If you're extraordinarily lucky, influencers are working their magic on your brand's behalf with zero effort on your part—that's how loved your brand is. If your luck is rather ordinary, then somehow you've got to find influencers who might already feel positive about your brand and work with them on your brand's behalf.
But what exactly is an influencer? According to Missy Voronyak, director, social media and engagement for agency WCG, influencers are content creators who drive ideas that fuel conversations and sharing with current/potential customers, as opposed to advocates, who carry a trend and share and repackage content. So we've got a working, practical definition of "influencer," and in the graphic below, Voronyak breaks down the three elements of influence.
Voronyak strongly recommends submitting all potential influencers—those with whom you might develop working relationships—to the eight-step vetting process illustrated below. When you've found the perfect influencer to contact be sure to check out the latest FTC requirements here, here and here.
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