Influencer marketing can be a great way to expand your reach and target new customers. By setting goals, finding influencers, collaborating with them and tracking metrics, you can optimize your campaign’s performance.
When vetting potential influencers, look for content that matches your company’s mission. Identifying their niche and determining what type of posts they produce (ie Stories, galleries or videos) can help you narrow your search.
Identifying the Right Influencers
After you’ve nailed down your objectives, it’s time to find influencers who will bring value and authenticity to the table. Remember the old saying: “birds of a feather flock together.” To identify potential influencers, start by finding out where your target customers hang out online. Do they follow fashion influencers on Instagram, registered dieticians on Twitter, or mommy bloggers on Pinterest?
Once you know where to look, use social media tracking or listening tools to find people who are talking about your industry and niche. Be sure to look at what types of products and services they promote to get an idea of what you would like them to do for your brand.
When reaching out to potential influencers, make your outreach personal to ensure you catch their attention and interest. Influencers are bombarded with offers on a daily basis, so it’s important that your message is unique and stands out from the rest. This will help you to secure a partnership that is mutually beneficial.
Collaborating with Influencers
If you’ve found influencers that match your product and audience, the next step is to determine what kind of campaign you want them to run. For example, if you want them to promote your products through social media posts, be sure to work out the details of compensation and what will be expected upfront.
A popular strategy is the influencer takeover, where you allow an influencer to access your brand’s social media for a specified period of time to create content. This can include posts, stories, videos, or even a live feed.
As the creator economy grows, brands need to be smart about how they collaborate with influencers online. Getting it wrong can damage brand image, drive distrust and even lead to legal action. Learn how to make influencers feel like trusted and empowered partners with GRIN, the world’s first creator management platform used by some of fastest growing brands including SKIMS, Warby Parker, Allbirds and Mejuri.
Co-Creating Products or Content
Brands have been paying celebrities to endorse their products for decades, but consumers are shifting away from traditional advertising and are looking for messaging that’s more authentic. They want to trust influencers, who are normal people like them, about real relationships and experiences.
Co-creating products or content with influencers gives brands a fresh perspective and can be very successful at bringing in new customers. In addition to helping with product marketing, this can also increase consumer loyalty.
Getting your products in front of a wider audience is key, especially for small businesses and start-ups. Influencers can boost your online presence and organic awareness, driving traffic to your website and boosting your search engine optimization efforts. They can also help you with brick-and-mortar marketing by allowing you to offer “Buy Online, Pick Up In Store” capabilities on your ecommerce site.
Managing Influencer Relationships
Influencers who feel appreciated for their work will develop a genuine vested interest in promoting your brand to their followers. This results in a long-term relationship and more authentic content for your campaign.
Managing influencers takes time and dedication from your team. Ensure your brand is ready to devote the resources to this unique type of marketing before reaching out to influencers.
When contacting influencers, it is best to approach them as individuals rather than as brands. Social media is a great way to break the ice and get them familiar with your name. Joining relevant industry groups is another great way to quickly build relationships with influencers.
Regular, open communication is essential for your influencer relationships. Keep them updated on campaign goals and anything else relevant to the project to help drive success. In return, you’ll receive their most authentic and engaging content. This two-way communication is the heart of influencer marketing. It fuels collaborations and energizes influencers to achieve their goals.