How to be a B2B influencer: getting down to basics
Are you an up-and-coming change maker or do your peers consider you as a market mover in your industry? If so, then there is not a time too early to start assessing your potential or to focus on planning your niche B2B influencer strategy. Whether you like it or not what people find about you online forms part of their impressions of you. How long would these last? That would depend on your next courses of action.
This short article is a first in our business influencer series. We share with you three key steps you need to take to prepare yourself to be an effective B2B influencer.
What my peers and other trustworthy sources can tell me about my potential
The building blocks of an influencer’s effectiveness are trust and authenticity. To learn how to connect to your intended audience as a B2B influencer, start by consulting with your sources. They could be your mentors, trusted friends or even select clients. Find out their perception of you as an expert in your field. What are your strong points? Which areas do you need to develop further? If they were to reach out to you for advice on your expertise, which aspects would be those?
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Which social media platforms to stay active
Strategize using insights gathered from peers and your industry network. After gaining an understanding of your strengths and your unique selling points, have a think about where to find your target audience online. Which platforms do they use and for which activities? For example, majority of your target audience maybe among Facebook’s 2.75 billion followers (as of January 2021). But, are they using Facebook for professional networking purposes? If you’re getting keen on becoming a business influencer, then your target followers will likely come from LinkedIn’s 722 million members (as of January 2021). When choosing which platform to use to reach out to your audience, consider user’s intention.
What’s in my name online
If you already have years of industry experience and recognition, you’re likely going to come across digital footprints — instances where you were tagged in business event photos, in co-authored articles or in some form of involvement a member of industry associations. A quick Google or social media search will help you identify which content serves your personal brand a purpose and which ones are not. In case you come across content linked to your name that you find irrelevant, contact the website owner to have the information deleted.
Note: This short write-up was first published on The Stratisan Consulting.
