There is no doubt that influencer marketing is here to stay. Although 2020 may have thrown the world a lot of curveballs, one thing that is not changing is companies shelling out millions of dollars for marketing. In fact, a 2019 survey by The Influencer Marketing Hub states that 63% of businesses plan to increase their influencer marketing spend over the next 12 months. This platform continues to stand out and is proving to be a great return on investment for companies. If your business hasn’t yet dabbled in this venture, it’s not too late! Here are three tips for influencer marketing that will help you get started with your first campaign.
TIP 1: Finding the Right Influencer is Key
Although many companies are turning to social media influencers, a Mediakix study shows that 61% of marketers say it’s difficult to find relevant influencers for a campaign. Our recommendation is to look past how many thousands, or millions of followers an influencer has.
Just like any campaign, you want to start with defining a target audience. At DRPM, we help our clients look for someone whose followers match the target audience rather than focus on the number of followers.
Another great thing to do is look for someone who may have already mentioned, tagged, or praised your brand on social media. There are many influential people–celebrities, athletes, and social stars who have favorite brands already and would love to partner with them.
TIP 2: Do Your Homework
So now you have some candidates that you are ready to partner with. Great. However, have you vetted this person? Just because they are interested in working with you and they sent you some stats about their audience and engagement, is it enough? We would say no. You need to go through the influencer’s past posts and not just on Instagram (or whichever platform you are asking them to promote with you on).
Many companies are taking public stances on social and political topics now, and so are many other people on social media. This can be a great thing, but be sure your influencer’s stances are in line with yours.
Tweets, old Facebook posts, a blog, anything that represents your influencer can now be tied to your company and brand. So, don’t just say ‘yes’ after seeing one datasheet. Make sure that this person truly lines up with your company’s morals and values.
TIP 3: Be Very Clear
You’re moving forward with an influencer because you’ve vetted them and are confident they will be a great ambassador for your brand. Before just sending them over some products or payment, you should get everything you’re expecting in writing. When working with influencers, you always have to remember, this is their job, and it’s a billion-dollar industry.
We recommend having two documents. One that outlines what the company is asking for the influencer to do, with timelines and campaign information. The other should be a more formal document that both parties should sign.
Remember, no detail is too small to include. If you have timelines, be very specific. Say when a post is needed by, and when the results are due. While this may seem extreme or tedious, we have worked with influencers in the past who are not the best with time management.
Where to Start
Finding the perfect influencer is not an easy task. You’re looking for a person or people that can embody your brand, align with your company values, and reach your target audience. On top of that, you want their representation of your brand to persuade a follower to purchase or use your product. Considering the outcome you want, it makes sense to put sufficient time and effort into finding the right people to be your influencers.
Some companies take on the task themselves, and others work with agencies to get in touch with the right person for the job. There are also databases and other software available that help brands and agencies connect with large networks of influencers. What companies everywhere are finding out, though, is that using the right influencer can help refresh your brand and get it in front of an audience that they weren’t reaching before.
