An influencer is a person who has a wide reach and trust with your target audience. Although global influencers have a wider reach that can help your company, local influencers are the ones who can bring conversions to your site These influencers have proven their credibility over time — they are trusted, persuasive, and highly connected to your audience.
How can local influencers affect your local SEO? Local influencers can improve your site’s local SEO by connecting with a targeted audience through traditional mentions, social sharing, and natural links. Good publicity from such reputable sources usually helps in spreading the word, allowing your company to get more reviews and natural links, so that you can be more commanding in your niche.
What does a local influencer for your business look like? You should know what makes somebody a local influencer for your business. Obviously, there are some big names in the industry, but you have to find some not-so-famous influencers. Start by creating a list of criteria that a local influencer should meet. Some criteria include:
- Large number of quality social media followers
- Press connections and community events
- Having a regularly updated blog with quality content
A one-size-fits-all approach will not work. You have to figure out what a local influencer means in your specific business, industry, and with your customers. Creating a list of criteria is a good place to start. Once you do, you will be on your way to finding the right influencers.
How to find local influencers? You can find a local influencer by following these tips:
1. Attend local conferences and networking events — this is the best place to meet local influencers. If you pay attention during the discussions, you will hear important names being mentioned. Research these names to learn more about them. You can also ask other business owners whom they see as an influencer.
2. Ask how customers found you — on most websites, there is a dropdown survey asking visitors how they found the company. The choices usually include Friend, Newspaper Ad, and Internet, but ‘Influencer’ is not usually listed as an option. You might want to use a term like ‘celebrity’, which is understood by many people. Leave a space where customers can include details of the person who told them about your company. This is a good way to get a list of local influencers.
3. Research on social networks — look for people who have a big number of followers. Anyone with between 500 and 2000 followers is an ideal candidate, because in the early stages, A-list influencers might not be willing to help you Ensure that you check the quality of followers and content.
4. Ask the customer in person — a great way to find local influencers is by talking to your customers. Even if the customers are not local, send them emails stating that you are searching for new opportunities. Because most customers do not know who influencers are, just ask them which events they attend and which newspapers and blogs they read. This will help you to find the right people.