The 4 Hacks for Starting Conversations with Industry Influencers (In and Out of the Accounting Space)

Not sure how to approach influencers and grow your authority? Discover the best tips for starting fruitful relationships with industry experts.

Do you know the difference between an accountant and an entrepreneur?

Like most people, Steve used to struggle with being both. He used to focus way too much on doing the technical work at his firm. As a result, he didn’t work enough on the business side of things.

As you can imagine, this yielded many limitations to the firm’s growth.

Luckily, he learned how to turn this around when he joined Oompf Global.

He said that the work we did together enlightened him. Steve finally understood how to be a true entrepreneur and grow his firm. And getting a firm grasp of his marketing strategy was among the most valuable things he did.

So, have you done the same yet? 

Do you know how to establish yourself as an expert in your niche?

If not, you’ll definitely want to consider influencer marketing as a way of doing so. Social media is incredibly valuable to accountants, and influencers make it even more powerful.

In this article, you’ll see how to start partnering up with industry influencers. But before that, let’s see why you should do it in the first place.

Why Does Influencer Marketing Work?

The answer to why influencer marketing is so valuable is pretty simple:

Massive ROI!

How massive?

A Tomson study showed that businesses make $6.51 for every dollar spent on influencer marketing. What’s even more impressive is that the top 13% make $20 or more!

Similar studies show equally impressive results. 

According to Social Media Today, influencer marketing generates an ROI that’s 11x higher than TV, desktop, or print ads. They also found that 69% of marketers believe that influencers help them reach their target audience.

And if you need more proof, how about the fact that 74% of people trust social media when making purchase decisions? Or that Twitter influencers can increase purchase intent by up to 5.2 times?

We could keep throwing numbers at you, but there’s no reason for that. 

It’s clear that influencer marketing can pay off very handsomely if you do it right. If you get an influencer to back you, expect massive improvements in reach, conversions, and, of course, profits.

Plus, there are lots of ways to leverage influencer marketing. Some of the most popular strategies include:

• Affiliate marketing
• Contests and giveaways
• Social media takeovers
• Sponsored content
• Guest blogging
• Brand ambassador programs

Each of these strategies can help you dramatically improve your marketing and sales metrics. Having even only a handful of influencers on your team can transform your business for the better.

So, how do you get influencers to work with you? 

It all starts with reaching out to them and getting them into a conversation. 

Let’s see some hacks on how to do it:

Hack # 1. Have a Project That’s Worth Collaborating On

You can’t just reach out to an influencer asking for support. You need a crystal-clear influencer marketing plan that has a specific goal.

Do you want to expand your reach? Boost loyalty? Improve conversions?

The answer is probably “all of the above,” right?

But to do that, you need to choose a priority and know exactly what you want to accomplish with each of your influencer tactics. This allows you to communicate more clearly with influencers, which increases your chances of working with them.

Of course, you must also present the benefits that the influencer will enjoy. While money is the most common currency, it’s not the only one. Some influencers don’t need money but can benefit more from something else that you offer.

You also need to know what each of you will get out of a partnership before you reach out. Define a clear goal for your business and, at the same time, think about the influencer’s goals that you can help them achieve.

Finally, make sure that your project aligns with the influencer’s values. Almost nobody will risk their reputation for money or any other short-term reward. 

Reach out only when you know that both sides have something valuable to gain in the long run.

Hack # 2. Go to Where Your Industry’s Influencers Are

Do you follow industry influencers on social platforms? If so, which platform? 

More importantly, do you know where influencers hang out – both in the online and the real world?

If not, you have some research to do.

Look beyond the obvious, like Facebook or Instagram. Browse forums, dig deeper into your Google search results, and check out industry-specific apps. Go to YouTube, LinkedIn, Quora, and other places where experts in your niche might gather.

Plus, search for any relevant conferences in your area. It’s best if you can travel a bit further to expand your search. Stay up-to-date with all the important events and gatherings where influencers might be. And then, don’t hesitate to meet them there. 

Nobody will come knocking on your door until you become an authority yourself.  If you have yet to be one, you must take the first step.

So, find out where your niche’s influencers are and make sure you’re there as well. Don’t be shy and miss a chance to connect with them, as your competitors definitely won’t be.

Hack # 3. Understand the Types of Content Your Influencer Creates (And Adapt to It)

Contacting influencers out of the blue often doesn’t yield great results. That’s because you need to have a very compelling offer to establish a relationship from the get-go.

A much more fail-proof approach is to get your foot in the door first. And in the online world, you can do this through your content.

Pique an influencer’s interest by creating the kind of content they’ll engage with.

Does the influencer post reviews, tutorials, or informative content? 

Do they focus on video, photos, or written content? 

Where do they publish the most?

These are some of the main questions that you must answer before you try to grab an influencer’s attention. Emulate their content and show that you can offer lots of value with the things that you put out.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should outright copy influencer content to get them to notice and like you. Not only will this not work, but it will almost surely backfire.

Your goal here is to see the influencer’s overall style and then create valuable content with your own twist. You can share your influencer’s content at the same time to get them to notice you. 

When they realise that you have a lot in common, they’ll be much more open to working with you.

Hack # 4. Make Yourself Known by Commenting on the Influencer’s Posts

The secret to social media success is in the name itself – socialising. 

It’s not just a medium that you’ll use to put out content. Instead, it’s a place where you can nurture meaningful connections. This is the cornerstone of creating a VITAL firm in the online world.

With this in mind, one of the best ways to get an influencer’s attention is to regularly engage with their content.

Comment on their posts and provide valuable information on the topic. Or, just share your opinions and encourage conversations. 

The point is to stand out by showing a genuine interest in their work.

The last thing you want to do is to spam every single post with generic comments for the sake of getting attention. While this might happen, you’ll get the wrong kind of attention and leave a poor impression. And as you can imagine, this drastically lowers your chances of a partnership.

So, follow your influencer’s content and see how you can contribute to it with your comments. Offer unique and interesting information, and you’ll pave your way to a fruitful partnership.

Expand Your Network

As you can see, influencer marketing can be an invaluable addition to your business. It can maximise your marketing investments and yield outstanding results, for starters. 

But, this will only happen if you can get the right influencers on board.

Use the hacks above to set yourself up for a successful conversation with industry influencers. 

Remember that it all comes down to providing value before you ask for something. And you should do this before you even reach out to an influencer.

Spark their interest through your content and show that you’re serious about your work. When they notice this, influencers will be more likely to accept your offer. 

Align your goals with theirs and you should have no trouble joining forces to create highly effective campaigns.