The rise of influencer marketing is real. Countless articles on the power of word of mouth marketing combined with the surge in ad blocking have given way to a renewed focus on this powerful, organic channel of advocacy for brands.

With dozens of different approaches to discovering and rewarding influencers, it is easy for marketers to overlook the importance of connecting with influencers in the moment, when brand affinity is strongest. Whether it’s seconds after an athlete finishes a marathon and raves about his sneakers, or during a party when a socialite celebrates with a certain brand of vodka, these “moments” yield unique opportunities for brands to drive influencer engagement, secure lasting brand recall, and amplify positive sentiment.

By proactively engaging in these key moments, brands can establish authentic relationships with influencers that ultimately translate into more lasting brand affinity with target audiences. In fact, an article featured in Mobile Marketing Watch indicates that connecting with individuals in real-time leads to significant increases in engagement (81%), brand perception (52%), and conversion (59%).

One of the best ways to do this today is through what brands can access through social media. Detecting logos in photos, discovering positive sentiment in posts, and verifying category expertise through bios can surface new micro-influencers with social reach, and optimize the ripple effect that social sharing can provide. As a result, it’s become increasingly important for marketers to evaluate the tools to discover these influencers in new ways through social and capitalize on the moment with real-time engagement. It’s not enough to expect to find people using just handles or hashtags anymore – progressive brands are now taking the next step to unearth thousands of new influencers they would otherwise miss through traditional techniques.

Connecting with influencers when they are having a positive experience with the brand also creates a natural “open door” for engagement that at other times may not exist. An influencer is much more likely to share positive sentiment about a brand if he or she is actively engaged at the right moment. Results from Earshot have shown that doing so can yield share rates of 40%+ and unlock the power of social through earned media.

For example, a major airline recently used real-time data such as location, positive sentiment, and logo detection in addition to static data such as bio keywords (i.e. “blogger” and “speaker”), and follower count, to instantly find dozens of key influencers and brand advocates who were travelling that day. When these lucky travelers arrived at their destinations, an airline representative met them at the gate, and handed them a customized gift bag filled with premium travelling accessories and a handwritten note. This campaign was extremely successful, leading to a 50+% engagement rate and valuable earned media for the brand. One influencer with more than 25,000 followers even created a 15-minute Periscope live stream of her experience, posted snaps on Snapchat, photos on Instagram, and Tweeted about the airline more than five times! This one engagement through a single social channel led to an amplified positive experience that rippled through her network – only possible by connecting with her in real-time when her positive emotions were strongest.

When evaluating the best ways to take advantage of the growing trend towards new forms of influencer marketing, it’s critical for marketers to consider how timing plays such an important role in maximizing the impact of that messaging. In doing so, marketers can build authentic relationships with influencers that ultimately lead to lasting relationships with targeted audiences.

David Rush (@davidmrush) is the founder and CEO of Earshot, a social media marketing platform that enables brands to discover, prioritize, and engage customers in real-time. Learn more about Earshot at earshotinc.com and follow us on Twitter @earshotinc.