Page 290 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

probably bring their referent influencers to the page, too, if you give them incen-
tives to do so.

You may want to consider using Facebook’s Custom Audience tool that allows you
to upload your own company’s email list. When you create your next ad, Facebook
matches the emails on that list and makes sure that audience sees the ad.

Cookie data

Many technology companies analyze cookie data to infer the relationships between
people and target similar advertising to them both. If one set of users responds well
to the advertisements, companies then present the same advertisements to other
similar people or to the friends of the original group in similar social networks,
conversations, or websites. This strategy allows a company’s advertising to reach
anonymous referent influencers.

Keep in mind that this strategy applies to you only if you have an advertising
budget and are advertising online. Otherwise, you won’t be able to take advantage
of the cookie data. Two companies that focus on this method are 33Across
(www.33across.com) and dstillery (https://dstillery.com/).

Website behavior

You can do a lot on your website to allow for the referent influencers to converge
and positively influence each other. From the most basic of solutions, such as
implementing customer reviews, to creating discussion forums in which custom-
ers can talk about issues of concern, your website can be a destination where
people congregate and talk to each other.

After you’ve identified these referent influencers, be sure to give them the best
possible service if they’re customers. Not only will you increase the sales from
them, but you’ll also increase sales among the people that they influence directly.
As a Huffington Post article pointed out (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/
6-examples-of-influencer-marketing-done-right_b_59eef009e4b06bbede
69b380), American Express gives its influencers (whom American Express
identifies by how much they spend) a distinct credit card with special benefits that
include a concierge service and first-class upgrades.

Use your referent influencers to improve your products and services, too. They’re
typically people who have strong opinions, care about the products, and want to
impact product design. Ask their opinions — or at the very least, share new
products with them — before you do so with anyone else. Similarly, also consider

274 PART 4 Getting Your Message to Connectors