Influencer Network – Clinton Senkow
SUMMARY
In this episode with Clinton Senkow, a writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and co-founder of Influencive, he’s going to share valuable tips on how you can connect with influencers and become an influencer too.
When you’re starting off, it can be intimidating seeing all these people at the top of the ladder. You might also think you’re never going to connect with them, but what you need to do is to have confidence in yourself. Always believe that you can be someone of value.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
There are influencers in every industry nowadays. Most influencers have accounts on social media or have a presence online.We can get access to anyone and everyone we’ve never had access to before.
To connect with people who are successful in your industry, provide value to them.
When you create value for yourself with your relationships, it puts you on a whole other level.
It doesn’t matter who you’re trying to connect with. It’s how you can be valuable to them.
Find out about people whom you want to connect with and influence and understand what they need.
Have confidence in yourself and believe that you belong in the room with influencers.
The power of direct messaging is powerful.
You can direct message people whom you follow on different social networks and tell them you want to collaborate with them.
Find the emails of influencers. Find the way to their inbox, and people that are connected to them.
If you know anyone that knows someone on a better level than you, leverage that and see what you can do with that.
Getting blind intros is not the right way that you should be using your network.
If you know someone who’s going to collaborate with another person, go to either of them and let them know that you connected with someone who could be a great person for them to connect. Then, ask if they would want you to connect them.
Don’t abuse your network and just start connecting.
TRANSCRIPTION: INFLUENCER NETWORK – CLINTON SENKOW
Kamala Chambers
In this episode, we’re going to be talking about how to connect with the influencer network.
Today, we are here with Clinton Senkow. He’s a writer, entrepreneur, speaker, and the co-founder of Influencive.
Luis Congdon
All right, Thriving Launchers, let’s talk about creating influence and how to connect and influence people in the right kind of way because there are some dos and don’ts of this.
So without further ado, let’s welcome Clinton Senkow.
Are you ready to launch?
Clinton Senkow
I am 100% ready, Luis.
Luis Congdon
I want to ask you about that because that’s something that interests you. That is connecting with the influencer network.
One of the things you said to me is there’s a right and wrong way. And do this right, and you’re probably not going to connect or create an influencer network, and in fact, you might even ruin your name or destroy that connection if you do it wrong.
What are some of the things people should know about connecting and creating influence with people?
Clinton Senkow
Yeah.
Access To Anyone In The Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
Honestly, I think it’s a real hot topic these days. Some people are social media influencers, and others are entrepreneurial influencers. There is an influencer network in every industry nowadays, and we can get access to anyone and everyone we’ve never had access to before. Everything; from your favorite sports stars to musicians to the biggest entrepreneurs of our time.
Most of them have accounts on social media or have some following or presence online.
How do you get access to those people? How do you connect with them?
That’s something I’m continuing to craft the best way in everything that I do and always get better.
I always find people that are like, “I want to connect with so and so,” or “I want to do this.”
Providing Value To An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
One of the things you need to do if you ever want to connect with people that are maybe a little bit higher than you or a little bit more successful in your industry or whatever it maybe, is you need to provide value to them.
The number one thing is just when you show that you’re someone of value and you are valuable. You are worthy to talk to and to sit down for lunch.
Clinton Senkow
It’s finding that person or business you want to connect with and influence, and you should be providing value to them.
Doing Small Things On A Consistent Basis Can Add Up To Creating An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
You should be sharing their articles, commenting on their posts, and doing all these small tangible things on a consistent basis. When you do them on a regular basis, they add up because everyone likes to have someone ask them questions, have someone question something, and have someone support them.
I feel that’s one of the best ways. It’s to be someone of value and just always trying.
Know What The Influencer Network Need
Clinton Senkow
Find out about them. Find about what they need. Try and fill a gap in there, and that’s understanding them and exactly what they need.
A second part that I’ll say has to do with confidence as well.
When you’re starting off on your entrepreneurial journey or your professional career, it can be intimidating seeing these individuals that are at the top of the ladder and these other influencers that have millions of followers.
Have Confidence In Yourself That You’re A Part Of An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
You think, “I’m never going to connect with this people,” Or “How do I get access to them?”
The thing is you’ve got to have confidence in yourself. You got to believe that you belong in the room with people like that. You need to portray that in your calls, messages, emails, and all your communications you have with people of that stature.
I think those are two main areas that I find are super important to help with anything to do with influencers, being someone of value, and being confident in yourself.
Kamala Chambers
Those are some valuable tips and something I appreciate and apply it to our own business and find are super helpful.
Practical Ways To Reach Out To An Influencer Network
Kamala Chambers
I want to know more. What is something that is a practical way to reach out you could give us?
Clinton Senkow
Like a practical way to reach. Okay.
Take for instance every social network we have out there right now is everyone is trying to get away from email. That’s an easy way to look at this. Everyone’s trying to get away with email.
I get hundreds of emails. I’m sure you guys get lots of emails. We sign up for newsletters. We do this and that. We can’t even keep up, and we don’t even know what we’re getting anymore.
Power Of Direct Messaging When Connecting With An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
But there’s still an area out there that I think is relatively untapped and it honestly depends on the network, but it’s going out there and direct messaging people. The power of direct messaging is powerful.
It’s crazy that you can just follow someone on Instagram who has a million followers. And you can send them a message and say, “Hey, I love your page,” or “Hey, you’re a huge inspiration to me,” or “Hey, I like what you’re doing with your business. I would love to talk about collaborations.” You send a message with just a quick, simple one liner.
Easy And Tangible Way To Collaborate With An influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
You follow somebody you appreciate what they’re doing, and you want to find a way to work with them or partner with them. I think that’s easy and tangible, and almost something a lot of people I feel overlooked.
But if you just sit there for an hour a day, and you direct message people on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, I guarantee you’re going to get some replies back, and you’re going to be surprised with some of the people that will get back to you.
Luis Congdon
Who are some people you’ve done this with or some success stories from your own life that you’ve had doing this kind of thing?
Interviewing Topnotch People From An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
With everything that we’ve done with Influencive, we’ve had the pleasure of interviewing some very top notch people like Kevin O’Leary to Scooter Braun, to the Wyclef Jean, to Lewis Howes, great entrepreneurs, celebrities, and influencers, some of the biggest ones in the world.
Ways I’ve been able to get through to some of these people is through social media. It’s connecting with them, providing value, and reaching out to them. Maybe they’ll reply, perhaps they won’t. Find their emails, the way into their inbox, and people that are connected to them.
Having A Soft Intro Into An Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
It’s always great to have a soft intro to somebody or business. If you know somebody that knows somebody on a better level than you, leverage that and see what you can do with that.
With my life, I’ve used anything from social media which what I’ve already explained or straight off just cold emailing or straight up just getting people that are connected to them to connect me to them and interview them or whatever it is.
Luis Congdon
I’m curious. What did you do with Wyclef? He’s a big figure, probably has tons of people reaching out.
I’m curious. How did you get a hold of him?
Clinton Senkow
Regarding Wyclef, that was through my business partner with Influencive, our founder CEO, Brian.
He was the one who knows Wyclef and has done some stuff with him in the past. That was just more of a personal level.
Kamala Chambers
Yeah, it’s great to make those connections with people and work your way towards the big names.
Finding Someone Who Can Connect You To An Influencer Network
Kamala Chambers
You connect with someone they know and then, you get a little bit closer to the person you want to get to. I find that help.
Before we close out, are there any last gems or tips you want to make sure the Thriving Launchers have to apply some of what you’re talking about?
Clinton Senkow
Yeah.
I would love to just elaborate on something you just said right now. I learned this from my business partner, Brian.
When it comes down to the whole networking piece, here’s another way you can put yourself in a whole other category than other people instead of making blind intros to people.
Avoid Blind Intros When Creating Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
Let’s say, I come to you, and you think I’m going to be good to connect with your friend, Jim who has his business, and you believe that we’re going to collaborate.
Instead of collaborating, messaging, and introducing him and me together to show more value to other people, you can come to me or go to him first and say, “Hey, I met this person, and I think they would be a cool person for you to collaborate. I just wanted to let you know. Would you like it if I connected you two and you guys can take it from there?”
An Influencer Network Tool That Sets You Apart
Clinton Senkow
That’s a networking tool I’ve learned from Brian. It sets you apart from everybody because getting blind intros is not the right way that you should be using your network.
I get those all the time, and when people do that, I don’t appreciate it because I don’t necessarily want to connect with that person or maybe I don’t see the value you see in that person.
I think that’s a real easy, tangible thing that your audience can take with you. Don’t abuse your network and just start connecting, and using your network to connect with so and so and whoever.
Provide More Value To Your Influencer Network
Clinton Senkow
Provide more value by seeing that connection, and then reaching out to one or the other parties, and asking and saying, “Hey, this is who I connected with. Would you like for me to make the connection?” That provides more value and just makes a lot of sense in that whole networking piece.
Luis Congdon
Those are all great piece of advice.
Thriving Launchers, I hope you got some ideas on how to create more influence, grow the influencer network, and get more connections.
I know I was reminded of the power of an influencer network. It’s something that for me has been my gift and has been the thing that helped me on the end of the business with Kamala. Those are all great tips.
I hope you guys got some takeaways, and whatever you do, remember guys, keep thriving.
