Influencer marketing has been a marketing strategy for a long time. During the 1700s, merchants would take advantage of popular individuals or celebrities in society to promote their wares. Using influencers in the modern age has been fueled by technological advancements that have enabled easy access to information. While influencers were mostly celebrities a while ago, there has been an upsurge in the use of content creators that are not celebrities but who have amassed a massive and genuine following. You can use an influencer search tool to identify those that mirror your brand and create a working strategy to market your business. Here are some tips you can use to take full advantage of this type of marketing.
Have a Budget
There are different types of influencers based on their areas of interest and number of followers. Nano and micro-influencers have a following of less than 100,000, while the macro and the mega influencers have million-plus followers. The fewer the followers, the less their charges will be, but not to mean they will have limited influence. Consider the amount you are willing to spend on the content creators first, then decide which category of these influencers to work with. If you are starting your business and are on a tight budget, you can go with either the nano or the micro-influencers. You also need to know how long you will have your campaign running to determine how much to set aside for that purpose.
Write Down Your Goals
Influencer marketing campaigns are an ideal way of reaching out to new customers. When you use an influencer, you, in essence, get access to their followers who you intend to sell your products to. While it is not a must that those followers be your direct customers, there is a high likelihood that a good number of them will develop some interest in your brand. According to a study by Civic Science,14% of individuals between 18-24 years and 11% of millennials purchased a product online due to getting influenced by influencers in the last six months. With your goals in place, you can then leverage the power of influencer marketing to drive your sales and grow your business.
Know Your Target Market
You must reach out to the right people or target market. Different influencers create varying content, and not all can match your brand or style. When you identify your target niche, you can then sieve through the numerous available influencers and select those that identify with your brand and market. It is these groups that you should now work with to reach out to their followers. You must develop an audience persona to avoid working with the wrong influencers or reaching out to the wrong target market.
Keep in Mind the Three Rs of Influence
When leveraging influencer marketing, focus on the three Rs of influence: relevance, reach, and resonance. Relevance refers to sharing content that relates to your business; reach considers the number of people you can communicate to, while resonance is the level of engagement that the influencer will have with the audience.
