Do you know that 70% of Teens Trust Influencers More than Traditional which is a pretty different aspect for brands, no matter how big or small they are?
The younger generation trusts influencers that much!
Brands are now very aware of this fact and are trying to incorporate influencer marketing strategies in their overall digital marketing strategies.
Influencer Marketing has rapidly become one of the best online marketing techniques because it is extremely powerful, cost-effective, and efficient.
So in this post, we will give you a brief idea about what Influencer Marketing is and the steps to influencer marketing success.
What Is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer Marketing refers to using key opinion leaders as an integral part of your marketing campaigns, especially online campaigns.
The influencers could be popular bloggers, Instagrammers, celebrities, and just about anyone who has a large following in social, video, or print media.
It is basically utilizing them with the help of their posts to promote your product or services online.
These people with huge followings (trustworthy sources) are called influencers and can not only make you earn more money but also provide you valuable data on what exactly your customers want!
Now let’s focus our attention on how to go ahead and plan an effective Influencer Marketing Campaign:
How Does Influencer Marketing Work?
To understand how Influencer Marketing works, it is important for us to understand what influencers are.
Simply put, an influencer is someone who has a lot of followers or people that pay attention to them.
This could be a person on social media, a blogger, or even just any other type of celebrity.
Now that we know more about the term and the definition, we need to know how this marketing technique actually works.
Influencer Marketing is an online marketing technique that makes use of these opinion leaders as they have large followings and they’re also trustworthy sources.
This marketing strategy allows you to reach more people by using these opinion leaders as your main medium to promote your brand and product.
This technique also allows you to drive more engagement and discussions about your product or services, which will eventually result in a higher ROI and conversions for your business.
However, the whole procedure of influencer marketing is not very simple and straightforward.
Here we’ve covered the entire step by step procedure for Influencer Marketing:
Four parties must be involved to make affiliate marketing work:
1. The Brand.
The brand is the one that can provide you with the budget to hire influencers; they also make sure that the product/service is really worth being promoted.
The brand will decide what kind of exposure they are looking for so, it’s important for brands to do their own research and have some sort of a strategy in place beforehand.
Again, the objective for brands is to create an organic reach that will help them achieve their marketing objectives.
The influencers then reveal how they go about fulfilling these requirements.
Then, brands move to the next step.
2. Influencers.
Now that we’ve decided that we want influencers to promote our brand, we need to find influencers that are suitable for your niche.
The first few steps of this process should be taken by the brand as they know exactly what their marketing objectives and goals are because brands themselves should have a strategy in place before hiring an influencer or agency.
The first step for identifying potential candidates is using third-party tools like Followerwonk and Buzzsumo to find influential people within your niche and use them as guidance for finding possible candidates.
Once you have found some influencers, it’s time to approach them with an offer!
They might not be interested because of several reasons, so you’ll need to make yourself attractive enough to the influencers and convince them with a good proposal.
3. Influencer Management Platform.
This is a platform that mainly specializes in connecting brands and influencers together; they will be your middlemen.
So why would any influencers want to work with such platforms?
Well, it’s simple: Influencer marketing platforms usually help brands and influencers get more opportunities.
If an influencer gets contacted by hundreds of companies every day, then their inbox might turn into a complete mess that they won’t be able to handle on their own.
These platforms can offer powerful tools that can group all these different contacts into one window which helps influencers organize themselves better while also saving them time.
4. The Consumer.
Last but definitely not least, we have the consumer.
They’re the ones that will actually use and experience your product so, it’s extremely important for brands to take their needs and requirements seriously while producing a product or service since they are what matters the most.
Consumers also benefit from influencers as well: If an influencer recommends something to them and they like it, then there’s a chance that these consumers might become loyal customers in the future which is always good news for brands!
Now you understood the 4 parties that are involved in influencer marketing, now let’s talk about how influencer marketing works.
Here Is How Influencer Marketing Works:
Influencer marketing work in 2 simple steps:
1. Brands Collaborate With Influencers.
To come up with creative content that promotes the product or service. Influencers post this content on their social media profiles and/or blogs for brands to share them on their own profiles.
These publications usually include a link where consumers can buy the product, so brands can track conversions using tracking links which will tell them how many visits led to actual purchases.
Affiliate marketers receive a small percentage of each sale as referral fees.
For example, let’s say that a blogger is interested in working with Influencers to promote New Socks Brand.
The influencer will submit product reviews and photos featuring the socks on their blog or social media profiles.
They might also run campaigns including paid posts, contests, Instagram memes, or Snapchat stories.
Brands can then repost these content pieces on their own profiles for greater visibility.
If one of these consumers decides to visit the brand’s website after seeing an influencer’s post and makes a purchase, the brand pays the affiliate marketer an agreed-upon fee for bringing this customer to them.
2. Influencers Promote Brands And Their Products To Their Followers.
Next, brands will pay influencers to promote their products and services.
Influencers can promote these items either within their own content or on someone else’s platform (YouTube, Instagram, etc).
It’s usually up to the influencer’s discretion whether they want to include affiliate links in their promotional material or not since some of them don’t like promoting products that they haven’t actually used themselves.
Some brands might want to keep things simple and manage this entire process on their own by locating the right influencers for them.
They can use various tools or even ask their peers in order to discover suitable candidates that are perfect for promoting their products.
This part of the process is usually handled by affiliate managers, who work as a liaison between influencers and brands.
The brand needs to provide requirements regarding how many followers they need, what niche the product falls into, etc., then this manager will be able to search through their database of influencers until they find someone appropriate for this task (Or multiple people if needed).
What Are The Types Of Influencers?
Now that you understand how everything works, there are basically 4 types of influencers depending on their follower count:
1. Nano-Influencers.
People with a follower count ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 followers.
These influencers might not have the largest followings on Instagram, but their engagement rates are just as high if not higher than bigger accounts that have 30k or more followers.
In fact, these smaller accounts tend to be less saturated which makes them easier to work with since they can provide more exposure in exchange for a lower fee for their services.
2. Micro-Influencers.
People with a following between 10,000 and 100,000 followers usually charge a little bit more than nano-influencers due to their popularity in the market.
However, it is vital to note that the number of engagements each post is typically smaller than that of nano-influencers, making this sort of influencer a poor choice if your primary goal is to reach as many individuals as possible.
On the other hand, these influencers usually have a more engaged following and can provide a better ROI for brands.
3. Macro-Influencers.
Macro-influencers are people with followings that range anywhere from 100,000 to 10 million followers.
They usually charge more than micro-influencers due to their widespread popularity.
In general, the number of engagements per post of macro-influencers is substantially higher than that of nano- or micro-influencers, making them an excellent alternative for brands looking to reach a large number of potential customers.
However, these influencers might not be as engaged themselves and may not provide a good ROI for brands.
4. Mega-Influencers.
These influencers often have followings that range anywhere from 10 million to 50 million followers.
They usually charge the highest fees in the market since they are able to promote your brand across all of their platforms.
If there is a social media platform that these mega-influencers don’t manage themselves, it is probably owned by a close friend or family member.
This type of influencer usually has the highest number of engagements per post, so this option is good for brands that want to reach as many people as possible without having to worry about their engagement rates.
These aren’t the only types of influencers that exist in this market, but they are the most relevant ones.
Talk with your vendor and provide them with as much information as you can about your campaign to make sure that they find the perfect fit for your campaign.
Why Influencer Marketing Is Important?
Influencer Marketing is important for many brands, but the most important reason is that this marketing tactic allows brands to reach people who don’t already follow their page.
In order for a brand to be able to sell its product, it needs to have a conversion funnel that consists of multiple steps.
The first step is usually getting the attention of a user, and the second step is to get that user to visit their website in order to convince them to make a purchase.
The problem with this process is that many users who see your ad might not be in the market for what you have to offer, so they will simply ignore your ad and keep scrolling.
Influencer Marketing can help you by allowing brands to reach out like:
1. Precise Targeting.
Precise Targeting is an advertising strategy that focuses on the specific segment of users that a company wants to reach.
The idea behind it is that when you’re looking for certain people, such as potential customers, it’s better to look at a group in order to be more effective in reaching them.
For example, if someone opened up Google and searched “cars,” they would see all sorts of ads related to cars.
This is thanks to precisely targeted ad strategies because the ads are meant for someone who is in the market for cars.
In contrast, if there were other people who logged into Facebook and were simply scrolling through their news feed, they would not see any car ads no matter how much time they spent browsing.
2. Enhanced Brand Awareness.
This type of advertising tactic is usually not as focused on conversions because it’s meant to improve a brand’s image and perception in the marketplace.
It works by creating positive associations with your brand.
For example, if someone saw one of their favorite influencers post about a new product that they’re excited about, they would be likely to check it out even if they weren’t looking for your product themselves.
They would most likely follow up with the experience with either a positive or negative review, but this would still increase awareness of your brand.
3. Boosted Audience Engagement.
The audience is one of the most important terms in marketing, and it’s usually related to how many people follow a page.
It’s made up of how loyal those followers are, as well as their level of engagement with your posts.
The more an audience engages with a brand on social media, the more likely that person will be willing to purchase that product or service once they see it being advertised through a sponsored ad.
It’s also possible that someone has a small following, but is still very influential in the marketplace.
In this situation, it’ll be easier for a brand to connect with their audience, and convince them to try out their product or service.
4. Improved Conversion Rates.
Conversion rates are one of the most important metrics that brands should be looking at when they’re focusing on their marketing campaigns.
This statistic describes how many people actually took the necessary steps to follow your page, and eventually make a purchase.
The main reason behind this type of metric is to measure whether or not a specific audience wants what you have to offer in order for them to become customers.
As mentioned before, influencer marketing can help with conversion rates because it creates positive associations with a brand, which will affect the way users think about buying the product or service that you’re offering.
5. Increased Trust And Credibility.
When it comes to marketing, trust is one of the most important metrics that companies should be looking into.
This is because if no one believes what you’re selling, then they won’t buy it.
One of the biggest factors in building trust with your audience is by using influencers who are positive and relatable.
If an influencer’s audience likes them enough to follow them on social media, this also means that their followers will care about what they have to say about a given brand or product.
Creating endorsements through influencer marketing can help boost credibility by creating positive associations between your product and an influencer.
It’s like having James Bond promote your new smartphone; people would probably want to get their hands on it!
This type of marketing also makes it easier to build trust with users, which is especially important for brands that struggle with negative customer reviews.
How To Become An Influencer?
When a brand looks into working with an influencer for their marketing campaigns, oftentimes they’ll have specific requirements based on the type of product or service that they make.
It’s important for brands to take note of these factors before looking at potential candidates because it will help them decide which influencers are best suited to represent their brand.
Here are the key points that brands should be looking at when they’re working with influencers:
1. Select Your Niche.
One of the first things a brand should do when they’re looking for an influencer is to determine their marketplace.
It’s almost impossible for brands to choose influencers who aren’t in the same niche as them because these advocates will only be able to advertise certain products and not everything that your company makes.
For example, if you’re selling toothpaste and deodorant then it would make more sense to work with an influencer that sells beauty products instead of someone who promotes fitness supplements.
This way, there’s a higher chance of conversion rates by matching up the type of product the influencer is advertising with what your target audience uses on a regular basis.
2. Optimize Your Social Media Profiles.
Brands should also take the time to optimize their social media profiles so that influencers are able to have a better understanding of what they represent.
If your social media accounts aren’t up-to-date, then it’s unlikely that you’ll attract many followers because people don’t want to support brands with outdated information.
It’s important to spend time engaging with your audience and posting content related to your industry because this will help develop a community that cares about what you have to say.
This also means that there’s a higher chance of converting them into customers if they trust you as an expert in your field!
3. Understand Your Audience.
Before working with an influencer, it’s important to learn more about your target audience.
This will make it easier for you to determine whether or not a specific type of audience is going to be interested in what you have to offer.
Knowing this information can help brands provide content that matters to their community and ultimately improve conversion rates if the influencer they choose makes a positive association between themself and your product or service.
4. Create And Post Relevant Content.
It’s always a good idea for brands to give influencers guidelines on what they should post about.
This can be anything from giving them assets such as product pictures, text blocks, and videos so that the influencer has something to work with when creating content related to your brand or industry.
However if you want to make it easier for influencers and brands to work together, you should consider working with software that can track your brand’s most important metrics such as engagement rates and an average number of followers.
This way, both parties will be able to see how their presence impacts their audience and whether or not they’re reaching the right people!
5. Be Regular And Consistent.
One of the main reasons why brands work with influencers is because they want to see regular and consistent updates when it comes to their social media accounts.
For example, if you’re working with an influencer that has 100k followers, then you should expect at least one post per week!
If you’re looking to build a strong relationship with your influencer, then this also means that you need to be there when they need help or support throughout the entire process.
This includes offering assets such as videos so that the influencer can put together eye-catching content for their audience without any issues!
6. Engage With Your Audience.
It’s always a good idea to spend time engaging with your audience because this is how you convert them into customers.
If you’re not posting relevant content that provides value, then most people won’t pay attention to what you have to say and will find other brands that can provide them with the type of information they’re looking for.
This means that before working with influencers, it’s important to create a social media presence where your target audience knows they’ll always be able to get something out of what you have to say!
If a brand is unable to engage its audience, then there’s a high chance that the influencer they work with won’t see any success from their presence either.
This means that both parties need each other in order to grow and expand!
7. Let Brands Know You’re Open to Collaborations.
If you’re an influencer and want to maximize your chances of working with bigger names, then it’s a good idea to let them know that you’re open to collaborations!
This means making it clear on your social media accounts and personal website if you’d like to work with brands in the future.
It can also be helpful for you to tag relevant companies when posting content so that they can easily find it without having to do any research themselves.
How To Use Influencer Marketing For Your Business?
Influencer marketing is currently one of the most popular types of marketing strategies on social media.
Today, marketers are able to collaborate with influencers that have large followings and provide them with special promotions or discounts so that their audience can purchase products or services that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to.
1. Decide Your Goals And Create A Strategy.
Before you even begin looking at influencers, it’s important for you to think about why you want to work with them in the first place.
If your goal is to grow brand awareness or increase traffic from search engines, then it might be a good idea to find an influencer that has a large audience that is already engaged with their posts.
2. Set A Budget.
Influencer marketing is known for being an expensive type of marketing strategy, but if you’re looking to work with micro-influencers then it shouldn’t cost you more than $5 per 1k followers.
If you want influencers that have more followers, then expect to pay upwards of $10 per 1k followers.
3. Find The Right Influencers, Contact Them And Collaborate With Them.
Once you have a budget in mind, it’s time to start looking for influencers that can work with your goals.
There are a number of tools out there that can help you find people who have large followings and also specialize in specific industries.
Once you’ve found some options, then take the time to check out their social media accounts and website to see if their content is something you’d be interested in.
4. Review And Refine Your Strategy.
Before you contact influencers, it’s important to make sure that they’re the right fit for your brand.
If their content doesn’t align with what you have to offer, then you can expect to see a low conversion rate and wasted time and money on your end.
Once you’ve found someone that matches your needs and goals, then take some time to brainstorm ideas that can help both parties!
Some Tips To Help You Become A Successful Influencer.
Before you decide to become an influencer yourself, it’s important to make sure that you’ve got these criteria:
1. Personable.
Your personal brand is important for your influencer marketing strategy to work.
If you’re not able to portray yourself as personable, then your audience is less likely to want to work with you.
This means that you should spend some time creating content that is easy for your audience.
2. Aligned.
If you’re an influencer yourself, then it’s important for you to make sure that your interests are aligned with your brand.
For example, if you’re a fashion blogger who doesn’t like mainstream fashion then you might not want to work with brands that only offer products that are trendy.
3. Relatable.
It’s important for you to make sure that your audience sees you as someone they can relate to.
If you’re working with an influencer who isn’t relatable, then you can expect your campaign to fail.
4. Be Responsive.
Your audience is going to have questions when it comes to the products or services that you’re offering.
It’s important for you to be responsive to your audience and provide them with insights or any other information that they might need.
5. Be Consistent.
Consistency is important for you to have a successful influencer marketing strategy.
It’s important for you to make sure that you’re consistently producing valuable content for your audience.
6. Be Creative.
It’s not just enough for you to create content that relates to your brand, but it’s also important that you’re able to deliver your message creatively.
If you’re not able to impress your audience with creative content, then they’re probably going to forget about you quickly.
Conclusion.
Influencer marketing is a great way for you to market your business, it’s important that you’re able to create valuable content and also stay relevant as an influencer.
It’s crucial for you to know what your audience’s challenges are before working with them and offer valuable insights on how they can overcome their problems.
At the end of the day, If you want to be an influencer marketer then hope these post ideas are helpful for you.
