How to obtain "Influencer" Recognition in the CRE industry

Let's face it, most industry professionals do not wake up in the morning and say, "I want to be known as an "influencer." In fact, most influential people with "Influencer" status may not even consider themselves to be one, but to everyone else, they are. However, there are several things you should understand about what it means to be recognized by an accredited media platform. The ones that you strive to get recognized with are media companies, local or national magazines or technology companies. It is not about the title so-to-speak, it is what it means to the people nominating you, the people that are selecting you, and the people that are recognizing your achievements after the fact.

As I stated in my book, One Yellow Brick, I owe so much gratitude to many media and marketing affiliations all across the country for giving me the opportunity and recognizing me as a marketing influencer, wizard, behind the success, or outstanding woman in business. I have been so blessed by not only being nominated by my colleagues, but also by being selected as an "Influencer" on more than one occasion over the years. While award nominations are standard in the industry, there is a lot that goes into the nomination process. There is even more that goes into the selection process by the media panel or committee. But there are some things you need to understand. Media, magazine editors and tech companies do not ask for your social media analytics - EVER! You should you never give your social media analytics or data-related information to anyone that asks you either. Your numbers have absolutely nothing to do with why you should be selected as an influencer in your industry, especially on social media.

INFLUENCER

By definition, the noun version is - the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.

The verb version is - to have an influence on.

Hypothetical speaking, do my twitter analytics define whether I am qualified to be considered as an influencer? Absolutely not. An influencer is someone that is an expert in their industry and has an impact on the people that are reading, listening to and/or watching videos of their content. If I do not obtain 40+ likes or engagements, does that negate my "Influencer" status? Absolutely not. The greatest part about social media is that when you have posted your content, someone around the world has read your post in less than 10 seconds. In some cases, they may have even taken a screenshot of it too. Stated from first-hand experience in doing that myself. I am inspired by people. I am always looking for people to feature and if I see something that is valuable, I will follow up in other ways. If I see something I resonate with, I like or comment and even share at times, but sometimes I just scroll on by without engaging at all. Making a last impression with people is what counts. I may not have liked, commented or shared, but I will remember their name. This is extremely important for those of you who may be opinionated on social media. The same way you can leave a positive impression, is the same way you can leave a negative perception of yourself on social media. One negative post can be more damaging to your professional reputation than 10 of your greatest posts combined. Social media can haunt you.

YOUR NAME IS YOUR BRAND - One Yellow Brick, Chapter 1

People may not always remember your name when you make a great impression, but they will always remember your name when you make a bad one. Your name is your brand, so market it with honesty and passion.

Media, magazine editors and technology companies are looking for industry professionals that have a positive image on social media. They are looking at the details of your biggest deals and achievements. They are looking to see how involved you are with helping your community. They are looking at everything you have accomplished over the last 1 - 3 years in your career. They are looking at how many speaking events you have been a part of. They are looking at the challenges you have faced and how you overcame them. They do not care whether you have made 1,500 or 15,000 impressions on Twitter or if you have 1% Social Selling Index on LinkedIn. Quite frankly, most people do not even know what the hell a SSI is on LinkedIn. Nomination submissions are based on what you are doing in your industry that is making an impact on other people; how your expertise is helping and inspiring others in business and what sort of brand you are building for yourself in the industry.

So here are some ways that will help you get nominated for "Influencer" recognition that you deserve based on how you, your business, your services, your brand has an impact on the industry.

1. HIRE A PR AGENCY - Some people are just fine with a limited amount of social media posts and go through the transition of their day. If the deals are flowing, maybe that is all that matters to you and that's okay. However, if you want to get your name out there and want to be more involved with industry events, featured articles about you, speaking events or contributor opportunities, then hire a PR agency. Some agencies will cost your kids tuition but other agencies are fair, so before you write it off, inquire first and then make an informed decision. If you do not have a PR agency representing you, then you limit yourself in getting recognized with accredited media, industry-related organizations and other opportunities in which it leads to. There are many advantages in working with a PR agency because they have already established the trusted relationships with these companies. Remember the agency reputation also puts their name on the line for their client too. It is a partnership.
2. CREATE A RECOGNIZABLE BRAND ON SOCIAL MEDIA - I am sure by now, you have heard me say this to you in person, on the phone, during our zoom meeting, and on all my social media platforms, through my #vlogs, #blogs, #magazine, #podcast, and my #book. Inevitably, sharing this information is all about my brand and who and want I represent. You must post with purpose and you must be intentional about your branding message. The content you share to social media gives you the opportunity to share truthful information. Asking questions for others to answer on LinkedIn or any other platform does not make you a social media influencer. In fact, the influencers are hidden in the comments. The people that are answering those questions are more likely influencers than the poster themselves. However, I don't take anything away from the poster. It is a brilliant strategy to gain engagement, but it does not constitute them as an influencer. When someone recognizes your name, without ever meeting you in person, without ever having one conversation, but can recognize who you are the moment you walk in a room, then you are on the right track. Sharing information about what you do, what you represent, the services you provide is all about strategy. How do you convey this on social media? Once you have figured it out, then you begin to establish a digital footprint that follows you wherever you go. When people begin to understand who you are, then you are organically creating a recognizable brand that will play a huge role in verifying your credentials during the selection process. Plus it possibly leads to new clients.

I want you to think about this. John Smith closed 2 deals totaling $20M in less than 2 months. Will Robinson closed exactly the same. Everyone saw John's press releases and news articles in the XXX Media and several websites. John has been sharing it on social media everywhere. Will never sent out any news announcement. I read on social media that John spoke at 2 events in April. Will was on tour in March and had 4 speaking engagements to CRE MRED programs in the Midwest but Will never sent out any news announcements and he never shared on social media either. If you are a magazine editor and you have 2 nominations for 2 industry professionals that say on their form, they have done the same things, who do you think the magazine editor or committee will choose? You can't verify what you don't know. One step further. Does John or Will's social media analytics have anything to do with my decision, as a magazine editor? No.

In short, if you do not have the time to post to your social media accounts or send out press releases, then invest in yourself and hire a social media marketing & PR agency to help you with this. Let them plan a brand strategy for you, let them design your posts, let them post to your page, let them distribute PR news (upon approval, of course) and you just continue to list and close the deals and the agency will do the work. Trust the expert professionals who are recognized for what they do.

3. INDUSTRY AWARD NOMINATIONS - While most companies welcome you to nominate yourself, it is always better if you have someone advocating for you as well. If you have a supportive tribe in your circles, there is absolutely nothing wrong in asking them to submit a nomination for you. It is confidential anyway. But it may make more sense to you and more comfortable, if you have a PR agency doing this for you. It is not just about a form they have to fill out. It comes down to leverage and how they are representing you. It is about establishing your credibility, overall public image (#1), and strategy. Hire the professionals that know what to do. There is no guarantee that you will get selected, but there is a 100% guarantee your name will be seen and even considered for other nominations in the future, should they see your name again.

I wanted to share this information with you because I know there are MANY industry professionals that deserve the recognition, but just do not know how to go about getting in front of the right people. Establishing credibility in the public eye is not about your Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or LinkedIn impressions or analytics. Growing your following is about creating more opportunities for you to be seen so you can bring in new business or create collaboration opportunities that lead to more opportunities. Technically, it is not even about how many followers you have on social media because you can be considered a micro-influencer with much greater influence and more power than someone with 100X more followers than you. But that is a whole other blog. Haha.

An "Influencer" recognition is about recognizing you for the role you play in the industry and what kind of impact are making professionally and outside involvement with your own community. It is not about the numbers, it is about the people. The Human Connection.

One of my favorite statements.

Success breeds Success.

I don't mean in the monetary sense either. When people see you in the headlines, see your name in the fine print, see your awards, guest podcasts and magazine article features, this creates even more opportunities for you. Make sure you are doing your part to gain credibility and make sure you are working with a trusted agency to help you get noticed!

Wishing you all the best - Melissa

I am the Founder and President of Ruby Red Media, LLC., a full service media, marketing, design, publishing and PR agency that works the industry professionals, CEO's, executives, nonprofit organizations and real estate brokerages all across the country. We work with each client to create custom marketing plans & strategies to meet their specific goals. We take the burden off of you so you can focus on your business. I am also a published author of One Yellow Brick that covers business and marketing strategies that helps you grow the confidence that empowers you to build your brand and business.

If you would like to learn more about me and my brands, please visit my direct professional site at: www.melissaswader.com - All my social media handles are on my website, so I look forward to connecting with you on any other platforms too.