Word of Mouth MarketingAnne Cull of ThinkViralKC,advises small business executives to begin growing their marketing buzz by identifying 10 top influencers.  These are people who know you, who will refer you and whom you trust.  It’s the current trend in word-of-mouth strategies.

Word of mouth marketing, as defined by the Word of Mouth Association, is “motivating people to talk about your service or cause and making it easy for that conversation to take place.”

In today’s marketplace, when consumers are bombarded with more than 1,000 marketing messages a day, traditional “buy  me” marketing no longer converts to purchase.  Instead purchasing decisions are influenced by authentic, honest information delivered by those you trust.

So, how do you build relationships with influencers?

  1. Take the John F. Kennedy approach. Ask not what your influencer can do for you, but instead what can you do for your influencer. Begin with a heart-felt recommendation of them to your circle of friends.
  2. Become an authority worthy of recommendation.  When you create educational and inspiring content, you become an authority on the topic.  With time, your influence grows.
  3. Toot their horn. Write an article, or blog and include them in it.  Tweet, text, facebook or send them a LinkedIn message to let them know they are in your article.
  4. Ask. Statistics show that the #1 reason people do not give of their time, money or influence is because they haven’t been asked.  Once you have taken the time to build a platform for a relationship, reach out and ask:  “Would you mind introducing me to…?” or “Would you tell your friends about me?”

With the world of social media and instant access, it is easier than ever before to become connected.  Nonetheless, relationships still flourish on give and take, authenticity and respect.  Take charge of building your business by heeding Anne Cull’s advice to identify and build your top 10 influencers.