Mat Siltala will be speaking on Influencer Marketing at the Engage Conference, which will take place March 9, 2017 in Portland. For more information, or to purchase tickets, please click here.

Mat Siltala  - SEMpdx Engage 2017 Speaker

1) Please give us your background and let us know what you do for a living.

I got a start in this industry back in 1997 when I started designing websites for a radio station that I was a DJ/Commercial production guy. I designed the radio stations 3 “sister stations” websites, and I won’t tell you what I designed them in, because as if the date wasn’t telling enough already. The only reason I got asked to design the websites was because I happen to be going to college for “Computers”. Back in the day it was all the same. Computers = anything and everything on a computer. I enjoyed the challenge and realized quickly how much I loved SEO (although I didn’t even know it had that name back then). After continuing being a co-host on a morning country show, computer tech, network administrator and eventual business coach I started to build my own companies. I have two online mattress companies and of course, Avalaunch Media. We have almost 50 at Avalaunch Media now and it all started back in 2006 when I decided to quit my “corporate” job and take on my own clients. I have been speaking ever since and growing businesses. I also love me some photography!

2) What are some tried and true tactics for reaching out to influencers about your product / service?

The key is to be prepared & do your research. In order to be truly successful, you need to be working with the influencers before you even have created anything. Figure out the influencers, find out their needs/wants and things you can help with (content wise) and start there. For example, if you are a company that sells tech products for babies, then find those type of influencers. Find the ones that are writing about those topics and where they are writing. Figure out those things and offer them something more. Maybe they had amazing data on an article, but there was no visualization and the article was not shared as much as it could have been. If you are working with them from the start, they WILL share it and you WILL get the link and credit and their article WILL do better. It is a win win for everyone involved and makes outreach and influencer marketing so much easier.

3) How can one best use social media to reach influencers?

Main thing is to remember it is not always about finding the top influencers with each different network. Smaller niche, or “micro” influencers can still pack a huge punch. Many times influencers can introduce you to other influencers, and you can keep growing your “influencer network” YouTube, Pinterest, instagram, Snapchat and Twitter all have influencers that can do wonders. That is where I would recommend most start. An example I like to share there is a Junior in High School in my daughters class that has a huge Instagram following. She can help a local small business sell out a product in a matter of hours. She is not a Michael Jordan, but still has impact and influence. That is important to remember. If you can find these types too, and not get lost in only working with the “top influencers” you will be much more successful when just getting started.

These are all topics I dive much deeper into for my session. I will be sharing examples and case studies and things you can be doing TODAY. Anyone who attends the session is in for a treat.

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