On social media, people generally trust the influencers they’re following. That means when the influencer endorses a certain service and company, their followers tend to trust that recommendation. You can benefit from influencer marketing if you know how to use it properly.
Here are the most important things you can do to use influencer marketing successfully.
Consider the Influencer’s Following (Numbers)
Numbers play a large role in any kind of marketing. Two of the most important numbers you’ll need to consider when you are using influencer marketing are the influencer’s number of followers and your budget.
“Users with somewhere between 1,000 and 9,999 followers earn just over 30 percent more for their posts (roughly $108). Influencers who have upward of 99,999 followers, though, see their earnings more than double ($240), while users with more than 100,000 followers see their price per post rise the highest – over $763.” – Influence
If you want to appeal to more than one target market, consider splitting your budget between some smaller influencers with different audiences. But – if you already have a clear picture of your avatar and are focused only on marketing only to that avatar, put your budget into one or two larger influencers.
Consider the Influencer’s Audience
The amount of followers the influencer has doesn’t matter if you choose an influencer whose followers are completely out of your target market and not in line with your avatar. Make sure you do your research to figure out the audience of each influencer before making a decision.
“Having a smaller audience allows micro-influencers to bond with the people who follow them more regularly (as compared to a celebrity with millions of fans) via their channel. This makes them appealing to work with for businesses looking to develop personal relationships among their target audience.” – HubSpot
Consider the type of audience and the level of engagement you want when deciding who you want to endorse your service. A smaller influencer might have fans that are a lot more actively involved and engaged, but usually, those types of influencers have a very specific niche. Bottom line is that you have to make sure you do your research and find the right influencer – otherwise you’re wasting your money.
Know the Difference Between a Brand Influencer and Brand Ambassador
A brand influencer is someone you pay to promote your service – so they would charge per post on their timeline and/or stories. Basically like paying for traditional ad placement, just, on social media.
A brand ambassador is given a percentage of the sales that are directly related to the customers they bring in. For example, if you are offering a course – they would have a direct link to promote and they would get a percentage of (or set fee) for anyone who buys through that link.
“Influencer, blogger, brand ambassador, advocate: These terms are used interchangeably, but there are vast differences in the influence they wield, what they will do for a brand and what they get paid.” – Entrepreneur
Make sure that you know the difference between a brand influencer and a brand ambassador when outlining your influencer marketing strategy – as you will need to put different elements into place depending on which is the best fit for your overall marketing strategy.
Know Your Message
Before you do any kind of influencer marketing you need to be very clear about your message. This will allow you to pick the best fit and make sure that the influencer(s) you choose is in line with your brand, your mission, and…you guessed it…your message.
The other element that is important is that you can be clear about what you want their audience to learn about your company throughout your ‘relationship’. This will ensure that this element of your strategy remaining in line with the rest of your advertising strategy. But remember, you want to give them enough room with it to be creative in a way that will appeal to their specific audience but still be relaying your message.
“Gaining social “proof” will help you gain more customer trust. Partner with those who share your values in clever, mutually beneficial ways.” – Cameron Herold
Using social media influencers to increase brand recognition and appeal to potential new customers is a great way to grow your business – just make sure you’ve done your research and approach it the right way
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
