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Improving Relationships with Key Market Influencers Rebecca Steinberg Herson The Lean Marketer March 13, 2013 Copyright © 2013 The Lean Marketer

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Why Influencer Marketing Matters• Overcome market noise• Overcome market objections• Learn about RFIs, RFPs• Gain insights into customer needs

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Build Your Influencer StrategyWHO-Which buyer segment(s), jobtitles you will focus on-CIOs will have differentinfluencers than IT managersWHENWhere along the purchasedecision cycle Source: Influencer50

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Identifying Your Influencers Are you an influencer?

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Identifying Your InfluencersConference Speakers/ Book Authors User groups, Forums Organizers Blogs Analysts JournalistsLook for lots of comments & • Direct to Gartner, Forrester, IDC • Your favorite publications – startinteraction, especially from other • techra.com keeping track of the journalistsinfluencers • analystdirectory.barbarafrench.net • Access more at Cision media lists Ask your management, salespeople and CUSTOMERS!

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Prioritize Important Influencer should NOT be #223!!

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Beware the Online Trap As price/ risk5045 On-line influence40 Offline influence353025 Offline influencers20 Online influencers1510 5 0 $100, router device $1000, professional software suite Management software global outsourcing deals $20,000, mid-size CRM service $10m+ implementation $100,000, Source: Influencer50 White Paper: Are Your Customers Influenced Online, Offline or Both?

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One Size Fits All is NOT for InfluencersTailor yourapproach to thespecific influencer Image: Mad about Shanghai

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Develop a Schedule •Does the influencer prefer monthly/quarterly/ biannual calls? •Monthly newsletters? •Integrate with your PR schedule, product release schedule, etc. •Send emails on behalf of key executives •Are they willing to meet in person? Get your execs’ travel schedule and arrange F2F meetings

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Give Them Something of Value• Product roadmap before it is public• One useful, industry-oriented slide• Content when they need it• Meeting opportunities with other influencers – Especially customers!

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Be Patient Year 0 Year 1 Started Influencer First mentions in Outreach Gartner publications, Not on quadrant Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Niche Player Niche, closer to Visionary Visionary

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In Short• Approach Influencer Marketing like any other marketing campaign – Be organized, put together a strategy, plan and budget• Spend the time to research• Be human – people talking to people, not companies talking to companies• Be patient 

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Thank You! Rebecca Steinberg Herson rebecca@theleanmarketer.com +972-54-444-2372 http://il.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaherson @rebeccahersonhttp://theleanmarketer.com