One of the top ways to market to your target audience is through using a social media influencer. This term refers to an individual regarded as a trusted, well-known source in a particular industry with a high number of social media followers and the power to influence their followers’ behavior.
But how do you find the right influencers to promote your company? There are 3 key factors you need determine the best influencers for your brand.
1) Relevance
When researching a social media influencer, it’s important to ask: what types of content does he/she cover? Does my product or service relate to something they would use or recommend? Find an influencer whose content is valuable to your audience. After you’ve established a relationship with the influencer, you can persuade them to create original content for your brand. If you are both promoting similar topics, it’s much easier to achieve an “I help you, you help me” arrangement.
2) Reach
Next, ask yourself: how many followers does the influencer have? You want an influencer with a substantial amount of followers, but also be aware of what types of products and brands they represent. If they don’t feature products from brands similar to yours, it’s best to look for another type of influencer. You must maintain realistic expectations about whether they will want to reciprocate a relationship via social media with you.
3) Resonance
Lastly, you should consider: how well does the influencer’s content engage an audience? You want an influencer with devoted fans who will also connect with your product or service. Having a high number of ‘likes’ on posts is one thing, but having an influencer that creates dialogue among their followers and receives comments on their posts is even better.
*Tip: awareness before proposal.
Before you send an email to the influencer you’ve singled out as a potential advocate for your brand, it’s important to make them aware of your brand. You want to engage with them via social media in a non-sales manner. Comment, like, or repost their content for a period of time so that they will become familiar with your brand’s name. This behavior will also help the influencer identify you as one of their devoted fans.
Once you’ve held public conversations on social media (i.e. several simple acknowledgements or thank yous from the influencer for reposting their content, comments or dialogue between you and the influencer), you can then take your mutually beneficial relationship to the next level. Privately message the influencer about ways to cross-promote each other’s brands.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are the most popular platforms where social media influencers can promote your brand. Learn how to connect with Instagram bloggers for best results.
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