Whether your goal is to boost brand awareness, site traffic, leads, engagement or sales, working with influencers can help you succeed in reaching it. If you’ve made the decision to work with influencers for the first time, it can seem a little overwhelming. You might think of it as a strange new world in the marketing universe.
But, whether you know it or not, you’re probably already familiar with many elements of influencer marketing. That’s because influencers have been around in one form or another as long as marketing has.
An Early Influencer
Believe it or not, it didn’t all start with the Kardashians or The Rock. Some influencer marketing experts point to the china manufacturer Wedgwood as one of the first brands to work with a celebrity influencer. That influencer was Queen Charlotte of England, who bought Wedgwood dishware during the 1760s. The queen allowed Josiah Wedgwood to name the line she bought “Queen’s Ware.” She also let Wedgwood display all the pieces she bought before the company delivered them to her.
Today’s influencer marketing technology and terminology might be different, but many of the basics remain the same. Most importantly, consumers will buy products used and recommended by those they trust and admire. And that’s just one reason why it’s actually easier to succeed with influencers than you might think.
There Are Options for Successful Influencer Marketing for All Budgets
Don’t be put off by the splashy, glitzy lives and campaigns of some of the more famous influencers. It’s true that celebrity influencers command big bucks from brands for the large numbers of followers they attract on social media. But, fortunately, even if your budgets are much more limited, you have plenty of other influencer alternatives.
And these alternatives are probably also a better choice if you’re aiming to reach a niche market for your product. They’re everyday people who specialize in certain subjects, from gardening, camping and home decor to cooking, home repairs, childcare and everything in between. Their followers trust them and look to them for tips, how-tos and recommendations.
Working With Up-and-Coming Influencers
Partnering with up-and-coming and local influencers can be much easier and a much more budget-friendly option than trying to snag a big celebrity influencer. But keep in mind that for many influencers, influencer marketing is a full-time job, and they should be compensated for their work.
That doesn’t mean working with influencers has to break your budget though. While many prefer financial compensation, others might be open to other types of payment. For instance, if you want to promote a small business locally, local influencers might consider partnering in exchange for free product or services.
Or, if up-and-coming influencers know they’ll get great exposure by partnering with a major brand, they might consider charging lower fees. The increase in followers an influencer could gain from such exposure can be extremely valuable and a form of compensation.
Manually searching for influencers on Google or social networks can be time consuming and frustrating. We’ve created an influencer discovery tool where you can start searching 2.5m+ influencers and content creators in the largest marketplace of its kind. Our search tool includes, VizSearch, a visual search tool where you can use specific keywords such as “beverage”, as well as specific brand names or locations where the image was capture to search for influencers. You can make an unlimited number of lists and export up to 5 of them.
Easy Ways to Succeed With Influencers
You can work with influencers in a number of different ways that aren’t complicated. They range from in-store events to contests, giveaways, how-to videos and product-review posts on social media.
For instance, if you’re opening a restaurant, a food or restaurant influencer can create buzz about it before, during and after the opening. They can attend the opening and post their impressions and photos of it on social media to generate interest.
Influencers can host giveaways of your product on their social media channels and also post videos of themselves using it. Popular influencers have loyal fans that will make purchases based on their recommendations.
Look closely at the comments of the most loyal and engaged customers on your brand’s social media channels like Instagram and Facebook. Consider partnering with them for influencer campaigns if they’re already enthusiastic and knowledgeable about your products. If they have their own social media followings that align with your target market, they could be just what you’re looking for.
Influencers Make the Connections for You
The great thing about partnering with influencers is that they do a lot of the work for you. While you need to determine your target market, message and goals for the campaign, professional influencers are highly skilled at what they do. And what they do is build and nurture powerful relationships with audiences brands want to target.
Influencers build these relationships by creating valuable content for their followers and engaging with them. When you partner with influencers, they create content about your products. They engage with their followers to create awareness for and interest in your product and brand.
Influencers create shareable content on the social media channels that get the best results. Their followers share that valuable content with friends, family and co-workers, and before you know it, your brand’s reach has expanded.
That’s why it’s key to allow the influencers you partner with plenty of creative freedom. They know best how to talk to their followers and spur interest in your brand. Let them do what they do best — and that’s get the word out about your product.
It’s a good idea and relatively easy to create a simple brief for the influencer. A brief outlines a schedule for the posts and the other campaign components the influencer is to deliver. Those deliverables can include things like hosting contests on their social media channels and attending special events.
Influencer Marketing Services
Another option that makes succeeding with influencers easy is working with our fully-managed influencer-marketing services. Let us do all the legwork and heavy lifting for your next influencer marketing campaign. Our managed services team can help plan, develop and manage your influencer marketing campaigns, setting goals and tracking results.
Influencer Marketing Platform
If you run a business and need to do your own influencer marketing, getting access to our influencer marketing platform can save you a lot time and resources. Our influencer marketing platform gives you access to a marketplace of influencers and helps you find those that are most relevant to your product. You can use advanced search filters to narrow your search, create campaigns, chat with influencers, distribute content, transact, and measure the results of your campaign.
