Twitter has always provided businesses with unique opportunities to get directly in contact with their customers and many use it to from influencer relationships for their brand and the brands of those they engage with. Now, amid developments like increasing criticism for Facebook and its sharing of user data, Twitter may become a more formidable social network. It already has more than 330 million monthly active users, a 4 percent growth year-over-year in 2018. More than 20 percent of American adults use Twitter, and 36 percent of those 18-to-29-years old use it. Journalists are the most prominent active group on Twitter that is verified, which means the network has confirmed the identities of this group of users and designated them on the social network with verification badges.
With a significant portion of millennials, adults, bloggers and journalists actively participating on this growing social network, this engaged community of Twitter users provides brands plenty of opportunities to connect with influencers. Influencer marketing can be one of the most effective forms of digital marketing because influencers are sharing products and services in a way that is helpful and relevant to their own engaged followers. If your business wants to find influencers who can spread the word positively about your brand, Twitter is a great place to look. Here’s how to connect with beneficial influencers for your business on Twitter.
Engage with Your Followers
First, start with who is already following you. An advantageous aspect to Twitter is that, unlike Facebook, you can directly message a user who is following you. This allows you to start a conversation and begin the relationship-building.
Ideally, everyone your account is following is someone meaningful. Who you follow indicates to other Twitter users the accounts that you perceive as important or valuable. If you’re following hundreds of spammy accounts in hopes of growing your following, influencers and savvy social media users will see right through that. As you follow accounts whose content you respect, your business will hopefully organically grow a follower base that is valuable, too.
Go through your follower list to identify accounts with pull. The verified badge is one clear indicator that, at the very least, Twitter acknowledges that this is a real breathing person with Tweets that mean something. As you scroll through your followers, make sure you’re following back accounts you respect.
Create Twitter lists so you can organize those you’re following. When you add a Twitter account to a list, that person is notified that you’ve done so. This signals to them that you’re interacting with their brand and might pique their interest enough to take another look at your account.
If you haven’t done so already, send a direct message to the accounts that are following you that have influencer potential. Thank the account for following you, tell them why you’ve followed back and are interested in their content, and leave the door open for future conversations. Influencer marketing is effective when the relationship is mutually beneficial. Sending an initial direct message that spams them with what you’re looking for right away might turn them off and cause them to unfollow you.
Once you’ve created lists, use those to Retweet content that provides value to your own followers. A list enables you to see only the Tweets and Retweets of the users on that list. This means you can curate content more easily on Twitter. As you Retweet and respond to Tweets, you can deepen the relationships with those you’re following.
Follow Accounts That Matter
If you want to gain an influencer relationships from Twitter, the first step is to follow the accounts of your target influencers. If you’re stuck finding influencers on Twitter in the first place, use a tool like Klout to search keywords that relate to your business and industry. Influencers will pop up, along with their Twitter accounts.
You should also search directly within the social network. Regularly, conduct keyword searches on Twitter to see the top Tweets for news related to your industry. Be sure to scan the full profile of a user before following. A single Tweet that pops up may not be reflective of the potential influencer’s overall brand.
Connecting with local influencers can be beneficial to a variety of businesses, too. These include journalists and bloggers, whose coverage of your business might inspire more widespread attention. At the very least, once you form relationships with these users, they may be able to suggest other influencers to pursue.
Get the Attention of Influencers on Twitter
Once you’ve followed influencers, be sure to segment them into lists so you can make sure you’re interacting with their accounts. Some ways to engage with influencers you want to form relationships with on Twitter include:
- Retweet and comment: Whenever you Retweet something, the user is notified. Go beyond simply clicking Retweet, and send a Tweet to the user about why you enjoyed their Tweet or the content they shared. Do this regularly, and the influencer may eventually follow you back, which means you can directly message them.
- Direct message: Once a user follows you, you should keep the relationship momentum going by messaging them. Do not send a copy-and-paste message to new followers. Again, savvy influencers can see right through this. They won’t feel special or interested in getting to know your brand. They may unfollow you altogether.
- Connect with them beyond Twitter. Usually, influencers will feature a website in their Twitter bio. Head there, and you’ll probably find other social networks you can try to connect on, as well as blogs and email newsletters to subscribe to. There will be influencers who post content on Twitter but fail to engage there as much as they do on other channels. Covering your bases by following as many channels as possible can increase your likelihood of an influencer connection.
When you’ve formally connected with an influencer – they’ve actually taken the time to message you back or send you a note – then you can work on developing an influencer marketing campaign with them. Be sure to explain how working with your brand will benefit their followers, give them something of value to participate, and be sure to share any coverage they give your business on Twitter and throughout your marketing.
Need Influencer Marketing Help on Twitter and Beyond?
Twitter can be a gold mine for influencer marketing and is just one channel where worthwhile relationships can be formed. Twitter works for a diverse array of brands, but it’s only one piece of the influencer marketing puzzle. Strategic focus and communication are required to create connections that can help your business.
Want assistance with your influencer marketing strategy? We’ll provide you with a free influencer marketing consultation. Contact us online, or call (303) 832-8193 for information.
