How can you identify social media influencers to support your community building efforts?

Social media influencers are individuals who have a large and engaged following on one or more platforms, and who can affect the opinions, behaviors, and decisions of their audience. They can be valuable partners for your community building efforts, as they can help you reach new potential members, increase your brand awareness, and boost your credibility. But how can you identify the right influencers for your community goals and values? Here are some tips to help you find and connect with relevant and authentic influencers.

1 Define your niche and audience

Before you start looking for influencers, you need to have a clear idea of what your community is about, who you are targeting, and what you want to achieve. This will help you narrow down your search and focus on influencers who share your niche, audience, and vision. For example, if your community is for vegan food lovers, you might want to look for influencers who post about vegan recipes, products, and lifestyle.

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Chelsea Holifield

Creative Communications Specialist | Transforming Data into Strategy | Wearer of Many Hats ðŸŽ©
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There is truly an online community for everything! Your first job is to figure out who your current audience is and how you want to build beyond that. Is there a subset of your audience that is your most loyal? Most engaged? Most profitable? Influencers are subject matter experts. Clearly outline your community building objectives first, then figure out what kind of expert can help you achieve those goals.

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2 Use tools and platforms

There are many tools and platforms that can help you find and analyze influencers based on different criteria, such as location, industry, keywords, followers, engagement, and content. Some examples are BuzzSumo, Upfluence, and AspireIQ. These tools can help you discover influencers who are relevant to your niche and audience, and who have a high level of influence and trust among their followers. You can also use them to compare different influencers and see how they perform and interact with their audience.

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Sakshi Jalan

Client Account Manager for Digital Marketing Agencies | Building Brands & Empowering Careers
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Utilize various tools and platforms designed to discover and analyze influencers in your industry or niche. Tools like Upfluence, Hootsuite, or social listening tools can help identify influencers based on audience size, engagement rates, and content relevance.

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3 Check their content and engagement

Once you have a list of potential influencers, you need to dig deeper into their content and engagement. You want to make sure that they produce high-quality, consistent, and original content that aligns with your community values and goals. You also want to check how they engage with their followers and other influencers, and how their followers respond to their content. Look for indicators of authenticity, such as personal stories, opinions, feedback, and recommendations. Avoid influencers who have fake or bought followers, spammy or irrelevant content, or low or negative engagement.

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Sakshi Jalan

Client Account Manager for Digital Marketing Agencies | Building Brands & Empowering Careers
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Assess the quality and authenticity of the influencer's content. Look at the engagement metricsâ€”likes, comments, sharesâ€”to gauge their influence and audience responsiveness. Authentic engagement is key; high follower counts aren't always indicative of influence.

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4 Reach out and build relationships

The final step is to reach out to the influencers who match your criteria and interest you the most. You can contact them via email, direct message, or comment, depending on the platform and the level of connection you have with them. You should introduce yourself and your community, explain why you are interested in working with them, and propose a collaboration idea that benefits both parties. You should also be respectful, professional, and transparent, and avoid being too pushy or demanding. Remember that influencers are busy and receive many requests, so you need to stand out and show them the value of your community. Once you establish contact, you should maintain and nurture the relationship by providing feedback, support, and recognition.

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Sakshi Jalan

Client Account Manager for Digital Marketing Agencies | Building Brands & Empowering Careers
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Engage with potential influencers by liking, commenting, and sharing their content. Initiate genuine conversations and express interest in collaborating. Building a relationship before directly pitching your community-building efforts can establish trust and rapport.

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Chelsea Holifield

Creative Communications Specialist | Transforming Data into Strategy | Wearer of Many Hats ðŸŽ©
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Building relationships with influencers before pitching work is crucial for establishing trust and creating a more effective collaboration. This may seem obvious, but make sure you're following their account from your brand page! Share thoughtful comments that demonstrate your genuine interest in their work and provide value to them before seeking anything in return.

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5 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that donâ€™t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Vigho Teri

Digital Marketing | Brand Management & Comms | Business Development
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Aim for long-term relationships with influencers who prove to be valuable contributors to your community. Building lasting partnerships can lead to sustained community growth. The goal is to find influencers who not only have a significant following but also authentically connect with their audience and share common values with your brand.

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How can you identify social media influencers to support your community building efforts?

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1 Define your niche and audience

2 Use tools and platforms

3 Check their content and engagement

4 Reach out and build relationships

5 Hereâ€™s what else to consider

Social Media Management

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