When it comes to marketing, it's not only essential to promote the product. You need to find the right influencers who can push it past your current scope. Putting this plan in motion is vital, especially when it comes to marketing a specific product or service. Influencers have a way of genuinely persuading others to support what you have to offer. Here are some things to know about influencer marketing.
Identifying an Influencer
Not everyone can be an influencer. There are specific criteria that let you know that someone has that type of authority. You'll be able to look through different factors to see if that person is the right one to help you in your business. Here are some things to consider:
Checking Their Influencer Base
It's not just about the number of followers, but the quality of them. They could have over 100,000 followers, but if none of them have any real value, all your efforts could go for naught. You want a lot of those followers to either be involved in your niche or at the very least be genuinely interested. There's a lot to gain from valuable influencers. If the influencer's followers are like your customers, you can turn that into more significant profits down the line.
Are They Authentic?
Authenticity is key. When you have an influencer who’s held in high regard, check to see why he has this level of authority. Do your research to find out the type of content he writes. Does it sound like they are copying or pasting information? Or do they come from the perspective of personal experience? It's essential to see that difference because personal experience gives it more integrity.
Are They Passionate and Knowledgeable About the Industry?
If you're in a niche like hair care, find out if the influencer is passionate about it. Do they use specific daily products to keep their hair healthy? More importantly, what knowledge do they possess? When they talk about certain things like hair protein and breakage, can they display this knowledge in layman terms to their audience? It shows initiative and personal use to the point where it's believable. They won't have to "sell" to their core following.
Find Out If They Have Accurate Content
Before reaching out, check their website, blogs, and social media. What types of things are they posting? Does it align with what you enjoy doing and the message you want to present to your target audience? Here you can see if what they're saying makes sense and they can back it up with examples/testimonies. From this point on, you have more knowledge about choosing the right influencer.
Choosing the Right Influencer
Take time to weigh your options when it comes to picking your influencers. Not everyone is going to work, but you need to be realistic in what types of things you're looking for in an influencer. Think of the things that can take your brand to another level in time.
Define Your Key Goals
What types of things do you want to set out to do? A lot of people want instant success, but that comes with time. Think of how you want to roll out your campaign. Some people may consider paid media. However, others want to work with an influencer exclusively. Before the numbers come in, set small objectives. Do you want more shares to your site? Are you looking for standout content creation? Are you trying to get better engagement across the board? These are all things to keep in mind.
Having a Story to Tell
Sure you can pass along a product and keep it moving. Also, you can tell the influencer precisely what to say about the product. However, there's no real emotion. People want to build a connection with someone. You want them to have a combination of getting your take on the product plus their experience. Having a complete story can create better insight into what you have to offer to the public. It's all about finding the best spot to attract the right audience.
Finding the Right Balance
The influencer you work with must have the right balance between promotion and engagement. The connection is everything. Find someone who doesn't oversaturate the promotion process. It could be a sign that they don't interact with the influencer as often. Take a look to see if there are a lot of positive comments and suggestions. Is the engagement low? Consider this before deciding on an influencer.
Being Unique
It's essential to have an influencer that stands out. When you have a great collaborator like that, it'll make it easier to have an edge on your competition. If they try a special sauce, maybe they can create a cooking video using it. Perhaps if it's spicy, they can include it in a unique cocktail that you can only make with that particular spice. In whatever you do, realize that there are rules to engaging with influencers.
Rules to Engage With Influencers
You must know how to work with your influencers. Each one has different needs. You should provide an incentive for them working with you to enhance your brand. Whatever you decide to do, make it worth their time. Here are some things to think about:
Knowing Your Industry
Research is undoubtedly crucial when it comes to excelling in your niche. Find out how the influencers are useful in the niche you want to pursue. Is this investment going to give you a good ROI? Do people value what this person has to say? All of this is important to determine why these influencers genuinely make a splash in your industry.
Rewarding Your Influencers
One of the best things you can do is pay your influencers. Of course, if they're sending you business and making you gain a following, you can compensate them monetarily. It's good to put some money in their pocket, and they'll be more inclined to give you quality work. Also, you can give them free products. Maybe some custom stuff that they can have exclusively. It all depends on the agreement between you and the influencer.
Go Above and Beyond
Remember, a lot of influencers get tons of pitches from many people. What stands out about your product? Maybe your product isn't the most spectacular, but the packaging is incredible. Perhaps it lights up in a certain way upon opening the item. You might have some exclusive things that the influencer wasn't expecting. Being able to create something distinctive can make your stuff marketable, and the influencer will be more than willing to review it and share a video of it amongst followers. That can give you the extra traction you need.
Have Some Disclosure With the Influencer
One of the things that's needed is integrity. You can truly set yourself apart by knowing your true intentions regarding the relationship with the influencer. If someone's doing a product review or something, there needs to be a small note like "ad" or "paid review." It's always good to be upfront about these types of things.
How Do You Approach Influencers
After you've compiled a list of influencers you want to work with, here are some ways to approach them.
Finding Their Contact Information or Social Media Profiles
You want to get in contact with these influencers as soon as possible. Luckily, Google can be a great way to find the influencers you need to help you establish yourself. You might not have the email addresses, numbers, and social profiles within reach. If you know the influencer's name, a simple search may get you their website. From there, you can get their email address, phone number, and any social media platform they're active. Hashtags can also help find specific influencers. Try locating advocates by using #foodblogger and #lifestylebrand. Send them a message and ask their rates for particular items and the amount of time for promotion.
Always Introduce Yourself in a Respectful Manner
You don't want to mess up everything by asking some questions that feel like you're invading their space. One thing to do is engage in their posts and start building a rapport. When you provide value to the discussion or give sound suggestions, this will naturally draw more favorable attention to you. By the time you contact the influencer, they'll at least be familiar with you. It can be a more natural way to pitch your offer.
Be Persuasive
When you're at the point of proposing, the message should be clear. You need to show why you're worth the time to work on a particular project. First of all, let them know the posts that caught your attention. What did you like about the influencer said? How did you find them? What is the nature of your brand? How can your brand be associated with their mission? What is your objective for working with them? Also, let them know what you offer them when they do end up working with you. Some consider a fee, and others want the promotion and free product.
Make It Easy for Them to Contact You
The easier it is for you to be reachable, the better it'll be to keep the dialogue going. Make sure that you list your email and have your social media open for DMs. You never know when someone may want to contact you for business purposes. Also, if you do make it to email, have a signature or at least after sending a message post a link to your Skype, phone number, or a Google calendar to stay in touch. You might want to have a more direct conversation to build trust.
It's a mutually beneficial situation right here. Think of it as a way of doing some cross-promotion. After building a relationship, now's the time to ask them to share your content.
Have Specific Objectives in Mind
Be clear on the type of goal you want the influencer to help you accomplish. Also, make a note of how involved you want them to be in this process. You want your instructions to be crystal clear to avoid any confusion in the matter. This way, you'll be able to start with fewer complications.
Keep Them Aware
Whether the influencer is more hands-on or you hire them from an as-needed perspective, you always want to keep them aware of the game plan. You might have an idea for specific content but want them to write it from a particular viewpoint. However, you might write the content but need some input from them and even include them. Letting the influencer know ahead of time what's going on can help them stay afloat and be more inclined to share your posts.
Write Them Content
You can write content specifically for them. Remember, you both can benefit from this venture. Write about them. Whether it's an interview or just a simple shoutout to whatever they're doing, this makes them look good. They'll be more inclined to share because this adds more authority to their brand.
Make Room for Opportunities
Once you start gaining traction, maybe you can develop some quality collaborations. Get some feedback and see if there's any way that both of you can work on different things within the niche. Having some useful input can help give your content more variety. That'll keep your core audience interested.
Working with an influencer can be quite beneficial. When you're trying to take it to the next level, you need the extra support to help you increase the amount of traffic and sales to our brand. It's not only about the great products you have, but creating a sound reputation. Having a high authority in a particular niche that supports and works with your brand can be a powerful asset to your business. It'll give your brand staying power for years to come.
What are some tactics you use to get an influencer marketer on your team? Please leave some feedback below!
Once I started to find the right influencers, my authority extends beyond my current following.
I think being an influencer has a special merit that supersedes what a regular business offers. People take their word as water to a pond. It’ll make your campaign much more demanding.
I noticed not only the following but the value. With every post, I saw the number of real comments and engagement. That mattered most to me when selecting the right influencer.
Authenticity is key to long-term success. I did my research to find out their general background. I chose influencers who stand by their word and back it up. It’s important to pick someone with integrity.
Being passionate about your niche is very important. It shows that you care about the quality of your content and the people who look to your words as value. I think an influencer should have this quality.
When you have a story that people can relate to, it makes people stand in your corner. They can understand your perspective and put themselves in your shoes. That’s the type of influence to help you build a loyal following.
Balance is important in all aspects of life. When it comes to business, you need the right amount of promotion and interaction. This way, you won’t come off too much like a salesman, and people will gravitate toward you.
When you have an influencer that stands out, that can give your brand the edge it needs to separate itself from the pack. It’ll help you dominate your niche and give your customers that your competitors don’t offer.
You should always reward your influencers when they bring you quality prospects. They may be the backbone to your brand flourishing for many years.
It’s important to pitch something to an influencer that blows their mind. The packaging I use is completely different from my competitors. I know if the influencer I work with is doing an unboxing video, it’ll be a great marketing tactic to get more people to buy the product.