This Underused Networking Tool Connects Brands with People Who Matter. Here’s How to Use It Right

Instagram influencer marketing can do a lot for your brand.

“Influencers” — social media celebrities, basically — run the gamut, from A-list names like DJ Khaled, to lesser-known figures with a niche following of tens of thousands.

You can find influencers to fit just about any niche and budget.

So how do you get in contact with these people?

Believe it or not, a simple DM (direct message) can do the trick. Even if you're not contacting someone about a paid promotion for your brand, Instagram DMs can be a surprisingly effective networking tool.

Of course, you can't just spam out generic DMs to anyone and everyone. Anyone with a reasonable degree of popularity on Instagram already gets a ton of DMs, most of them spam.

Another generic, scripted-sounding message won't stand out to them in an already flooded inbox.

To get a response to your DM, you need to provide some real value to the person you're messaging.

You need to offer something that they either need or want. Usually, this involves giving them a solution to a problem they're having.

In a recent blog post, social media marketing superstar Gary Vaynerchuck explains how to use Instagram DMs effectively.

BRING THEM VALUE

My one reservation with this article is that it’s just gonna turn a lot of you into spam bots. That you’re just gonna control copy, go into DM and start pasting and getting banned or paused by Instagram, because you’re literally just spamming random accounts.

The entirety of this post is to get you to understand how you can bring them value.

Right now, your entire energy is predicated on what can I get out of this? Of course you can DM The Rock, DM Warren Buffett, DM Tyra Banks, DM some founder that you love, but if you don’t consider what that person actually needs or wants you will never get through.

This is the number one arbitrage for success.

If you are not providing value, they will not respond.

The key to any tactic — and this is THE tactic — is to provide more value to the other person, especially when they’re the one with the leverage.

Formulate your proposition and prepare to do what is so crucially important in today’s digital world.

Send the DM.

Remember: your value proposition is how you can help solve the problem they are currently experiencing or haven’t thought of yet.

[image source: Gary Vaynerchuk]
RINSE AND REPEAT

Success is a numbers game. Be prepared to get 100 no’s for every yes.

Most people won’t even reply. But don’t get discouraged and don’t be romantic.

It’s part of the game.

Getting one “yes” will build your foundation. Keep the ball rolling and use your work and speed to gain momentum.

You all need to be doing this 10–100–500 times a day.