Networking with Influencers in Your Field

When we remember something, we ignore most of it. Actually, we make an assessment based only on two parts of the experience - the peak and the end. This psychological phenomenon is known as the Peak-End Rule, developed by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and his colleagues in a 1993 study. Here’s a breakdown: 1. The Peak: This is the most intense part of the experience, whether very good or very bad. It stands out in our memory and affects how we view the whole interaction. 2. The End: The way an experience ends can shape our memory of it. A good ending can make us forget any bad moments, while a bad ending can ruin an otherwise good experience. Why does this matter? - Communication In any interaction, like a presentation or conversation, the key moments and how it ends shape how people remember you. Start strong, but finish even stronger. - Influence Strategically create memorable moments and end positively to leave a lasting impression. This can make the difference between being remembered as just another voice and being seen as a thought leader. - Leadership Great leaders create experiences with memorable high points and positive endings. This inspires and motivates others while building trust and loyalty. - First Impressions vs. Lasting Impressions Making a good first impression is important, but the lasting impression, shaped by the peak moment and the ending - is even more crucial. - Communication Strategy When preparing for meetings or presentations, focus on both the start and the end. A strong conclusion leaves a lasting impact. How can you apply the Peak-End Rule? - Create Impactful Moments Highlight key moments in your presentations, meetings, and content. These can be powerful stories, big achievements, or emotionally engaging content. - End on a High Note End your speech, social media post, or meeting with a compelling summary, a call to action or a memorable statement. A strong ending leaves a lasting positive impression. - Follow Up After important interactions, send a personalised follow-up message. This strengthens the positive ending and keeps the memory favourable. By focusing on creating significant peak moments and ensuring our interactions end on a high note. We can make a lasting impact and elevate our personal brand. Remember, it’s not just about the first impression – it's about the lasting impression. How do you make sure every interaction leaves a lasting, positive memory?

This is especially for the academic conference warriors! Can you believe it's that time of year again? Yep, the #AcademyOfManagement conference season is just around the corner, and I can already smell the coffee and picture the sea of name tags worn by brilliant management scholars and practitioners from across the globe. But before you jump on your plane – are you actually ready for this conference? I mean, really ready? I used to think I was prepared just because I remembered to pack my laptop and a stack of business cards. Oh, how naive I was! 😅. So, let me share my ultimate AOM conference prep checklist. Trust me, this goes way beyond remembering to pack your laptop, an extra phone charger, and your presentation slides (though that's important, too!). 1. Read the program strategically ↳ Identify key sessions, PDWs, and symposia in your research area or the ones you're interested in. Plan your schedule, but leave room for serendipitous discoveries! 2. Craft your research elevator pitch ↳ Prepare a 30-second summary of your current research focus. Keep it short, simple, and engaging - your goal is to spark curiosity and invite further discussion! 3. Update your socials and academic profiles ↳ People will look you up. So, ensure your LinkedIn, university page, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate profiles are current. 4. Prepare thoughtful questions ↳ For each session you plan to attend, prepare at least one insightful question. It's a great way to engage and be remembered. 5. Set strategic networking goals ↳ Identify potential collaborators or mentors you want to connect with. Research their work and plan your approach. It helps if you can email them in advance to set up a meeting 6. Pack your digital toolkit ↳ Have relevant papers, your presentations, and a digital business card on your devices. You never know when you may need them! 7. Plan for self-care ↳ Conferences are intellectually intense, not to mention the socials. Schedule breaks, find quiet spots, and don't forget to hydrate! Bonus point: remember not to drink too much in those socials! 8. Be Authentic ↳You'll find yourself in a room filled with superstars and research idols. Some might even walk past you on the street. Always stay calm, say hello if you want to, smile, and most importantly, be yourself! Remember, you're human first and a scholar or practitioner second. Authenticity can lead to more meaningful connections than any rehearsed pitch or trying to force connections. What's your top AOM conference preparation tip? Share below and let's learn from each other! See you in Chicago! ---------- If you find this helpful, ♻️ share it to help someone. #AOM2024 #ManagementResearch #AcademicNetworking #ConferencePrep #AcademicLife #NetworkingTips #ResearchCommunity

Why are long term creator partnerships outperforming one off influencer posts?   Because in today’s marketing mix, consistency builds trust, and trust drives performance.   I’ve seen this pattern play out across gaming, tech, SaaS, and AI brands. A single post can spark awareness, but it rarely shapes behaviour. Long term creator relationships do something different. They give brands repeated moments of credibility, relevance, and authentic education in front of the same warm audience.   When a creator integrates your product into their everyday workflow, their community begins to understand it, not just notice it. And once people understand a product, they are far more likely to adopt it.   Here’s what long term creator partnerships actually deliver: ▶️ Compounding trust: Repetition builds familiarity, and familiarity builds confidence. ▶️ Higher quality content: Creators get better at showing real use cases over time. ▶️ Stronger ROI: You’re not paying for one spike. You’re paying for consistent influence. ▶️ Marketing assets you can reuse: Tutorials, demos, reviews, and deep dives that fit across paid, owned, and earned channels.   The lifetime value of creator content is rising fast. Brands that treat influencer marketing as an ongoing relationship, not a one off tactic, are already seeing the difference.   If you want influence that lasts, you need partnerships that last too.

We’ve all been told, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” 👉But what PR Expert Maha Abouelenein says is, it’s HOW you connect with who you know that makes the difference. *Check out this piece in her recent newsletter below (subscribe link in the comments)   ✅ The right introduction, done with intention, clarity, and value, can lead to partnerships, collaborations, and opportunities you never saw coming.    Today, I want to share my playbook for making strategic introductions that spark genuine relationships and leave a lasting, positive impression. 1. Lead With Value, Not Need Before reaching out to someone influential, ask yourself: What can I offer this person that’s relevant and valuable to them right now? It might be:↴ ✅ A connection to someone in your network who could help them ✅ An insight or resource they might not have seen ✅ A genuine compliment about their work (specifics matter here!) → Influential people are approached all the time. Stand out by making it clear you’re here to give, not just take. 2. Be Specific and Purposeful Nothing kills momentum like a vague introduction. Instead of: “I’d love to connect sometime.” Say: “I’ve been following your work on [specific project] and believe your insights on [topic] could be incredibly valuable to [audience/project]. I’d love to connect and explore ways we could collaborate on X.”   → Clarity shows respect for their time and signals that you’re intentional, not just collecting contacts. 3. Make the Introduction Easy for Them When connecting two people, always: ✅ Explain why you’re introducing them ✅ Highlight the benefit for both sides ✅ Keep the email or message short enough to read in under a minute 4. Protect Your Reputation 🏆 Every introduction you make reflects on you. Don’t connect people you wouldn’t personally vouch for. Protecting your credibility means being selective, because once you lose trust, it’s hard to get back.   When introducing yourself, remember your “headline.” That one-sentence version of who you are and what you do should be so clear and compelling that they can repeat it to someone else without losing the meaning.   → A strategic introduction isn’t about pushing your way into someone’s world, it’s about building a bridge they want to cross. If you lead with value, clarity, and respect, you’ll find that doors don’t just open- they stay open.   Stay Low, Keep Moving,   Maha  🫶

The other day I wrote about how brands need to rethink their media relations programs. Here's where I'd start, and what I've learned. Find the voices that influence the influencers. Last week at the IMM travel media conference in London, one of the world's leading travel editors mentioned that they look to trade media for their story ideas. Trade media is a perfect example of what I'm talking about here: niche, trusted, deeply read by exactly the right people. Before you go wide, understand who the core few are that shape how the influential think. Those are the relationships worth building first. Do your homework. But really do it. That means subscribing, following, reading, engaging — and doing it over time. There are no shortcuts here. You cannot decide someone is worth approaching without actually living in their world for a while. It might take months. That's ok. Find the genuine intersection. There has to be a real reason for your brand and this person to be in conversation. Not a stretch. If something in your gut says it won't work, trust that. One or two real relationships is worth more than twenty weak ties. Spar with them. Test your thinking. Debate and build on their ideas. Learn from their community. This is what separates a transactional relationship from a real one and it's what makes it possible for them to create something valuable for their readers. Treat them the way you'd treat anyone you're genuinely trying to build a relationship with. Make it worth their time in a way that respects who they are. Not a press release. Not an unsolicited send out. An experience, unique access, a conversation, a room they'd appreciate being in, something specific and considered that lets them encounter your brand on their own terms and form their own view. Play a long game. The goal is a relationship that goes in both directions. The brands that win are the ones that show up consistently, generously, and without an agenda attached to every interaction. Stop thinking about this as media relations. Use the same muscles you use when you're forming a genuine friendship: ask questions, get to know someone, build rapport, do nice things for them, be thoughtful. The brands that get this right aren't running a comms plan playbook. They're just being human.

This week, I reviewed a very old campaign report where the numbers just didn’t add up. Despite working with “top-tier” influencers, the engagement was lackluster, and the ROI? Let’s just say it wasn’t worth celebrating. It got me thinking: Are we looking for impact in all the wrong places? Here are 3 ways I wouldn’t recommend to find authentic influencers: 1️⃣ Judging by follower count Bigger isn’t always better. Some influencers with massive followings buy fake followers to inflate their reach. The result? Poor engagement and no real audience connection. 2️⃣ Ignoring audience relevance Partnering with an influencer just because they’re popular doesn’t mean they’ll resonate with your target audience. Relevance trumps reach every time. 3️⃣ Skipping the research Trusting vanity metrics like likes and comments without digging deeper into audience demographics or past campaign results often leads to wasted budgets. Here’s how I’d do it instead: 🥉 Prioritize engagement rates Focus on influencers with an engagement rate of 4% or higher. Tools like Qoruz or HypeAuditor make it easy to vet genuine influencers. ↗️ Look for niche authority Partner with influencers who specialize in your industry. For instance, beauty brands in India thrive with creators like Sungjemlila Longkumer, whose audience deeply trusts her recommendations 🪧 Collaborate Long-Term Build relationships with influencers for ongoing campaigns. Long-term partnerships show audiences that the influencer genuinely believes in your brand. Remember: Numbers may lie, but trust doesn’t. Authentic influencers with real impact focus on building relationships, not just counting followers. What’s been your biggest challenge in finding genuine influencers? Share your thoughts below—I’d love to help! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I'm Aanushree I craft influencer marketing campaigns that resonate, engage, and deliver results. If your brand is ready to build lasting relationships and drive real impact, send me a message to explore how I can help #InfluencerMarketing #socialMedia

A recent conversation reminded me that what we often call "influencer marketing" in B2B is just a label for something we’ve always done: building trust through respected industry voices. The playbook, however, is maturing. A few best practices stood out: 🔥 Credibility over reach The most effective influencers are have walked the same path as your customers - current and former executives or practitioners who’ve walked in the buyer’s shoes. Their contextual expertise matters more than follower counts. 🔥 Blend models Successful programs use a deep channel, source and program mix: contracted experts, authentic customers, and internal SMEs amplified through podcasts, PR, research, communities and more. 🔥 Content as currency Pair influencer voices with research, benchmarks, and unique POVs. Index transcripts, publish thought leadership, and feed it into AI-enabled search. Influence grows when your content is discoverable. 🔥 Community > celebrity User groups, advisory boards, and customer advocacy programs (like MVPs or “Raving Fans”) build influence at scale. Done right, they create authentic champions—without slipping into sales pitches. Ultimately, influence in B2B comes down to trust, context, and consistency. Whether you call them ambassadors, evangelists, or thought leaders, the goal is the same: equip credible voices to help peers navigate change.

Building influence isn’t magic—it’s following 4 proven steps. Most people on LinkedIn think engagement is the end goal. But here’s the truth: engagement is just the start. True thought leaders don’t stop at likes and comments—they use them as stepping stones to something bigger: influence. Here are the 4 steps that take you from engaging posts to recognized thought leadership: 1️⃣ Engage consistently : Start by showing up, sharing value, and being visible. But don’t just talk—listen and respond. 2️⃣ Define your unique perspective : What’s your stance on your industry’s key challenges? Leaders aren’t echoes—they’re voices. 3️⃣ Build trust through storytelling : Share personal insights, real experiences, and lessons learned. People follow people they trust. 4️⃣ Expand your reach strategically : Collaborate, speak, write, and teach. Influence grows when you step beyond your audience. Each step builds on the last. The secret is patience and intentionality. So, where are you on this journey? Comment below with your thoughts—I’d love to hear your perspective!

Many students build relationships with their professors. But most of them make the same mistake: They connect only with THEIR professors. That's a good start. But you should also connect with those whose classes you haven't taken. From faculty to staff, there are hundreds of experts from various fields on your campus. Only connect with the ones whose classes you've taken? You're tapping into just a fraction of the collective knowledge, industry insights, connections, and other resources they can offer. So give this a try: → Google "[Your university] campus directory"* → Sort / filter / review the list of faculty (and staff) → Look for experts in your target industry / field → View their CV / professional background → Pick a few whose paths intrigue you → Email them to ask for a chat → Prep thoughtful questions (*You can also poke around on LinkedIn) More often than not, they will be happy to connect with any student from their institution (especially if you explain your interest in their field and work). — • Email addresses are found in their bios / profiles • Email outreach template is in the comments • ChatGPT can help you ideate questions — PS. Want to take it a step further? Don't limit your search to your institution alone. Find and reach out to professors at other institutions as well. Your student status is a VIP ticket to building connections. Use it to your advantage.

7 ways nonprofit leaders can ethically borrow the trust of LinkedIn influencers (and finally reach donors who can write 5 and/or 6-figure checks): Your mission deserves more visibility. But your audience? Still too small. Enter: influencers with niche trust and high-net-worth reach. Here’s how to ethically borrow their platform to grow yours: 1. Go beyond followers, audit their influence Before reaching out, ask: • Who engages with their content? • Are they followed by execs, investors, philanthropists? You’re not after vanity metrics. You’re after strategic overlap. 2. Lead with alignment, not an ask Don’t open with: “Can you share our fundraiser?” Instead try: “We serve the same audience that cares about [impact area]. Would love to explore how our missions intersect.” Influencers amplify causes that mirror their identity. 3. Engage before you pitch Influencers notice the names that show up often. Do this: • Leave smart comments on their posts • Share their insights with your spin • Tag them when it adds value, not for attention Earn their attention before you ask for it. 4. Turn them into co-creators, not billboards Influencers aren’t ad space. Invite them to: • Host a private briefing with your team • Join a behind-the-scenes tour • Create a joint post or interview about the problem you solve People promote what they feel part of. 5. Make it stupid simple to say yes If they are open to sharing, don’t drop a PDF deck. Offer: • A pre-written post draft they can adapt • A bold headline and story that aligns with their brand • Clear CTA: “Learn more,” “Join the mission,” or “Support this effort” Remove every ounce of friction. 6. Borrow their credibility, not their clout The best partnerships feel like a value exchange. Offer them: • Early access to your programs • Visibility in front of your audience • Association with meaningful outcomes Influence borrowed ethically is influence that lasts. 7. Follow up like a pro, not a fan If they don’t reply, it’s not a no. It’s a signal. Try a value-driven follow-up like: “Just read your post on [topic], brilliant framing. Still think there’s an exciting way to collaborate. Happy to send a 2-min Loom if easier.” Persistence isn’t annoying when it’s relevant. LinkedIn has quietly become the fastest-growing channel for finding high net worth donors and brand partners. And those influencers? They’re your bridge, if you approach them strategically. Comment Influence and I’ll send you a 5-minute breakdown on how to find and activate the right voices for your mission. With purpose and impact, Mario