However, in recent times, brands have been utilizing individuals with a certain level of fame to endorse their products for a considerable period. The current trend of using influencers for promotions is known as the “Influencer Revolution”, which predominantly takes place on social media. The emergence of this trend is relatively recent, with average people gaining popularity and sway on platforms such as Instagram.
In 2023, companies that choose to go down this path have plenty of options at their disposal. It doesn’t matter the industry they find themselves in - there is a niche influencer for them no matter what!
Yet, like with any tool that promises fantastic outcomes, it’s crucial not to get carried away with influencers without putting the time and effort into conducting the proper research. So, always make sure that you choose an influencer who will serve the interest of your brand to the right audience.
Another mandatory mission that you need to accomplish in your quest to find the perfect influencer is to always do your homework. You need to have a thorough understanding of the influencer’s target audience and why they are relevant to that demographic.
Allow us to explain. Influencer marketing is a great approach to engaging with your target audience, but you shouldn’t go all in! In other words, you should be aware of who the influencers are and why they are essential for your campaign. So to have the best outcome, you need to remember that an influencer will bring awareness to your brand - if that campaign gets backlash, it can also affect not only your brand but your sales as well. Be careful when choosing.
Even more so, now that we touched the “campaign” part, you need to set a goal and have a pre-established plan. You must determine what you want the influencer to do. How long the campaign will go and the factors that can prove its success are two crucial parts! And don’t forget to have a budget set before reaching out to influencers. Make it clear what your intentions are and what the main objective of the campaign is.
Also, when choosing the right person to represent your brand, you also need to make sure that the influencer is a good fit for your brand's mission and values. Dig up and find information about that specific person!
What you need to understand is that influencers have different goals, audiences, and personalities! It’s critical to find someones who align with your brand! Examine the sort of material that they post on social media. How often do they post? Is their information consistent? How does the audience react to their content?
Nevertheless, if someone only posts once or twice per month, that could be considered a red flag. An irregular schedule is not something that you should want. You want the influencer to engage with their communities frequently. And respond to any of the questions that they have, community management is a big part, so make sure they are able to do that.
But wait - there’s more. Evaluate the audience size! Do you want to go for a high audience that can bring you great exposure, or for a smaller, more engaged one? Remember that a smaller audience also means less expensive.
And, remember that influencers have their own preferences and interests.
In essence, influencers are just like us. They have preferences and understanding what your audience likes and dislikes, and providing content that caters to their tastes is the way to go! So, choose an influencer based on this. However, if an influencer doesn’t align with your brand values, it’s a big chance that he will not share the content you want him to. In this business, you also need to consider that it’s not all about money. Influencers can also find a lot of clients with whom they are on the same page. But in the case that an influencer accepts to do a campaign with you, but isn’t that enthusiastic about the material, their delivery will suffer too. The audience will figure out if they are genuine or not, so make sure they like your product.
Look at it this way. While the number of followers of an influencer is significant and is a metric that should be taken into account, it’s not all that matters! Their engagement rate and the quality of the audience are factors that are even more important. A huge number of followers does not always imply more influence than someone with fewer followers. In the age of social media, there are a lot of bots on every platform, so you should take those numbers with a grain of salt
Influencer marketing can be an amazing tool, but it can also be damaging if done poorly or without care.
One thing is certain: before partnering with an influencer, a company should analyze whether its target demographic aligns with the influencer's audience. Equally important is the type of content the influencer produces. Are they focused on videos, podcasts, or social media content? These are crucial factors to consider.
Let’s say that you are selling sports gear for women who enjoy weekend yoga or mountain climbing. All of your items are purposefully designed for them, so it wouldn’t make any sense to collaborate with someone whose primary interest is fashion blogging (even though they have 300K followers). If the followers are there for the sports gear, they will bring a lot more engagement than a traveling influencer would.
So, you need to remember that it's an evolving field, so there are always new things to learn and experiment with!
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