The advent of social media has changed how businesses function across all departments – from sales techniques to marketing strategies to customer service efforts. And because word of mouth is currently the most trusted method of advertisement, there are many opportunities online for all businesses to use social media to their benefit. Social networks are ripe grounds for conversation through reviews, complaints, praise, questions, etc. and having this information can only help businesses. In fact, consumers tend to believe and trust the opinion of someone they know or a consumer review online over traditional advertising or marketing, making word of mouth one of the most powerful techniques in business. A glowing or scathing review from a trusted source can make a huge impact on a brand or a consumer’s purchasing decisions.

The Importance of Influencers How brands of all sizes can benefit from identifying influencers

Twitter AccountPublishTwitter AccountInfluencers

Tip: Influencers have the power to influence others based on spoken word or opinion. Find your online influencers!

Brands and companies should take advantage of the way social networks function. From celebrities to experts to the girl next door, more and more people are turning to social media to voice their opinions on products and services. These people can be considered influencers – people who have the power to influence others based on spoken word or opinion. Here are the two types of influencers to keep in mind:

1. Top influencers by impact (those with the highest following)2. Top influencers by volume (those who mention a brand or product the most)

Businesses of all sizes benefit from identifying influencers. There are highly influential social network users whose opinions the public trusts, and many have a hefty following to boot. These are the brand’s top influencers by impact – users who can act as top tier ambassadors for a brand by sharing their satisfaction with their large and impressionable audiences. There are also social media users who are loyal to a particular product or brand and constantly voice their satisfaction on their networks. These are the brand’s top influencers by volume – users who mention a product or brand frequently with an audience who trusts and values their opinions on consumer goods. With tools like Viralheat, businesses can identify the top influencers by impact and volume and contact them directly from within the dashboard.

Let’s take a look at how three different businesses – a major brand, a local business, and an independent music artist – can benefit from influencer identification.

Major brand – Kiehls Kiehls, the American cosmetics brand retailer, specializes in making premium skin, hair, and nail body care products. Considering its product type, Kiehls can reach out to its influencers and offer samples or discounts on products for the influencers to share with their followers or try for review. In this case, Kiehls should reach out to influencers who have the most impact as they have the potential to reach the biggest audience. Kiehls’ top influencers by impact include @BCBGMAXAZRIA, @saks, and @SELFmagazine – all names that would be trusted if they spoke positively about a cosmetic or beauty product.

Note: Word of Mouth is the most trusted form of advertisement..

Tip: Influencers can act as brand ambassadors - many have a large and impressionable following.

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Local business – Philz Coffee Philz Coffee, a local coffee shop in San Francisco, started in a corner grocery store and has expanded to multiple Bay Area locations. Today Philz is known as one of the best coffee shops in the U.S. Philz’s mission is to “better people’s day” by “serving an amazing cup of coffee and delivering really great customer service… one cup at a time.” A company dedicated to customer service can benefit from identifying influencers by reaching out in a couple ways - show appreciation with an offer for a discounted/free cup for being loyal customers or reach out to express gratitude through thanks or kind words. Philz Coffee can see who some of the most loyal customers are by seeing who mentions them most. Reaching out to influencers will help

Philz Coffee fulfill its mission.

Independent music artist – LegaciLegaci, an independent music artist group from the San Francisco Bay Area, recently toured on Justin Bieber’s “My World 2.0” tour as backup singers. Discovered by Bieber’s management on YouTube, Legaci went from recording homemade videos in the living room to touring the world with one of today’s biggest singers. Currently, Legaci is promoting a solo album and tour of their own so identifying and reaching out to influencers is important to their marketing initiatives. Legaci should reach out to top influencers by impact as they are trying to reach and influence the largest audience during promotion. They should also reach out to top influencers by volume because it allows them to connect with users who are already brand ambassadors as these users are already invested in their music and career by mentioning the brand multiple times.

Note: Influencers play a major role in content going viral.

Tip: Use a tool with influencer identification to help find your top influencers.

Identifying the top influencers is important to businesses because it allows them to reach out to those on social networks who can help make a difference in any campaign – whether it’s selling, promoting, or introducing a new brand or product. Remember that consumers believe and are more receptive to the words and opinions of individuals they trust. Reaching out to and developing relationships with top influencers is a powerful strategy, so if you don’t know who your influencers are yet, it’s time to find out.

Tip: Hearing directly from your favorite company is exciting - reaching out to your loyal customers will make them love you more!

About Viralheat: Viralheat is the social media management and intelligence company that makes it easy for you to manage social and put it to work for your business. Trusted by more than 10,000 brands, Viralheat combines social media management and intelligence in a single platform encompassing account management, monitoring, engagement, and analytics. With its comprehensive platform and flexible pricing, Viralheat easily scales as your social programs and business needs evolve.