5 Clever Ways to Connect with Influencers on Twitter

Influencers are everywhere on Twitter. They’re witty, they’re insightful, they’re powerful… and they’re bombarded every day by people like you who want to tag along on their coattails towards stardom.

Here’s the problem, though: They don’t know you yet, and you have to stand out from among all the voices striving to gain their eyes and ears. So what are you going to do to make sure you’re the shiny piece of gold amidst the iron scraps?

If you really want to connect with influences using Twitter, you have to get downright creative. You also have to be willing to be totally real. Act like you’re both human beings, and stop telling yourself that the influencers will never respond to you! After all, they’re made of flesh and blood, too, and they are obviously open to learning.

The trick is to stop force-feeding your messages and pitches. No one likes to feel like they’re being manipulated, and that includes all those influencers. Instead, try one or more of these techniques to cleverly and properly get noticed.

So what are you going to do to make sure you’re the shiny piece of gold amidst the iron scraps? -Ali Lawrence

#1: Storify Your Releases

When you have to make your next pitch, turn it into a story and add tweets by relevant influencers. Make sure you only use items that are pertinent to your story. When you publish on the Storify board, you’ll get the option to notify those who you mention in the Storify board. Those influencers will see that you’ve used their quotes, and might even be willing to talk about your client’s piece. This is a boon, especially if your influencers are big in media, as in the case of journalists or radio personalities with large followings.

#2: Add Your Influencers to a Twitter List

“Duh” you might say, but you might be surprised the amount of people who don’t put their influencers in a list. If you haven’t already, create a list revolving around the topic your influencers like, such as “awesome foodies,” and add those you want to connect with, to it. The influencer will be notified that they made it to your list. Then, follow them like crazy and make sure you re-tweet or favorite anything they say that’s relevant to your list. Who knows? They might even decide to follow you back if you keep up with the Twitter list and make it interesting and fun.

Don’t forget to join #SocialCafe every Tuesday 6p PST / 9p EST!

#3: Join Twitter Chats

Does your influencer get involved with Twitter chats? If so, you can partake in those chats, too. Bring up thought-provoking ideas revolving around the topic being discussed. Ask questions and make a special effort to favorite or retweet what the influencer tweets.

#4: Stroke Their Egos… A Little

Influencers like to be stroked, but only subtly. For example, you could publish a Top Ten list with the best gardening blogs and include those you want to connect with on Twitter. When the list goes live, send them a tweet to let them know they were included. Who knows? A “thank you” or follow might be your reward.

#5: Be Interesting, for Glob’s Sake

Okay – this might be tough for all the folks who are by-the-book and not accustomed to tapping their right brains, but it’s essential. Start… Being… INTERESTING. When was the last time you retweeted a boring tweet? Never? That’s probably why your tweets aren’t getting retweeted or seen by influencers! Harness your goofier or creative side once in a while; you might even attract enough attention on the Twitterverse to be asked to speak at a convention, host a Twitter chat or add your two cents to an article.

You’re on Twitter anyway, so be a little bold this year and start working on your influencer communications. You might just discover that those influencers aren’t as untouchable as you thought.