Published on February 20th, 2016 | by Guest

5 Influencer Marketing Principles to Apply When Hunting for a Job

In today’s world, a lot of people will find themselves in a situation when they will be out of a job and looking for a new one. That’s the harsh reality, and seeing as there are far more unemployed people than there are job openings, it is getting increasingly difficult to land that job position. Sending resumes, of course, is the first step, but with everyone doing that, it’s hard to stand out. So what can you do?

It helps to think yourself as a brand, and looking for a job as your marketing campaign. Influencer marketing is a huge hit right now, because it involves reaching out to influencers who can spread positive word of mouth about your brand in a way that is organic and genuine. While you may not be able to use some of the strategies involved with influencer marketing when applying for a job, others will be downright perfect – such as contacting people via cold emails.

Keep in mind that, even though companies may not be officially hiring, just like influencers aren’t officially looking for a partnership, that doesn’t mean you can’t get hired, especially if you use the following 5 principles found in influencer marketing, and apply them to your job search.

1. Research the Company You’re Contacting

In order to be able to do this, you need to narrow down the list of your skills and identify your industry. Once you have done that, discover companies which are the most active in that particular industry. Of course, if you are in IT, the most obvious answers will be Google, Apple, IBM, Amazon, and so on, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect other companies. Research what it is they do, check out their products and services, in order to figure out if your skill set and your profession is something they could actually use, even though they haven’t posted any ads as far as job openings are concerned.

You don’t want to waste time applying for software engineer jobs at Amazon if your field of expertise is medicine, just like brands and content marketers would avoid those influencers which are outside their niche, no matter how influential and popular they are.

2. Create a Detailed LinkedIn Profile

You have to realize that putting together a LinkedIn profile is a lot more demanding than creating an online resume, although people like to think of their LinkedIn accounts as such. That is a big mistake. Resumes tend to be a lot more restricting, and apart from that, LinkedIn is a social network, which allows you to create your professional image, which is your brand, down to the very last detail and connect with others from the same industry, or even establish yourself as a thought leader by sharing and posting high-quality content.

According to Jason Manning, a writer over at Resumesplanet:

“When you reach out to companies, one of the first things they will be looking at now that they have some information about you is your LinkedIn profile, which is why it pays off to connect with other LinkedIn users who are in some way related to those companies. If the company sees you have such people in your network, they will be more open to collaborating with you.”

3. Customize Your Emails

Although it may be tempting for you to cut down on the amount of time you spend sending out resumes and emails by sending the same one to each company, it’s an approach that won’t get you very far. In influencer marketing, the art of sending out cold emails to influencers has been perfected, and it’s based upon the fact that nobody wants to read canned, impersonal messages. The person on the other side is an actual human being too, not a robot, which means you need to approach each one of them differently.

Applying the same principle when it comes to job hunting is the key. Also, be direct and honest, and state your intentions. The companies will realize right away that you haven’t contacted them to compliment them on their work. You need something from them, and you are offering your skills and knowledge in return.

4. Develop Strong Online Presence

We’ve already touched on this by mentioning your LinkedIn account, but that’s only one part of the equation. You see, once you reach out to companies with a cold email, you can only get a few sentences in and a link, in order to capture their attention. It would be best if you had a website or a blog which you could link back to, and which demonstrates your knowledge in a particular field. If you are a content marketer, create a blog where you can post on regular basis and share high-quality articles which provide your readers with something of value.

Not only does this demonstrate your skills, but it also provides you with a large number of followers, a fact that won’t be lost on the companies you are contacting and which are always looking to expand their influence.

5. Don’t Pressure Them into Giving You an Answer

This step is really important when it comes to influencer marketing, and you can also benefit by sticking to this principle. Once you have contacted the companies you are interested in, presented yourself and provided something of real value for them, or at least something to spark their interest in you, don’t mess it up by finishing with sentences “Provide me with an answer ASAP”, “Awaiting your response”, and so on. If they are interested in you, they don’t need to be told what to do. They will contact you if they feel like you can become a part of their vision.

Standing apart from your competition, or on this case, other people who may be applying for a job the same way you are, is challenging, but these tips should give a good idea about what you should and should not do. The conclusion is to be direct, honest, and put in some real effort, as well as provide something potentially useful for the companies you are contacting. You are a brand in this case, and they are the influencers. Make yourself essential to them, and they will respond accordingly.

Author Bio:

Micheal is a resume writer, editor and blogger. He’s psyched about marketing, business, blogging and SMM. In his parallel life, he loves hiking and can’t wait to see the Himalayas one of these days. . Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.

Tags: apply, hunting, influencer, job, marketing, principles