Relationships come in many shapes and sizes. From a business format to a casual date on a Friday night, working with people can be categorized in several different columns. At Team Focus, we strongly believe that the power of a good relationship is directly rooted in a person or brand’s ability to be human.

Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in an influencer chat (#influence411) hosted by MarketWired. We quickly began discussing how to best work with influencers and how to measure their impact on campaigns. It was a great conversation between leading industry professionals – but the one message I walked away with?

Influencers are regular people, just in a specific niche.
How do we take care of them? By treating them like humans. 

Throughout the chat, we compared the process of building relationships with influencers to dating. Novel idea! What if we treated our relationships with target audiences and influencers the way we do during the dating/courting process? Could we possibly develop a stronger connection to said group of people that has a lasting impact?

The answer is yes! If we continue to invest in the power of relationships with these target groups of people by leading with basic humanistic principles, relationships will flourish! If a brand were interested in a relationship with me, I would want to feel like they were invested in what I was interested in. I crave community and conversation with like-minded individuals. If I’m passionate about said topic, my desire for involvement and advocacy skyrockets.

So how do you do that? It seems easier said than done, right? Right. It’s not easy, but let’s be honest – neither is dating (especially today). I believe to harvest the power of relationships with target audiences and influencers, we must keep a pulse on these three concepts:

1. Go for the long-haul.

Don’t treat your relationships with a target audience or influencer like it’s a quick trip out for drinks and appetizers after work. While you might not make a four-point plan for a budding romance, it is important to be prepared for the long-haul with your target audience. Carefully and meticulously look into how said relationship will impact your brand and your time with a group of people or business. What is the long-term effect? Define that and move forward. If you were to enter into a long-term relationship with anyone, several factors you might think about include:

• How he or she interacts with family and friends.
• How your personalities work together during obstacles and high-stress times.
• How to navigate busy schedules.
• How to compromise.

How does that translate to target audiences and influencers? Easy. How will said person or group of people interact with you and your brand? Do your personalities mesh; or how does the group interact together? Meetings may need to occur. Is your brand a priority for the people you’ve chosen? In the midst of a crisis, would you trust that this group of people can work together to advocate on behalf of your brand, if necessary? However, the bigger question is: Is it the right fit, right now? Just like in dating, you will know right away if a person is a bad fit. Same goes for working with an influencer. You’ll know right away if someone is in it for the “perks” or if they are passionate about your cause, mission or business goal.

2. Flowers are nice, but they die.

Flowers are indeed beautiful, but they have a very short lifespan. The second part of working with a target group of people or an influencer group is to know how to take care of them. If a group of people have decided to invest back into your business or organization, you should make sure they know you care. Thank you’s go a long way, as do handwritten notes. Think strategically about the value they will gain from being involved with your brand or organization. Is it VIP access to new release products, a T-shirt or behind-the-scenes tours? It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it does need to communicate your appreciation for the time they are spending (that they may or may not be paid for).

3. Know when to call it a quits.

Sometimes relationships end. Let’s say that together: SOMETIME’S RELATIONSHIPS END. Given the latest news with Ben and Jenn; Gavin and Gwen; Blake and Miranda; and Kermit and Miss. Piggy – we’ve had a strong does of relationships ending lately!

The goal here is to understand that people do change and evolve. The single, hardworking millennial runner who you signed up to be a part of your running shoe advocacy group, may have a few life changes and become a married, stay-at-home dad to two children with no desire to run at all. Things happen and it’s important that as a brand or organization, you know how to plan for such. That often includes identifying expectations beforehand and making sure there’s an open door for communication. To avoid hurt feelings, burned bridges and negative online influence – make sure you have an exit strategy identified.

 

This is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to working with influential groups of people within industry niches. The key is to treat them how you would want to be treated. It’s amazing how far people will go for others when they are plugged in, treated with care and value.

Samantha McCain, APR
PR & Content Manager