Influencer marketing has blown up over the past few years and now even more companies are turning to influencers on social media platforms such as Instagram, Youtube, Tik Tok and Facebook to market their brands. With 65% of influencer marketing budgets increasing during 2020 the market is only set to get bigger.
If you’re considering influencer marketing here is what you need to know:
Influencers don’t automatically guarantee sales
Getting an influencer to showcase your product or brand does not automatically mean you’ll start selling right away. The job of an influencer is to raise awareness of your brand by highlighting it on their social media channels. You are more likely to see a rise in stats such as Followers, Reach and Engagement.
Choosing the right influencer
The next thing on your list is to make sure that the influencer or influencers you are selecting are the right fit for your business.
Take the time to research the influencers in your niche. It is important to review a few of their posts first so that you can judge if the influencer is someone that you want to do business with.
The main things to keep an eye on is whether the influencer provides a direct link to the products they suggest and the copy they are using. Who can forget Scott Disick’s famous copy and paste mistake?
For a sense of authenticity, you want to ensure that the influencer’s ethos and views correlate with your own. You don’t want to get burned later on by discovering the person who has been showcasing your product has a negative viewpoint that could affect your business.
Don’t get fooled by numbers
A lot of influencers have massive followings and it can be easy to get starstruck by numbers that stretch into the millions. Just because an influencer has a large following doesn’t necessarily mean they are the right fit for you.
It is important to monitor the amount as well as the type of engagement their posts receive before you make your choice otherwise you may find your ROI will suffer.
Honesty is the best policy
It’s important to be open about your goals when approaching an influencer. When you pitch to them make it clear how you intend to work with them.
Consider questions such as the following:
- Are you paying them a fee or are you working on a gift giving basis?
- Are you providing the images, or will they?
- Are you providing the copy and the schedule of when to post?
- Will they be showcasing a link directly to your website?
- Is it going to be a story which lasts only for 24 hours or a post that stays on their profile?
- How will you track engagement on the influencer’s post? Some people ask for a screenshot of the engagement as proof in place of the usual statistics you may use on sites like Sprout or Hootsuite.
Armed with this knowledge you should be able to move forward into the world of influencer marketing with confidence.
If you’d like to discuss your digital marketing call Spark Social on 07851301776 or email donna@sparksocial.org
Spark Social 