Find Your Social Media Influencers & Make the Most of Them

January 31, 2016

Social networks are a wild and noisy place. With 350,000 tweets sent every minute, it can be difficult to break through all that noise. Social media influencers can help.

The influencers are the power users. They are the experts and thought leaders with huge followings and trusted opinions.

These people are sharing content likes yours every single day. There’s no reason why your content should go unnoticed. Let’s take advantage of these influencers’ audiences and make them work to our benefit.

Define Your Influencers

First, we’ll need to define our influencers.

One obvious way to define influencers is by the size of their audience, but we all know how deceiving that can be. Instead, I prefer to choose influencers who are consistently active, have a high level of engagement for niche topics, and have a dedicated and growing group of followers.

Sound difficult? Luckily we don’t need to reinvent the wheel here.

Find Your Influencers

I like using RightRelevance to find my influencers because it makes this process incredibly easy. RR uses a pagerank-like algorithm that assigns a rank/score to influencers based on topical contribution and expertise. Just plug and play.

Open up RightRelevance and type in a category that’s related to your industry or niche.

For me, I’ll try 'personal branding.'

Add it as a saved channel so you can refer back to it later.

Then click the influencers tab and decide whether you want to filter by people or organizations. I want to target individuals, so I’ve clicked the “Person” option.

Finally, decide if you want to tailor it even further by location. Then scroll down and find the influencers that interest you. Make a list so you can revisit it later.

Don’t forget to switch to a new category and repeat the process. I’ve already used “personal branding,” but I could also try “reputation management” and “content marketing.

PS: If you’ve been active on Twitter for a while, check out your analytics page and find the top mention over the last few months. You might find an interesting trend.

Engage With Your Influencers

Influencers want the same thing you do -- engagement.

So give it to them!

Interact with their content and participate in the conversations they start online. Share their articles, retweet their posts, and comment on their blog posts. The goal should be to become a genuine part of that person’s community.

The point is to get yourself noticed. With a little luck, the influencers you target will interact with you, retweet your content, and might even link back to you in an upcoming article.

Get Influencers to Share Your Posts

Remember, these influencers are already sharing content just like yours. The key is to get them to notice your content over someone else’s.

Reach out to them -- via email, Twitter, etc. -- and share your recent article.

Make it short and sweet. Link to your article, explain why they might be interested and thank them. Get in and get out. The shorter the better.

When I shared 12 Twitter Tools to Take Control of Your Online Reputation, I emailed and/or tweeted people from every single company on that list. I got retweets from Canva, Buffer, RiteTag and a handful of others. Their enthusiasm completely catapulted my article without much of my own additional effort. Totally worth the 10-15 minutes.

Maintain Relationships with Your Influencers

Now that you have a list of influencers, make a point to revisit it. Reach out and interact with these people from time to time. Stay on top of their latest blog posts using a tool like Hootsuite Syndicator or Google Alerts.

These simple gestures are a great way to stay on their radar and show the value you place on the relationship. With enough social media influencers on your side, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an influencer in your own right.

3 Ways to Get Influencers To Share Your Content

January 30, 2016

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get other bloggers, industry influencers, and relevant companies to share your articles for you?

It’s not as hard as you think.

The key is providing a compelling reason to share your content.

And I’d argue that the easiest way to do this is using flattery. Everybody loves compliments, right? If someone wrote an awesome article about you, wouldn’t you want to share it around? I know I would.

With that in mind, here are three ways you can craft your content to encourage others to share it for you. As you write your next article, try one of the following strategies:

Quote Experts In Your Field

This is a no-brainer. Email a ton of the best people in your industry and ask them the same question. For example, I might ask, “What are your favorite non-traditional social profiles for SEO and branding purposes?” My article could then be something like 11 Experts Share Their Favorite Non-Traditional Social Profiles.

Make sure to explain the kind of article you’re pulling together in your email and make it clear the kind of names you’d be featuring. Don’t be bashful if you already have someone big onboard -- it’s more likely to convince others to submit their answers too.

The genius of this strategy is that everyone you quote has some skin in the game. Every time one of those experts shares the article, you’re expanding your organic reach and earning industry credibility along the way. Just remember to follow up after you’ve published to alert them to the finished product.

Loz James at WordTracker has a great example where he quotes 33 SEO experts on their link building tactics.

NOTE: If you’re not getting any bites on your emails, you can literally just dig through the blog posts of experts in your field and find the quotes that tell your story.

Highlight Awesome People or Organizations

Everyone loves to be complemented. Find some people or companies worth shouting out and give them some space in your article. Explain what makes them stand out and link to their website (everyone loves backlinks).

The benefits here are fairly obvious. Companies are likely to return the favor with a retweet or a share.

Piggyback Off Someone Famous

This is a fun way to shout out someone famous and piggyback off their existing success.

I might write something like 11 Ways Canva Has Completely Changed My Career. I can expect a bit more traffic thanks primarily to the name recognition, but more importantly, it might convince Canva to share my content. They’d love to have a glowing article like that shared around.

The best part about this tactic is that the person or company you shout out doesn’t have to be directly involved in your industry. In fact, you might intrigue even more people if they aren’t related. Wouldn’t you be interested in 7 Tips From Geico’s Gecko on Improving Your Online Reputation?

(Hmm... maybe I'll write that next.)

No, Geico’s Gecko hasn’t written anything about fixing online reputations -- don’t quote me on that -- but he has plenty of fun quotes out there from ads and whatnot. By pulling insights from those commercials and relating them back to online reputation, I can make a fun article that still gives readers important lessons about online reputation management. No guarantees on getting the lizard to share your content though…

Closing Note:

When seeking extra attention for your articles, it can be tempting to use crazy titles and even crazier content. But remember, it’s important to keep your blog in line with your brand. It would be pretty disappointing if your next article blew up but didn’t quote portray you the way you wanted. Get creative but don’t forget that you’re building your online reputation along the way.

How to Increase Blog Traffic

January 29, 2016

Sure, an active blog can increase your website’s authority, but we don’t publish written content in a vacuum. We want other people to read our work, like it, share it, and link back to it again and again. These social signals and backlinks are a critical part of improving search results and the way we’re perceived online.

So how do we drive more traffic back to our content?

Here are some of my favorite strategies:

Social Sharing

Perhaps the most obvious way to get people to see your content is to share it on social media. Post it on Twitter with a couple of popular hashtags. Share it with your connections on LinkedIn. Give it a chance to shine on Google+ and Facebook.

I suggest that you share a combination of your own articles along with those of peers in your industry. That way, you don’t come across as wholly self-promotional and people come to respect you as a source of interesting aggregated information.

My other suggestion is to set up an automated direct message on Twitter using Crowdfire. My direct message thanks new followers for following me and then points them in the direction of my most recent article or latest project It’s a good way to get traffic from people who have already shown an interest in your content.

Repurpose Your Content

I give an in-depth look at repurposing content on Day 17 of this challenge. To reiterate briefly, the idea is to take all your hard work and repackage it for another audience on another platform.

You can turn your article into a slideshow, use the content to answer questions on Quora, or republish on another publishing platform like LinkedIn Pulse or Medium. As you explore these options, try to remember to link back to your original article. You’ll direct more traffic back to your website and encourage people to read/learn more.

Comment on Blog Posts

Bloggers see a lot of comments, but the truly illuminating and remarkable ones are few and far between. If you can keep your comments consistently high quality, you’ll get the attention of the author and other viewers as well. This is an easy way to increase your visibility and start the networking process for guest posts in the future.

Your comments on industry blogs can also impact your reputation in a negative way. Be careful not to link to your articles too much -- the last thing you want is to become known as spammy and self-promotional.

Share in Communities

Sharing your article in communities is different than just sharing it on social media. Have you ever explored those LinkedIn Groups? What about Google+ Communities? If not, you’re missing out on a big opportunity to get your content in front of an engaged audience in your industry.

The nature and style of your conversations are going to depend on 1) the specifics of your online brand and 2) the social norms of the social network.

For specific examples of starting conversations within social media communities, read Day 24 of this challenge.

Paid Promotion

Paid promotions can be an incredibly useful supplement to a solid ORM campaign. You can earn engagement on Twitter, grow a wider audience of followers on Facebook, and send more traffic to your articles thanks to Stumbleupon or Outbrain. For an in-depth look at paid promotional campaigns, check out Day 25.

Bonus: Explore Your Own Ideas!

Have you thought about sending out a regular newsletter to your email contacts?

What about sending direct messages to your connections on LinkedIn?

How about this one...

When’s the last time you took a good look at your email signature? Chances are, it’s been a while.

Most people send out dozens of emails every day. Your email signature can be a terrific way to unobtrusively get important information to people who matter in your professional and personal lives.

Consider adding a line that encourages people to visit your blog or connect with you on social media. For reference, I’ve included what mine looks like here. I’ve recently added Bitly links on each hyperlink so I can keep track of how many clicks I’m earning.

Have some other fun ideas for driving traffic? Let me know in the comments :)

How to Start Real Conversations Using Social Media Communities

January 27, 2016

Social media conversations are just like real conversations.

The key to a great conversation is to start by listening. What are other people talking about in your industry? Does it differ from social network to social network? Spend a few minutes searching around to get a scope of the landscape.

You probably wouldn’t have the same conversation in the library as you would in a bar, right? Even if you end up talking about the same topic, you’re likely to abide by different social norms (whispering versus yelling) and have something different in your hand (a book versus a beer).

Consider social networks in the same light.

The nature and style of your conversations are going to depend on 1) the specifics of your online brand and 2) the social norms of the social network.

→ See if you can start a few relevant conversation on each of your social networks. I’ll explain some of my favorite ways to do this to help you spark some of your own ideas.

Twitter

Conversations are happening on Twitter all the time. Find some active businesses or people in your industry and see what they’re saying. Search for relevant hashtags and see what questions people are asking. Is there an obvious knowledge gap where you can be most helpful?

Here are a few specific ways to take advantage of Twitter conversations.

1. Alert someone to your article.

This is particularly useful if you actually wrote about them, but it can also be great if they fit into your target audience. When I wrote 12 Twitter Tools to Improve Your Online Reputation, I spent time personally tweeting each of the businesses I wrote about, letting them know I had shouted them out.

It took maybe 10-15 minutes, but I couldn’t believe the engagement I received. Nearly all of the businesses retweeted me, and some of my tweets really blew up. Just for letting them know!

When I tweeted @Canva, I got favorited 7 times, and probably earned some new Canva-lover readers in the process.

2. Ask a question.

Twitter is a great place to ask questions. If you trust a particular thought leader in your industry, consider targeting them. Otherwise, just ask the general public what they think about a particular topic or article. It won’t always blow up like Buffer’s tweets do, but you may spark some fun conversations along the way.

3. Start a conversation.

Did you read an interesting article recently? Chances are you’re not the only one. Try searching the title of the article on Twitter and seeing who else shared it recently. Tweet at them and tell them what you think. You never know what kind of conversation your tweet may spark.

You can also tell your audience a fun fact, a useful tip or an industry-specific anecdote.

When I tweeted @Crowdfire back in August, I received the most engagement I’ve ever received on a tweet in my life. 128 favorites! I hadn’t even written my 12 Twitter Tools article yet, but it made me realize the potential for articles like that.

4. Engage your active audience.

Sometimes you might tweet something and find that someone else tweeted back at you. That’s terrific! Take advantage of that low-hanging fruit and keep the conversation going!

Or, if someone has shared your content, take a second to thank them for the support. You’d be surprised how much a heartfelt thank-you can mean for long-term engagement.

NOTE: You can also get involved in Twitter Chats, where a group of Twitter users meet at a pre-determined time to discuss a certain topic. I don’t have too much experience there yet, but Buffer has an incredibly in-depth article about Twitter Chats if you want to learn more.

Here are four ways to spark conversations on the professional networking giant:

1. Comment on status updates

This is pretty self-explanatory. If someone shares an article related to your industry, make a relevant comment and try to start a conversation. Ask what they thought about a particular point or provide them with another article that gives a different view.

2. LinkedIn Communities

LinkedIn Communities are a fun way to have discussions with groups of like-minded peers. Find some communities that make sense for you and start by weighing in on popular discussions. Respond to existing comments, provide an insight or opinion, or even ask a thought-provoking question.

See what topics and discussions are resonating with members the most, and start asking similar questions to encourage engagement. Be wary about including links to your sites, especially at the start. You want to be seen as a valuable part of the community, not a self-promotional salesperson. If you’re diligent, you’ll eventually be recognized as a top influencer, which allows your posts to be seen by more people in the group.

3. Use status updates for engagement

You can obviously use status updates as a self-promotional tool. But a great way to get engagement is to share OTHER people’s articles, especially when you can tag them in your post. Use the @ sign just like you would to tag someone on Twitter.

4. Messages

Private messages on LinkedIn have a connotation of being spammy, but your efforts may be worthwhile if you can personalize your message for a few specific people. Consider asking for some folks’ opinions on an article, their thoughts on an industry topic, or feedback on your latest post.

Quora

There are three primary ways to engage in meaningful conversations on Quora:

1. Ask a question related to your industry.

Quora is a terrific place to get answers or start conversations among industry experts. Remember to first check whether or not someone has already asked your question!

2. Answer someone else’s question.

Quora is a great place to share some of your industry-specific knowledge and link back to an article if it’s appropriate. If you have a terrific answer on a popular question, you’re likely to get hundreds or thousands of views on your content. That’s a huge opportunity!

3. Ask someone specific to answer a question, either yours or someone else’s.

Quora’s ‘Ask to Answer’ feature is pretty neat. It lets you target specific people in your industry to get the quality answers you seek. You can ask 15 people per question, so make your choices mindfully.

Closing Note:

There are countless ways to engage people on social media. You can find Google+ communities that match your niche, comment on Slideshare accounts that fit your brand, and ask questions about a particular Instagram post. These are just a few of my favorite ways on some classic social networks, but I encourage you to explore your own.

How to Get Organic Backlinks Using Your Existing Network

January 26, 2016

Despite what you might hear, backlinks are still a critical part of ranking well in search results.

One way to earn backlinks is through publishing high quality content. If you write articles that people want to share and link to again and again, then you’re well on your way to earning your website lots of authority.

But given that backlinks are so important for rankings, is there anything else we can do to earn more of them?

Yes!

Asking Your Existing Network!

Asking your existing network doesn’t mean go and ask your entire address book to link to your website. You’re bound to come across as spammy, and irrelevant links won’t do you much good anyway.

Instead, make a list of websites where you’re currently mentioned and a separate list of websites where you ought to be mentioned, but aren’t yet.

Having trouble? Here are some common places:

Your company’s website
Your school/university website
An alumni organization
A philanthropic organization or charity
An author page from a web publication

For instance, I found a page on my company website, an author page from the Bowdoin Orient (my college newspaper), and an author page from Social Media Today.

Then, ask yourself the following questions about each website.

Do I have an ideal URL slug?
1. www.example.com/ryanerskine would be ideal
Do they link to my website or social media properties
Is it appropriate to ask for a longer biography or to have my name used more times?

I’m all set on Social Media Today. I have a link to both my website and Twitter, I’ve got a nice bio, and my URL slug is http://www.socialmediatoday.com/users/ryanerskine.

My company page is a mixed bag. I have a nice bio and my name is used several times, but there is no link to my personal website. (However there is a link to my BrandYourself site.) It would also be nice if I could get my URL slug to change from /rerskine to /ryanerskine.

My author page on the Bowdoin Orient is a good example of one with a lot of potential. There is currently no bio, no link to my website or social media, and my URL leaves a lot to be desired: http://bowdoinorient.com/author/685

Reaching Out

Once you have your list, it’s time to reach out. For my company, it’s appropriate for me to just ask the dev team, but I’ll need to send an email out to someone at the Bowdoin Orient and see if they can do anything.

No need to defend or explain yourself. Start with a small explanation of who you are and keep the rest of it short and sweet. Remember, you want to make this as easy for them as possible.

As an example, here’s the email I sent to the web developer at the Bowdoin Orient:

Hey [NAME],

I’m a ’12 graduate and a columnist on the Bowdoin Orient. I was wondering if it would be possible to make two small changes to my online author page:

1) Could we change the URL slug to be bowdoinorient.com/author/ryanerskine — right now it’s http://bowdoinorient.com/author/685

2) Would we be able to add a link on my author page leading back to my main website, ryanerskine.com?

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

He got back to me and explained that the two changes weren’t possible right now but that they were likely to change the system in the near future. It’s not an ideal answer, but now I can put that in my calendar to reach back out in a few months and see if anything has changed.

The process is actually very simple, just remember to remain polite and courteous. If anyone makes a change for you, remember that they are doing you a favor.

If you have any questions, reach out on Twitter and I’ll be happy to help.

How to Get Published on Major Web Publications

January 25, 2016

There could be a whole course on getting guest posts on third party publications. There’s a lot to learn about list-building, pitching, and maintaining editor relationships.

At the risk of oversimplifying, today we’re just going to tackle the basics.

1. List-Building Publications

The first step to getting published is to know the places you want to target.

If you already have some ideas, jot them down now. Is there an industry blog you’re particularly fond of? Could you publish on your company blog? What about the blog of an organization you’re involved with? A publication you have a connection to?

Get your ideas down and then it’s time for a little external research.

Do a quick Google search for the best blogs in your industry that accept guest posts. I might try “the best reputation blogs that accept guest posts” but I could also try marketing, social media, or something similar.

Then, do your due diligence. Once you find a list of sites, look them up to make sure they’re legit and their content fits in with your brand (and the content you want to pitch them!) You might want to check the sites out on compete.com to learn how many monthly unique visitors they get. You can also check them out on mozrank to figure out the authority of the page (i.e., how valuable it is for you to be on there.)

Of course, remember that getting on a decent site in your industry is better than none at all. Baby steps.

2. Find Pitching Requirements

The next step is to look up the requirements for pitching to particular publications. Some places ask for a specific subject line or certain formatting requirements. Ignoring these directions is the easiest way to get rejected.

This is easier than it sounds. When I search “techcrunch post guest post requirements,” the first thing that comes up is A Guide To Guest Columns On TechCrunch, a whole page on this written by TechCrunch for bloggers like us.

3. Building a List of Editors

Muckrack is a tool we use at Brandyourself to get access to email addresses of editors, reporters, and writers. I find this tool invaluable, but if you don’t have this kind of access, there are a couple of things you can do.

Look up the masthead. Do some investigation online to find contact info of the editors. Some publications will have names and email addresses right there on the Team page. Others will just have the names, but you can search them online and often find their contact info no problem. It’s not as if publications are exactly hiding from .
Use submission forms. Some publications, like the Huffington Post, have submission forms where you can pitch your blog post without having an editor’s contact info.

4. Draft your pitch.

The last step is to draft the email you’ll be sending out.

Here are some best practices I’ve learned from experience:

Use an engaging and simple subject line. I like GUEST POST: Name of the Title Here.
Address the person by name.
Explain quickly what the article is about and why it’s important for the publication. Maybe it hasn’t been covered yet. Perhaps it’s super timely. Or it’s right in their wheelhouse.
Keep the email short and sweet. Imagine if you had to sift through hundreds of these every week.
Copy and paste the article (with copyright free, cited images) directly into the email. I attach the word doc too but this extra step is useful because I’ve had editors tell me they don’t open attachments.

5. Send ‘Em Out

Once you have your list of editors, your publication requirements, and your pitch, then it’s time to send out your emails. Even with a terrific piece, this is primarily a numbers game. Remember that this is basically the email equivalent of cold-calling until you start developing some real relationships with these people. Try following up several days later and don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a nibble on your first try. It might take a few more articles and a longer list of editors before you begin forging those editorial connections.