 separate, distinct ways to get in front of the person you want following you. Don’t blatantly RT or favorite every single link they push, but if something is interesting, timely, and is something you’d share normally, then by all means do it.
- Get on that blog
Do they have a blog? Personal, business, it matters not. If the your influencer blogs, be sure to comment on it, share the link, etc. Everyone loves their content to be shared, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that will get you noticed.
- Unfollow to get followed.
Following someone on Twitter is the easy part. But busy people are busy people, and don’t always see that “So-and-so followed you” message Twitter puts out. Days, weeks, and even months can go by and no reciprocal follow happens. If all else fails, unfollow them. But be sure to follow them right back as soon as the unfollow goes through. Why? Because it’ll reset the who followed you message and will provide a gentle reminder to the person you’re interested in that you’re following them. Don’t just leave it there, though. Be sure you’re actively commenting on their tweets, blogs, etc. so they know you’re an active follower.
- Bonus Tip: Do Some Recon.
Doing even 5 minutes of research on the person you’re interested in can pay off. Find out what you have in common, what their hobbies are, where they went to school, etc. Chances are pretty good you’ll find some common interest that you can use as an ice-breaker.
The biggest piece of advice I can give you, however, is to be real, be respectful, and be patient. Keep those three things in mind no matter how you choose to engage with someone, and eventually you’ll get there.
Just remember that getting someone to follow you is only part of the equation. You’re in it for the long haul, right? I’m talking about building real relationships with people. If you’re just trying to meet people to get something from them you’re going to be exposed. Make a real effort for a real connection and you’ll win in the long run.
What about you? What tips do you have to open up a dialog between yourself and an influential person? Let us know in the comments below.
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