How To Get Influencers To Help You Score Earned Media

Very few things in life boost the credibility of your brand like the praise of others. By delivering on your brand promises, you earn the respect and trust of others before you need it, and when you need it to make the sale, it’s already there, so says Seth Godin. That’s the power of earned media.

What is Earned Media?

Earned media is any publicity that you didn’t pay for and don’t own yourself. It’s the picture of an empty plate of a satisfied customer tagged “best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth! Nuff said!!”

It’s an article written on your business and published in the local business journal. And it’s even the positive word of mouth a client shares with a colleague that leads to a referral for new business.

Earned media is that third party validation that tells the world that someone other than you think that what you’re doing provides an excellent value and is newsworthy.

But unlike paid media (sponsored Facebook posts or native advertising), earned media is free. And although it can be used as a means to amplify your brand, which ultimately draws attention to content assets you own, it isn’t your company blog or website.

And one of the most powerful ways to rack up a good deal of earned media is through influencers.

Who are Influencers?

Influencers are individuals in a particular space who have the power to affect the actions of others because of their perceived authority and expertise. They’ve amassed a large highly engaged audience who respect their opinions and trust their recommendations.

Andy Crestodina, Co-founder of Orbit Media, has been credited with saying that every niche has influencers who have cultivated large audiences. To stimulate earned media for your brand, you want to connect with that audience and tap into the credibility of that influencer.

How to connect with Influencers.

Getting to influencers can be difficult. It’s important that you:

• Do a self-check. Take the time to check yourself before you reach out to your influencers of choice. You’re asking them to put their reputations on the line. They have nothing to gain but everything to lose it your brand footprint is less than credible.

• Do your homework. Find out who the key influencers are in your industry. Follow them on social media and subscribe to their blog or RSS feed. Consume their content and engage with it by submitting comments and sharing their posts. Be sure to tag them (they pay attention). You want to get their attention, but you don’t want to become a pest. Be respectful of their time.

• Be patient. There’s a reason earned media is often referred to as media relations. Just as you would an editor of a business journal, you have to pitch influencers with a compelling story. And this is where relationship comes into play. It’s fair to assume that you’re not the only person reaching out to this influencer, but you may be the only one who has taken the time to establish a solid relationship with him or her before hand. Taking the extra steps will pay off.

Getting third-party validation from an influencer is a big deal. With one post – one mention – your brand can go from obscurity to the limelight. And it’s not something you have to pay for (although you can pay influencers, but that’s really just paid media).

Your goal is to get on someone’s “best of” list. And those things don’t always happen organically. Having an effective influencer outreach strategy takes the guesswork out of it, and sets you up for a win.