Influencer campaigns have been one of the most impactful marketing strategies of the social media era. Not only can they get your brand in front of a large number of people quickly, but they also provide sizeable returns in the process. However, when you consider that influencers come in all sizes (with as few as 1,000 followers), knowing where to get started in targeting the right influencer for your brand can be a challenge. Here are a few tips for a great influencer campaign:
Know Who Your Brand Can Be Friends With
A big secret to influencer marketing isn’t necessarily going after the person with the most followers, but who’s most likely to be friends with your brand. While everyone thinks that they would love to have Kylie Jenner represent their product with her massive following, Kylie’s brand can hurt some companies more than it could help. That’s nothing against her as a person; it’s just that brand fit matters. According to Fit Small Business, shared values account for 64 percent of brand relationships, and if you’re looking to master long-term bonds with both influencers and their fans, it starts with knowing your brand principles.
When it comes to Facebook or even Instagram many influencers choose to have advertising agencies help them strategically build up the revenue from their social media.
One of the first things you should analyze for your brand is how it will influence your industry and impact the world. As lofty as that sounds, every business has a purpose, and yours does as well. Try to come up with a list of at least 5-10 brand values, as well as what influencers you think would resonate with them. Especially when it comes to cold outreach, influencers are going to want to hear what you find special about them (beyond their follower count). This comes from the genuine way you view their brand and how it fits with yours.
Study Where Your Audience Is At
Once you’ve established where your brand stands, it’s important to do a gut check on how it fits within your audience. Although we often assume that our audience is our peers, you’d be surprised how many entrepreneurs are missing out on a tremendous marketing opportunity by not doing the research. This isn’t a point to humiliate you or say that you don’t know who you should be selling to, but rather to take a second glance and reflect. Remember, influencers are businesses, too; that means they like to see that you’ve done research that reflects how much you respect your brand and theirs.
When conducting your research, first look at who your current audience is, as well as what demographic you’d place them under. An important note here is that when it comes to influencer campaigns, the medium is very much the message, which is why Instagram is such a primary tool. With 67 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds currently on the platform, it’s wise to explore strategies for impressing the youth. Even if it’s not your core demographic, understanding how they engage with the platform can help you understand how to conduct your campaigns once they go live and where current trends are headed.
Figure Out Who’s Influencing Them
With an established audience, it’s time to start looking at what influencers these people are following, as well as which ones are going to give you the best ROI. The latter is especially important because it’s the core of why influencer marketing is so popular. 89 percent of marketers say that the ROI from influencer marketing campaigns is better than any other channel.
In looking back at your brand story’s list, ask yourself which influencers absolutely match with your brand. This is a great time to trust your gut; however, be mindful of the price tag and engagement to ensure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. Encourage influencers to use any one of the best URL shorteners for affiliate marketing, and be sure to ask them beforehand what type of numbers they generally see. Ultimately, it’s better to have an influencer with 2,000 followers and 100 solid sales leads than 10,000 followers and a 75 sales average, as the biggest cursor for success is your bottom line.
Keep A Cycle of Campaigns Rolling
As you start to get into influencer marketing, it’s more to establish a pipeline system to keep your relationship with influencers constantly rolling. 61 percent of people interact with an influencer at least once per day, which goes to show just how prevalent these figures are in our lives. Whether it’s a big win influencer or a slew of micros, the goal is to work with people you feel are good representatives of your brand. In return, they will love your work.
What have been some of your experiences working with influencer campaigns? Comment with your insights below!
