Business speaker Jim Rohn once said, "Never mistake the power of influence.” In marketing, influence is often the deciding factor in success and failure. That’s why we tout celebrities and famous athletes to speak for our brands. It’s why we sponsor events, join trade organizations and pander for social media likes. Influencers help drive the decisions, both for and against, your brand.

Swaying the opinion of an influencer can be huge for any business. Trending opinions, particularly in our electronically connected world, start somewhere. Do you know where? Influencers.

How do you gain the favor of an influencer? First, figure out who the influencers of your marketplace are. There are plenty of opinions out there. Some are contenders and some are pretenders. Weed out one from the other. How do you know the difference? Follow them, if they are posting on social media. See what kind of advice they are giving out to people. Also see what kind of following they have gained. They are not likely to influence a whole lot of opinion if no one is following them. Also, see what kind of person is following them. We do a lot of work with engineers. If someone is posting content geared towards engineers, but all of their followers are younger than 18 years old, you have not found an influencer of engineers, just a person who has an opinion that teenagers like. When it comes to marketing, the demographic the influencers touch makes a big difference.

Once you know who the influencers are, follow them on social media. Repost their best work. Engage with them. If you are writing a blog to help market your business, link to their posts. Get them to look at your content and see if there are some ways to make a connection. Join the same groups they follow on social media. Follow the same companies they are following. Does this sound like stalking? It is! But it is stalking with a business purpose in mind. Once a thought leader in the marketplace likes your brand, they will help you market it by throwing their influence your way.

Oftentimes influencers are not your customers. They likely will never buy a thing from you. That does not matter. Their opinion is key to your success and you should market to them in a way that gets them to know and like your brand. The end goal is not to get them to buy from you, it is just to recommend you to others. That’s where their influence will grow your bottom line.

Marketing to influencers should be an important part of your strategic marketing plan. However, it is often overlooked by businesses. The impact of influencers has always been with us, but today, it is even more crucial than ever to get them to notice and endorse your brand. Marketplace opinions can change on a dime. One bad word can go viral. The balance to viral news – the stabilizing force – is the opinion of influencers. It is the roots that feed the money tree of every organization. Make sure to nurture that relationship.