As more businesses enter the digital sphere, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out. In many industries, it’s expected that businesses have a presence on Instagram, Facebook, and/or Twitter as a way to connect with their audiences and establish their brand.
Just about any business with the budget can run paid promotions — scammers included. Audiences are becoming suspicious of who’s legit, and who’s just trying to make a sale. As a result, brands that offer high-quality products and services but lack a large following can struggle to prove themselves and compete with all the noise.
Luckily, these businesses have found a way to establish their credibility by hiring people who have garnered a large following of their own: social media influencers.
Benefits of Hiring Social Media Influencers
Sure, you can spend thousands of dollars on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram ads trying to build brand awareness before you start lead-generation tactics… but why not save yourself some time and money and capitalize on audiences that already exist?
Influencers have very loyal followers who will trust their opinion and reviews more than any ad. Think of it as positive word of mouth from one person that has the potential to reach thousands of people at a time. With the right reviews from the right people, you could find a dramatic increase in sales from followers who want to see what their influencer’s hype is all about.
Which Social Media Influencers Should I Hire?
Once your brand is established, look for influencers who align with your values, style, and language. These users will likely have garnered a large number of followers who also match these characteristics — these are the followers you should try to reach.
Because there are so many influencers out there in this day and age, it is most important to select those with engaged followers who truly value their opinion and trust what they have to say. Not all followers are created equal, so you must first analyze engagement rates and the quality of followers before making the decision about who to partner with.
- Nano and micro-influencers – This group of influencers (<50K followers) is just starting out, so you can create a relationship with them as they grow. Since these creators have smaller followings, they do not typically require payment, and the monetary value for them is in working with an established brand and getting free products. Working solely with influencers like these will allow you to save on budget, so you can partner with more influencers and further expand the brand reach.
The most value in these relationships comes out of content creation. If your business is just getting started, there are few people with products in their hands, and therefore, less content to share. These influencers are pros at taking fun photos and videos and will be able to supply you with quality content that relates to their audience.
- Mid-Tier Influencers and Brand Partners – Mid-tier influencers (50K-500K followers) are likely those you should be looking to establish long-term relationships with. These creators would be partners with your brand and would document their experience with the products/services over time. Because of the size of their following and influence, they often require a payment plan during the partnership. However, the expectation for your business from these partnerships is higher.
These influencers tend to have much more experience and influence over their audience, and the audience values their opinion. When you’re looking at these influencers, make sure you’re paying attention to engagement rate and not just the number of followers.
Influencer-specific content ideas:
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- Product demos
- Vlogging the service experience
- Store events
- Instagram stories
- Before-and-After photos
- Current favorite products/services
- Store promotions and offers
89% of marketers say influencer marketing ROI is as good or better than other marketing channels.
Looking to boost the exposure and credibility of your business through working with influencers?
CONTACT US to learn more about creating an effective influencer marketing strategy.
