Social media influencer marketing has been an integral part of strategic marketing plans over the past few years but is poised to be one of THE top marketing trends of 2017.
Why choose to work with an influencer? The benefits are numerous, including the opportunity to partner with an authentic voice in your industry to drive brand awareness and generate sales.
First define your goals for creating an influencer campaign. Are you looking to drive brand awareness, traffic or sales? Be sure to set goals and define metrics upfront so you are able to measure the success throughout your campaign.
How To Find An Effective Influencer?
The most impactful and successful social media influencer marketing campaigns are built on the foundation of an authentic relationship. Search Instagram, Twitter and blogs for influencers who have mentioned your product in the past and are true fans.
Make sure the social channels where they are most relevant are also a good fit for your brand. And ensure that the content they are creating on a daily basis is professional, engaging and in line with your company’s image.
Reach vs. Cost
There’s been plenty of chatter about the skyrocketing cost of influencers. Don’t let that scare you. There are plenty of influencers with small but eager and engaged audiences that will work for product or lower costs in the initial phases of a relationship.
Remember when selecting an influencer to partner with that likes don’t always equal engagement. Likes are easy but reading the comments allows you to see the true engagement and trust that they’ve built with their audience to make your product truly resonate.
The Pitch & Professionalism
When pitching an influencer be genuine about why you admire them. Be sure to note recent posts and why you think they’d be a great fit with your brand. Remember that relationships tend to work best when it’s a two way conversation. No one likes to receive a blanket form letter; think of your initial pitch in the same way.
Be sure to ask for a media kit, make sure they know their metrics, and watch for spelling and grammatical mistakes in their correspondence. This person is representing your brand—it’s important to ensure that they are professional and will shine the right light on your product.
Once you’ve found an influencer to partner with be sure to provide on-brand messaging for them to incorporate into the post. Also, ask permission to repost and share their post across your social channels to reutilize the content they’ve created with your audience.
Working with influencers can be extremely beneficial to your social marketing strategy. It not only helps in amplifying your brand to a different audience segment, but also puts your product in front of new potential customers. Be sure to continue to nurture the relationships of past and present influencers to ensure that your brand is top of mind for years to come.
Need help creating a successful social media influencer marketing campaign? Contact the Filament team today to create a social plan sure to generate results.
