Select Social Media Influencers with Care

Too often I see Brands on Twitter & Facebook  randomly picking and choosing any "influencer" they come across that they feel will be a driving force in building brand enthusiasm for their brand.
Their decision often swayed by the number of twitter followers or FB fans as opposed the more important details they should be looking for in someone to work with. As in any work relationship, what is it that qualifies that specific individual to be a part of your team? Fit, Rapport (Relationship) and Background (experience, knowledge, etc.)


Coming from an HR background, if I was to hire someone for one of my positions, I make sure to do my research on that candidate. After all, they will be a reflection on your business. They can make or break your reputation.
You can have someone advocating anti-bullying and yet looking at their tweets, they are rude, condescending and ignorant towards their followers. You may want to market coffee for example, yet looking at tweets that person hasn't even had a coffee a day in their life.

Bottom line: Make sure to do your research before selecting a Social Media Influencer.

I've had brands approach me that I've had to decline working with only because I know that I would never have interest in what their brand has to offer. I'm not going to take it because I get compensated for it.

The same ways, I have approached brands that I know would work well with me and my demographic of readers. It just makes sense.

I came across this great article written by Mia Pearson for a column she wrote on the Globe and Mail with this exact topic.

SELECT SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS WITH CARE

Influencers are that group of social media stars who always seem to be invited to the best parties or get the hottest new gadgets or clothes early and free.

Their Klout scores are double those of a regular person. They fill up your Twitter feed with pictures of their latest exploits, and they would have you believe their blogs get more views than your favourite magazine.

Some brands and agencies swear by influencer programs as a great way to reach potential customers, while a lot of pundits are speculating that the time for influencers is effectively up.

Both camps make some good points, so if you are thinking of starting an influencer program, here are a few things to keep in mind.

Look for a fit

It’s surprising how many brands seem to jump on the influencer bandwagon without carefully evaluating whether or not the fit will work for their company or industry.

Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense. If you can’t find any influencers who really suit what you’re trying to do, pull the plug. When the only people at your fashion event are tech influencers, people can tell that you’re reaching, and it will negatively affect your brand.

Be wary of the numbers

The recent changes to Klout’s algorithm and the subsequent outpouring on Twitter proved just how many people pay close attention to their scores.

No doubt, for some, it is pure competitiveness, but a lot of people have a vested interest in keeping their Klout scores high. They’re showing up on résumés for social media types, but agencies and companies also use those scores as a way of identifying influencers to team up with. For some, that’s all they use.

There is no doubt that Klout scores do show how active a person is on social media. The more platforms people use and the more frequently they use them, the higher their scores.

But just like the daily views of a website, the size of a Facebook fan page or the number of Twitter followers someone has, quantity doesn’t always win out.

Do your research. You will likely get better results from working with someone who has 300 really dedicated followers than someone with 10,000 people who follow them because they are likely to say inappropriate things.

Go long-term

One of the reasons agencies like influencers is because they have relationships with them and can count on them to Tweet about an event or do a quick review of a product in a way they can’t count on traditional media.

But, where’s the brand loyalty? critics ask. One day an influencer is singing the praises of your new product, and the next, the influencer is at your competitor’s launch.

Try to establish long-term relationships with key influencers. That could involve bringing that person in-house for a special project or a series of blog posts around a certain theme, for instance.

A carefully selected partnership will be mutually beneficial. The influencer can become a brand ambassador in a true sense while gaining credibility for his or her own brand by connecting with yours.

The social media influencer isn’t dead. This can be seen in so many examples. With women being one of the highest users of social media, credible Mommy bloggers have become real movers. The same goes with fashion, on-campus and technology personalities.

Select carefully. Aligning with well-respected influencers can still make a difference.

Special to The Globe and Mail

Mia Pearson is the co-founder of North Strategic. She has more than two decades of experience in creating and growing communications agencies, and her experience spans many sectors, including financial, technology, consumer and lifestyle.

Credits: www.theglobeandmail.com

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Brown Nosers in Social Media

Credit: BigStockPhoto.com

I’ll be blunt with you. I can’t stand Brown-Nosers. I refuse to be one. I hate it when newer folks in my niches do it to me. And I’m embarrassed for colleagues who think their transparent brown-nosing sneaks by their savvy readers and followers as good old fashioned networking.

Here’s the thing though. The social media crowd often encourages this behavior. Recently I stumbled across a nearly vomit-inducing blog post on how to identify and get the attention of “A-list” bloggers so they’ll become pals and help promote your wares to their awe-inspiring audiences. I also came across a blog post about how to "brown-nose" your way to working with Brands.

People covet that “A-list” label just as some are self-proclaimed gurus. Personally, I’ve had enough of it. Have you? Or are you willing to pucker up in the hopes of riding someone else’s coattails to achieve social media success rather than earning it on your own?

What Constitutes Being a Kiss-Ass in Social Media?

Not sure what would earn you that kiss-ass status? Here are a few examples:

• You actively pursue relationships with Big Brands on Twitter/Facebook and “A-listers” just because they’ve achieved that mythical status, and because you want to get something out of them (namely partnerships, being able to review one of their hot products, joint promotions or exposure with their audience as opposed to a more meaningful professional relationship).
• You constantly rave about, link to, or promote someone in the hopes that they’ll eventually notice poor little you and honor you with their virtual presence (or again, give you some bit of that influence they supposedly have).
• You’re so busy supporting your social media idols in the hopes that some of their success will trickle down to you that you don’t go out there and do your own thing or provide your own value.
• You stop maintaining relationships with colleagues, readers, or others in your network simply because they’re not “big enough” to help you increase your status anymore.
• You do some or all of this because you can’t wait for people to kiss your ass someday.

While these folks tend to stand out in a less than positive light, I don’t think most involved in social media fit the profile (thank you, thank you, thank you!).

Why You Don’t Have to Be One

If the near-permanent attachment of lips to ass doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. You can do just fine in the social media world on your own. How do I know that? Well, think for a minute. How did those so-called “A-listers” achieve that status when they were there so early in the game that there were no other “A-listers” to leech onto? Here are a few things they did, and things that you can do too:

• They provided valuable information to members of the audience they wanted to build.
• They networked with people who could teach them things, people who could learn from them, and yes even the little guys who tried to strike up conversations.
• They, in most cases, don’t seem to get too big for their britches. They value people in their networks equally (aside from obvious distinctions like casual acquaintances online versus best buds in the business who meet for lunch once a week). They understand that today’s Joe Schmo could be tomorrow’s Zuckerberg, and even if he’s not there is still value in that relationship.

People do notice (and talk) when you act like a snot-faced little suck-up who’s only around when there’s something in it for you. They notice when you only get attention from the big names if you lavish gifts of praise. But people also notice when you genuinely care about them. So act like it (or better yet, actually do it). Figure out what you have to offer and what might set you apart. Then your success with social media is to no one’s credit but your own, and you can build deserved attention rather than practically begging for it.

How do you feel about kiss-asses in social media, trying to rise in the popularity food chain on the backs of others rather than focusing on their own more legitimate presence with their wider audience? Do you get sucked into some of these behaviors? Which ones, and why? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts.

Credits: bigstockphoto.com

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