With the emerging use and universality of social media, it is becoming more and more important to leverage the power of those that are true advocates of your brand.  Below is a step-by-step guide on how to connect with these influencers to maximize your brand power online.

1. Determine who the influencers are.  Who are the most engaged in your online content, and show a passion for your brand?

Take time to sift through your fans/followers/subscribers, etc. and look for those who are the most vocal and frequently interact with the content that you are pushing out to your communities.

2.  LISTEN.

Learn about what makes them tick, how they speak and how they interact with your brand and shape conversations. 

3. Join the conversation.

Now that you have determined who your advocates are, have observed how they interact and learned a little bit about who they are, now it is time to hop in and join the conversation.  It is important to maintain the tone and "speak" of the brand advocates and to stay casual and topical in conversation.  Be sure to leave the "public speak" for the press releases.  Social media is a place for casual and fun conversations.  Embrace it.

4. Reward, reward, reward!

Brand Advocates are choosing to talk about your brand in their social circles.  Don't take this lightly.  Show and tell them (continuously) how thankful you are for their support within the communities, and build or enhance a loyalty program to honor these influencers with special insights, discounts or offers. 

The power of word of mouth marketing is growing exponentially.  It's time to join the conversation and leverage brand advocates to help grow your business.  To learn more about the power of social media, watch our BIT Social Media Revolution video here.

If you have questions, please ask them below in the comments box!

- Carrie