​The Write Podcast, E29: How to Find and Work with Influencers in Your Content Marketing with Susan Moeller from BuzzSumo

It’s that time again… Welcome to episode 29 of The Write Podcast!

Today, I’m excited to talk with Susan Moeller and really dig into the ins and outs of creating, building, and nurturing influencer relationships for your marketing. This is a valuable conversation, because we discuss how to work with influencers the right way: treat them like real people and friends–then, tips on how to scale that.

Susan Moeller is not only the Business Development Manager at BuzzSumo; she also taught writing classes at the King’s College in New York City, which she helped reopen in Manhattan (in the Empire State Building’s basement!). Her background in writing has greatly contributed to her emphasis on good communication as the foundation of marketing.

Listen in for a wealth of information and tips, not to mention a fun conversation!

The Write Podcast, E29: How to Find and Work with Influencers in Your Content Marketing with Susan Moeller from BuzzSumo

• 1:45 – 6:25: About Susan. Susan has a varied background. In particular, the writing classes she taught underlined communicating effectively with your audience, and this principal formed the foundation for her later steps in marketing.
• 6:30 – 8:50: Why Influencer Marketing? Susan dives into why influencer marketing is so important to content marketing. On the outreach side, influencers help you expand your circle and get in front of people who wouldn’t have known about you, otherwise.
• 8:55 – 10:37: How Influencer Marketing Mitigates Content Shock. Susan shares some eye-opening stats about how many hours it would take per week to read all of the content continually produced about content marketing. In the storm of content, standing out is incredibly important.
• 10:47 – 13:03: When Is It the Right Time to Work with an Influencer for Your Marketing? Demystifying the Process. Lots of marketers think their business is too small, or it’s not the right time, to reach out to influencers for collaboration. So, when is the right time? Susan sets us straight: It’s always the right time.
• 13:05- 14:50: It’s About Give, Not Take. Instead of focusing on what you can get out of an influencer relationship, hone in on what you can give the influencer. How can you help them? Susan says that organic relationship-building will net you better results in the long run.
• 15:39 – 17:12: Real-Life Influencer Relationships. I talk about how just reaching out to people with the intention of being friends, nothing more, has been key to my own influencer relationships and marketing. Big tip: Approach influencer marketing like getting coffee with a friend. Be genuine, make a connection – whatever else comes out of it is a bonus.
• 17:13 – 19:37: Return to the Idea of Networking. As Susan points out, networking is nothing new. What’s different about influencers is their ability to inspire their audience to take action. They’re not necessarily celebrities, big speakers, or big names – they just have an engaged community.
• 21:00 – 26:00: How Many Relationships Should You Build? I talk about how networking and taking on influencer relationships is similar to how many friends you can realistically keep up with in your daily life. Susan adds that you can grow your influencer network by encouraging people on your team to make those connections on their own.
• 26:05 – 31:00: How to Measure the Success of Your Influencer Marketing. To measure your success, look at 4 main factors over the course of a year: content shares, shares from influencers, invitations to collaborate, and mentions in influencer content.
• 31:00 – 33:40: Takeaways for Better Influencer Marketing. Susan offers 3 major steps you can take this year to get going on building awesome influencer relationships. Find them below in an actionable list!

Susan’s 3 Actionable Steps to Better Influencer Marketing and Relationship-Building

1. Within the Next Week:

• Identify 20-30 influencers who would be a good fit for your business (i.e. people who are part of your industry, share your interests, are active on social and have engaged audiences)
• Follow them!
• Read, share, and comment on their content

2. Within the Next Month:

• Quote influencers in your content
• Buy and read an influencer’s book; leave a favorable review and tweet about it
• Develop a plan for what you can offer influencers

3. Within the Year:

• Attend an industry conference
• Meet the speakers
• Tweet at the speakers and comment on/praise their talks

Favorite Quotes to Tweet

Links Mentioned

• Follow Susan on Twitter: @SusanCMoeller
• Join Susan’s Facebook group: Women in Content Marketing
• Find Susan on LinkedIn
• Get my new book, Practical Content Strategy & Marketing
• See my all-new Practical Content Strategy Certification Course at www.contentstrategycourses.com – code WRITEPODCAST5 saves $49.85 on enrollment costs

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