A Guide to Influencer Marketing

Nowadays it seems like everywhere you look online all you see are influencers. Influencers of course are online users with a large following who through their credibility have the power to affect their followers’ purchasing decisions.

In the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of influencers teaming up with brands for marketing campaigns instead of the more traditional celebrity endorsement. This trend has been on the rise thanks to the credibility factor of influencers who more closely resemble ordinary people with budgets similar to their audience instead of wealthy celebrities whose recommendations do not seem genuine or attainable by many of their fans.

Due to this flux in trust between influencers and their followers, you have to be aware of how this relationship can play into your marketing efforts. In fact, according to a 2015 study conducted by Double Click 62% of consumers do not trust brands and Harris Interactive also found that 90% of Americans ignore digital ads targeted at them by companies. 

You might be wondering why that is and how influencer marketing plays into this? Well, if you want to find out more about the world of influencers then this guide has you covered.

What Is Influencer Marketing? 

Influencer marketing is a collaboration between a brand and a well known online personality. This collaboration aims to bring recognition to all parties involved by having the influencer promote a product or service via their online platforms to their followers. 

Through influencer marketing, you gain the ability to reach new and relevant audiences but also be aware that like all marketing strategies there are also a few setbacks to be wary of when using this method.

Pros: 

• Expanded Relevant Audience Reach
• Increase Amount Of Consumer Trust
• Builds A Positive Brand Reputation

Cons:

• Varied Cost
• Time Consuming
• Your Brand Reputation Remains Tied To Influencer 
• Measuring Results 

To fully understand influencer marketing and how you will go about choosing which influencers to utilize for your campaign you have to become familiar with the various influencers you will encounter.

Different Types of Influencers

High Profile Influencers

This segment of influencers usually has 100k or more followers. They can be regarded as famous on their platforms and in some cases may even be well-known celebrities. Their audience base is very large and diverse however the influencer themself tends to be more distant to their audience even though they have a prominent presence.

This influencer has experience working with big-name brands and will get you the highest amount of exposure. However, working with them comes with a high fee. Usually to get in touch with these influencers you have to communicate with their representatives.

Micro-Influencers

These influencers have a following ranging roughly from 10,000 to 100,000 followers. They are very active and engaged with their vast online audience. They vary in representation, as some work with agencies and some do not. Micro-influencers will work with brands for either a fee or in exchange for products. 

Nano Influencers

This type of influencer usually has around 10,000 or fewer followers. They tend to have a small niche but dedicated audience who regard them highly. These types of influencers are not represented by a big name agency and will usually opt to work with brands in exchange for product and exposure instead of a specified payment amount.

Now that you have a better understanding of influencers and their role in marketing you should consider using the following tips for crafting a successful influencer campaign.

Tips For Successful Influencer Campaign

1. Align Influencer With Company Ideals

Identify what type of influencers best aligns with your company’s ideals. This can be done by using buyer personas. Buyer personas allow you to understand the type of customer your campaign is best suited towards. In understanding this information you can clearly identify the type of influencer that would work best for that group. 

Once you identify the type of influencer you want to recruit onto your campaign you can move onto creating an influencer list for the social media network that would best show off your intended message. Remember that certain platforms work better at highlighting certain products than others. 

For example, if you want to reach the beauty community then youtube would work best for you since the influencers can demonstrate the product in a tutorial or challenge video that encourages their follower to try doing the same look.

2. Create An Influencer List

To keep all influencer information organized and up to date, consider putting together an influencer list. An influencer list is a spreadsheet that contains the details of the influencers you want to reach out to. Details such as name, email, social media handles, social following, and more should be included in this document. 

When creating your influencer list an important resource to use is an engagement calculator. This tool will serve in seeing how involved an influencer actually is with their followers since the more involved they are the higher the chance will be that your campaign will be a success. For this reason, an engagement calculator can also serve as an ROI tracker.

3. Be Personal

Now that you have your influencer list it’s time to send them your pitch. If you have not had any previous interactions with the influencer which is usually the case then be sure to send a personalized pitch to them both via email and social media so that they know you are truly interested in having them be part of this project. Be sure to appeal to them by writing about their strengths and expertise in their field. 

Also, be sure to mention the additional benefits apart from exposure to a new audience. If you want them to be an ambassador for your brand or the face of your campaign be sure to highlight details like commissions, free product, and payment. These action items help entice the influencer to work with your brand.

By understanding a little more about how to work with influencers and by using these tips to help you carry out a future influencer marketing campaign you are sure to fit right into the online world of influencers.