It’s no secret that Social Media has stolen the show. With an extremely cost-efficient way to get your brand’s message across to your ideal customer base, why wouldn’t you take advantage of it? An important piece of making sure you are taking the right step towards investing time and energy towards social media is recognizing the power of influencer marketing. With great power, of course, comes great responsibility and there are definitely a few things we find imperative to starting your influencer marketing campaign.
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What is an Influencer?
While influencer marketing is the buzzword these days, you need to truly understand what this encompasses. An influencer is someone who actively engages with an audience of followers to persuade them that the information they are sharing is honest and to be trusted as a source for decision making (including purchases). Typically, influencers have a decent ‘following’ on either a blog, youtube channel, or other social media. They are essentially the gurus of their niche market and tell a story from the moment you open their account or blog.
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The proof is in the pudding!
We have a preconceived notion that the answer is in the numbers, but don’t be deceived! Finding a blogger who has 28k followers and beautiful images might seem like a recipe for success, but there a few strong indicators that this ‘influencer’ may actually be a fraud. Our pro tip: Take a look at the comments section of the page. 5-20 comments with a 28k following? You are looking at the outcome of inorganic followers from apps such as Instagress.
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Who to keep your eye on.
Once you begin to grow your network, you may notice that there are followers that are very engaged with your content, and that is not to be taken for granted. Even if this user has less than 900, a user that takes the time to engage with your product is essential to your company! Ryan Holiday mentions in Jordan Harbinger’s podcast, The Art of Charm, “when you see an influencer liked your work, you should 1. Assume they are passionate about [your product] and 2. That they are likely to know other influential people.” Holiday explains that this is putting more fuel to that fire – which you should focus on, too!
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Where do I start?
Research! Start looking at hashtags that are popular among your target demographic. For example, if you own a protein powder small business looking to target 21-28 year old females interested in bodybuilding, you might want to search #FitFam on Instagram to see who’s using the hashtag. Once you find someone that matches your brand’s’ identity, follow and engage!
