Title: Driving Social Influence at Scale: My Experience as a Sales Business Development Representative at Viral Nation
By: Anthony Crilly
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In today’s digital-first world, where a single tweet or TikTok, Instagram, Meta ( Facebook), You Tube post can elevate—or obliterate—a brand’s reputation overnight, companies need more than just exposure. They need protection, intelligence, and an engine for influence.During my contract role as a Sales Business Development Representative (BDR) ( 2 year stint) at Viral Nation, I had the opportunity to be part of that engine—connecting with top decision-makers and opening doors for revenue-generating conversations centered around AI-powered brand protection and influencer marketing solutions.
Goal: Get a Qualified Appointment
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Starting the Conversation with Confidence
At the heart of my outreach success was a strategic, data-driven Conversation 7Guide —designed to open dialogues that led to real discovery and business alignment. My calls started with a simple greeting:
“Hi [Prospect], this is [Your Name] with Viral Nation. How’s it going today?”
” I was curious, How involved is your department with social media marketing or improving brand awareness?”
This approach balanced professionalism and authenticity. From there, I’d confirm their role—often marketing heads, social media leads, brand managers, or digital transformation officers—and pivot into a conversation about how they were promoting and protecting their brand in today’s volatile digital ecosystem.
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Educating, Engaging, and Setting the Table
One of the most impactful parts of the dialogue was explaining Viral Nation’s core value:
WHO WE ARE | WHAT DOES VIRAL NATION DO:
“As the world’s #1 influencer marketing agency, we work closely with companies who are looking to go beyond traditional advertising to amplify their brands’ message and reach new audiences through social media driven influencer campaigns.”
Question: Curious,
“have influencer campaigns been discussed at all? “
10-SECOND CLAIM | HOW WE DO IT:
“Our roster of acclaimed creators and influencers and partnerships with TikTok, Youtube and Meta enabled us to customize the most recognizable social campaigns for brands like Coca-Cola, Disney and Amazon. Would love to learn more about what [company name] is working on and any campaigns you have coming up.”
This message resonated deeply, especially when tied to concrete pain points—like the $4.3 million average cost of a social media incident. Our AI platform’s ability to analyze content across 13 languages, media types, and platforms since account inception offered a solution most decision-makers hadn’t seen before.
I would often highlight key business outcomes:
BENEFITS CLAIM | HOW DO OUR CUSTOMERS BENEFIT:
- Improved brand awareness
- Improved engagement
- Ability to reach new audiences and more of their target audience
- Reduced risk in using vetted influencers that are proactively monitored and align to tolerance score
- Lowered customer acquisition cost with influencer-performance based strategy
- Saving up to $4,000 per profile review compared to legal screening
- Scalable, 24/7 monitoring of influencers and employees
- A centralized platform to manage social brand risk and campaign ROI
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Qualifying Needs, Building Trust
Once I had their attention, I’d dive into discovery and qualification questions. These conversations were more than checkboxes—they were windows into each organization’s influencer strategy, social media hygiene, and brand protection maturity.
Discovery & Qualification Questions
The purpose of these questions is to qualify and size up an opportunity for a Sales Representative.
Question 1: What are they looking to do (broad strokes)?
Range of Answers:
- Launch a new product or service or rebrand
- Tap into social more
- Crack Tiktok and or IG
- Source and work with amazing creators
Question 2: What does success look like for you and for leadership?
Range of Answers:
- Impressions, views, clicks, cost per lead, conversions, lower customer acquisition cost
- Increased awareness of our brand on Tiktok, IG, etc
- Identify and tap into new markets and audiences
Question 3: What past marketing have you done before?
Range of Answers:
- Typical paid ads and media content.
- Sponsored events and talks
- Influencer Campaigns (Current or past)
- Specialized events and experiences
Question 4: Have you worked with agencies in the past?
Range of Answers:
- Yes we have and/or are currently working with one
Reply: Wonderful what is their name? (Dig deep and try to get them to know we are the largest social media talent agency)
No we have not
Reply: Oh wow, that is interesting considering your size and market. Do you do most in house? (Try to pull out why they haven’t worked with an agency before? Have they never considered it?)
Question 5: Have you ever executed an influencer campaign before? Do you have an active influencer team?
Range of Answers:
Yes we have used Influencers
Reply: Wonderful to see that you’re leveraging the power of social. What was the experience like? How did it go? Did you get the results you were looking for?
Yes we have an active base of influencers we work with in-house
Reply: That is wonderful! How many do you work with? How do you manage their operations? How do you screen them? How to you onboard them?
No we have not used Influencers
Reply: Oh really? Why is that? A company the size of yours should 100% be leveraging Social influencers. There is a pretty large audience on social that you could be missing out with.
Whether they were running influencer campaigns, rebranding, or trying to “crack TikTok, Instagram, Meta, or You Tube” the answers helped me connect them with our Account Executives for tailored demos that solved real business problems.
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Collaborating to Close
Once interest was confirmed, my job was to schedule qualified meetings with our Account Executives—paving the way for in-depth discussions and solution demonstrations. I was part of a seamless team that ensured every touchpoint aligned with the client’s needs and timeline.
I also learned to handle objections and referrals with finesse. If I reached someone who wasn’t the right contact, I’d pivot to uncover who was. If the timing wasn’t right, I left the door open for future follow-up.
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This article detailing my experience as a Sales Business Development Representative (BDR) at Viral Nation is a strong foundation for showcasing my qualifications to potential employers in the influencer marketing and social media tech sectors. To enhance its impact and align it more closely with industry expectations, consider the following strategies:
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1. Quantifying My Achievements
Employers value measurable results. Incorporate specific metrics to demonstrate your contributions:
- Meetings Scheduled: Scheduled over 50 qualified meetings with enterprise-level decision-makers in a 3-month period.
- Pipeline Contribution: Generated a sales pipeline valued at over $500,000 through targeted outreach and strategic prospecting.
- Efficiency Gains: Reduced average lead response time by 30% by implementing a streamlined follow-up process.
Quantifying my achievements provides concrete evidence of my effectiveness and sets me apart from other candidates.
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2. Highlight Industry-Specific Expertise
Given my experience at Viral Nation, emphasizes my familiarity with key platforms and industry challenges:
- Platform Proficiency: Leveraged in-depth knowledge of TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Meta to identify and engage with high-potential influencers.
- Brand Protection: Advised clients on mitigating reputational risks associated with influencer partnerships, utilizing AI-driven monitoring tools.
- Campaign Management: Collaborated with cross-functional teams to execute influencer campaigns that increased client engagement by 25%.
I demonstrating industry-specific knowledge showing tthat I understand the unique dynamics and requirements of the influencer marketing space.
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Final Thoughts
Viral Nation gave me a front-row seat to the evolving intersection of influencer marketing and brand protection. As a Sales BDR, I was more than just a cold caller—I was a strategic connector, bringing innovative tech and urgent brand concerns into alignment.
In an age when trust is the new currency and attention spans are razor-thin, tools like Viral Nation’s platform aren’t just nice to have—they’re mission-critical. I’m proud of the role I played in helping organizations take control of their narrative, protect their digital presence, and tap into the power of creators to drive growth.
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About The Author
