The Ultimate Guide to Influencer Marketing

What is influencer marketing?

When we look around, most of the time we get to see people online, looking at their phones, and interacting on different social platforms. Influencer marketing focuses on using key influencers or leaders to give a brand’s message and ideas to the targeted audience. Influencer marketing campaigns are designed to tap into a community of active and engaged followers. Influencers are specialists in their particular niche and have established a high level of trust and two-way communication with their followers. When an influencer shares information or update their post, it will be read, shared and followed by a large number of people. That is where the business benefit lies. This brand marketing method is powerful and strong enough to influence tge customer’s purchasing decisions.

How to set up an influencer marketing campaign?

• Set your goal and budget. 

Think what your goal is. What is the purpose and w do you want to work with an influencer? Making more sales is definitely one, but there are other things that you might not have thought about. More common goals are:

• Building brand awareness and strengthening brand image
• Increase social media engagement and interactions
• Improve conversions like newsletter subscribers, free trial sign-ups, sales, and email list building)

• Defining your budge

If you are an independent business owner, it might skip this step of defining the budget. But it is always good to keep track of your expenses, as will help you understand whether your marketing campaign is going forward or not. 

• Finding the right influencer

You need to decide whether you want to use nano influencers or micro-influencers, mid-tier influencers or top-tier influencers. There are pros and cons to each. Brands like to work with nano influencers because their audience is dedicated and they trust them. Their downside is that they lack the time or experience to work. Mid-tier influencers may show great results, as they have a genuine two-way connection with the audience. The only issue with them is that they look for financial compensation. The content and reach of top-tier influencers could impact your business positively if their audience is engaged and relevant to your business. But as influences grow they do tend to lose the connection they have to their audience. Their niche might also start to dilute. Just because they have a large audience doesn’t mean that their audience will convert for you. So don’t just look at the numbers. Ask them for screenshots of their analytics, which you can use to look at the demographics of their audience. Make sure that you are doing this, no matter what size influencer you are working with. 

How to find the right influencers? Go on to Instagram, type in some hashtags and search through the top section. You can also use the tool called Dovetale. It is a robust platform to help you find Instagrammers and YouTubers and you can search based on specific keywords, locations, niches and audiences. You can also send influences a message straight from Dovetale. To check out TikTok influencers, you can use apps like Hypetrace. 

• Validate your influencers

You need to validate that the content creator can create the type of content that you are looking for. Make sure that you are checking their past work. 

• Reaching out to influencers

Don’t let something like a follower count discourage you from reaching out to them. 

• Introduce yourself, so that you can establish a connection. 
• Let them know that, you know who they are. 
• Give a genuine compliment. 
• Tell them why you are reaching out.
• Explain your expectations. 
• Let them know where they can find you. Ensure that you include your social media handles and other necessary details. 

• How to create content with an influencer?

Negotiate the terms of the relationship. This could happen in an exchange of emails back and forth. 

• Talk about the type of content. 
• You can have a list of requests that you want the influencer to fulfil. 
• Give them creative freedom. 

• Discuss where the content will live. Whether you want a story post or blog content, it’s up to you. 

• Discuss a timeline

If you want to see the first draft, set the date for when that would be due. 

• Talk to them and come to a consensus as to how they will mention you. 

• Agree on compensation.

You can ask them about their rates, if you have a budget to pay for them.

• You could exchange products for content. This is a very famous way to carry out relationships with influencers. You could exchange professional opportunities for content. 

• Stay organized and track results.