A Beginner’s Guide to Influencer Marketing
The best way to sell your products is to have trust and reach, in other words, the support of an influencer marketing to your audience on your behalf.
Influencer marketing is a relatively new type of marketing strategy, but in an age of social media, it is rapidly attracting a lot of interest from savvy marketers. We all have some influence, but social media stars and big celebrities have more than most. Their fans hang on to every word they say, so if the likes of Jenna Marbles or Kylie Jenner say they use a product, you can guarantee it will sell out in minutes.
Clearly, asking a Kardashian to promote your product will be difficult unless you happen to sell designer goods and are willing to give away some freebies, but when used correctly, influencer marketing can work for your business, too. However, before you start firing off emails to David Beckham or some other well-known influencer, you need to plan your campaign carefully.
Does Influencer Marketing Really Work?
Firstly, let’s address the main question most businesses have. Influencer marketing is new, so it is a relative unknown for many people. However, when you consider that click-through rates have dropped through the floor in recent times, something needs to change. Influencer marketing is well worth trying as part of a bigger marketing campaign, as it can be very successful, but make sure you take note of the following points.
Who is Your Target Audience?
Using a scattergun approach is a waste of time and money. Unless you understand your target audience, how are you going to select an influencer to work with? Ideally, you should already know this, but if you don’t, try doing an empathy map exercise. It is a useful collaborative tool to gain greater insight into your target audience.
Select the Right Influencers
Influencers need to be a good fit. It is pointless working with an influencer if their audience isn’t interested in what you say or sell. Influencers need to be a contextual fit. For example, pop star influencers have a large audience, but Katy Perry’s fans are unlikely to be interested in camping goods or leadership courses.
The important thing to remember is that you don’t need a global superstar. Even relatively less well-known influencers have a loyal following. So long as their fan base is a good fit for your target demographic and you can work with this person, it could be a positive and mutually beneficial relationship.
Content Creation
Content creation should be a two-way process. Work with your influencer, as they know what their fans like. Be willing to write blog posts, etc., or pay for content from proven companies like; The Big Foot Agency or Pixel Productions, but remember that content needs to be authentic. It’s OK to guide your influencer, but most of the creative output should come from them, in their own words and style.
Track the Results of your Campaign
Set KPIs at the start of your influencer marketing campaign and continually measure results.
Be clear about what you want to achieve and be realistic in your expectations. If you don’t see the results you hoped for, go back to the drawing board and find out where you went wrong. Tomorrow is another day!
