How to Connect With the Social Media Elite
Meeting people online is easy, right?
You just tap them on the digital shoulder, say hello and become instant lifelong friends. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. People are busy and they only have time to make connections with people that provide some level of value or benefit.
That’s true for you and its certainly true for the big name social media Elite.
You know who they are:
The Stuart Ross’s, the Jay Kubasseks, the Mike Dillards, the Eric Worres, an the Uli Rabeiro’s. (it’s my blog, I can list whoever I want)
You follow every word they say on Facebook and Twitter, you leave comments, and you “Like” their posts, just to connect and make conversation with the heroes in your niche. Occasionally they reply to you with a simple “Like” or an “LOL”, and you are on top of the world. I know the drill. I’ve been in your same shoes.
So Who Are the Influencers in Your Niche?
Chances are there are a handful of big named people in your niche that you’d love to get to know. Not only could you pick their brains and learn a lot from them, but you could also use your connection with them to add credibility to your own business. Let’s say, for example, you have a crafting niche and are connected to Martha Stewart on Facebook. That’d be a big deal, right? You’d be able to introduce yourself to her audience and establish a high degree of authority and credibility in your niche.
Same thing goes if you are an internet marketer. Lets say you have a few back and forth conversations with your favorite marketing mentor. Your customers and their customers will eventually stumble upon that conversation and that could give you instant creditability as a marketer. Which is a huge deal in that space.
Getting to connect with the Social Media Elite in your niche is beneficial in many ways. Here are a few tips to help you get to that point.
Having a few of these experts know who you are can take you from just being a customer to actually, at some point, becoming colleagues and eventually friends. Some great partnerships are created in this manner.
So What’s In It For Them?
You can’t just go up to Martha Stewart, Mike Dillard, Stuart Ross, Jay Kubassek, or even me for that matter, and just send a friends request and expect to get accepted or followed. Well, you could ask, but chances are that you request will just be ignored. It’s just not good social media etiquette either.
After all, there’s nothing in it for us.
Or is there?
Before approaching any particular social media influencer, consider what value you could offer them.
What do you bring to the table?
For example, maybe you could offer to interview them and include a transcript of the interview in your upcoming book or webinar. Or maybe you have some information that you can share with them that would help their business. Don’t assume they have all the answers. You may know something they don’t. You may be able to bring them value that they didn’t even know they needed.
Subtle suggestions are best to get your foot in the door. Most gurus don’t like to be told that they don’t know something so be subtle and genuine when you offer a suggestion.
Keep it Short and Sweet
When you’re initially connecting with a social media influencer, keep your message short and sweet. Briefly introduce yourself and make your subtle pitch. Let them know what you have to offer them and state your request and suggestion. Let’s say you have a suggestion for my website that may help me convert more leads or get more customers.
I would start with:
> “Hello, Uli, my name is (fill in your name here) and I have been a fan of yours for a long time. Your stuff is great and I would love the chance to connect with you if you are available. I am in the online marketing space as well and have learned a ton from your sites and posts. I may also have a suggestion or two for you that I have noticed for your website if you are interested. This is not a sales pitch, I just want to help if I can. Thanks in advance.”
A few things are important here.
Be yourself and be genuine. That needs to come out in your request.
Always send a message with your requests. Don’t just send a blank request.
Most importantly, DO NOT take it personally if you don’t get a response.
Another way to get noticed is to get involved.
Become an active member of that influencer’s community. Become someone they know and recognize because they have seen your name come up from time to time on their fan page.. Be polite, professional, and productive. If you are a funny person and you feel that they will understand your humor, say something funny.
Regardless of how you interact, always offer value when commenting or sharing information. Respect and professionalism will help you get your foot in the door.
NO spamming, NO link sharing, and NO self promoting on some one else’s page. That will get you blocked in a New York minute and banned from social media sites. Avoid at all costs.
I personally know some marketers that will block you the first time you try to pitch an opportunity. So tread lightly.
Be Polite but Persistent
Didn’t get a response the first time? Touch base a week later and ask if they received your message. If they’re like many people, social media is something that easily falls by the wayside. It can be difficult to keep up with. Try once or twice and if it’s not there, it’s just not there and move on. The last thing you need is to be considered a FaceBook stalker and blocked. That’s worse than not getting a response. Remember, don’t take it personally. Some of these folks are extremely busy ad some may not even manage their own site. Some of the bigger social media celebrities have social media managers that handle the daily activities.
Finally, consistently strive to create a top notch social media presence of your own. Share valuable information. Communicate with authenticity and transparency and be an active member in your own community. The movers and shakers in your niche will eventually take notice and maybe they’ll come knocking on your door instead!
I hope you found this information useful.
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