Influencers have dominated Instagram in recent years, proving the effectiveness and power behind a personal brand on social media. Now that businesses are recognizing the use of influencers as a valuable marketing tactic, these collaborations and partnerships are becoming more common. As influencer marketing becomes more prevalent, businesses need to know which influencers are a good fit for their brand.
The Right Influencers for Your Business Goals
Contrary to popular belief, bigger isn’t always better. Sometimes the best influencers are the ones with smaller, more dedicated audiences. Depending on your specific goal you may look for different qualities. If you’re simply looking for brand awareness and expanding your reach, a larger influencer may be a good option. If your business is looking for actions such as conversions, choosing a smaller influencer that is closely related to your product is usually a better choice. Influencers in small niche communities tend to have a more loyal following and are therefore more likely to generate conversions.
Partnering with larger influencers can also have its downsides. Larger, more popular influencers may have a more established, expensive pricing system for services, but may be less effective due to an oversaturated audience. Many larger influencers are now running into a conflict between service pricing and the results garnered as their audiences become more desensitized to sponsored posts and ads within their feed. This is why choosing smaller niche influencers, called “micro-influencers,” can be an underrated key to success, both in saving marketing budgets and driving desired results.
The Importance of Integrated Brand Messaging
Size isn’t the only factor to consider when choosing influencers. Messaging and quality of content are crucial to a productive influencer marketing campaign. As with all marketing efforts, your brand messaging should be integrated and well aligned across all platforms. Before committing to an influencer, it’s important to ensure that their personal brand aligns well with your business’s core values.
Another key factor to consider is the quality of content. Especially with Instagram being such a visual platform, elements like high photo quality reflect well on your brand. In many cases, influencer partnerships come at a cost, making it even more important to expect professional-level quality. Choose an influencer who produces high-quality content so that even after the collaboration ends, you are left with quality content to post in the future.
Instagram is constantly changing, with these changes, influencer marketing continues to evolve. As this new marketing tactic becomes more common, practices will become more standardized across the board. Stay tuned to our blog to learn about Instagram’s newest features, updates and best practices.
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