5 HINTS TO HIT WHEN CHOOSING AN INFLUENCER:

The world of marketing is fast becoming influencer driven. Perhaps some of these highlights on influencer marketing will shed light on the subject. According to HubSpot, 92% of marketers believe that influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing. Their study further confirmed that 50% of millennials believe in recommendations made by influencers about a product or brand. If you are outcome-oriented, then you may want to know that on average, as per HubSpot’s report, businesses generate $6.50 in revenue for every $1 invested in influencer marketing. In more practical terms, influencer marketing involves the use of celebrities, content creators, or influential individuals to endorse, recommend, review, or provide hints about a product or service. Influencer marketing is a great promotional or marketing tool. It expands a brand’s frontier of influence, reach, and convergence, paving the way for more leads and business opportunities.

While the significant role of influencer marketing is not in doubt, the real challenge for marketers is how to manage the engagement processes involved in influencer marketing activation. This article will seek to provide some hints:

1. Proper debriefing session: Influencers, from my experience, usually want to do things on their own terms. They are usually used to the freedom content creation has given them. Influencers are very particular about what they add or subtract from their content. Needless to say, they are the last people who will accept any form of prodding without questioning. Sometimes, they may come across as being incorrigible, but that may not be the case in most instances. Without proper debriefing sessions, some influencers may even take your brand off course during the engagement. To avoid any unpleasant repercussions and challenges, it is important for marketers to provide proper briefing through contracts, meetings, and minutes. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the campaign’s objectives.

2.Value alignment:?Don’t choose an influencer unless you are convinced that their values, content style, and type fit your overall strategic outlook. This will save you and your brand from tons of challenges during the engagement process. Dealing with individuals who share your world view makes the entire process seamless and smooth, reducing any risks associated with the engagements. Influencers who share your business’s values are more cooperative and compliant, helping you achieve your marketing outcomes without difficulty.

3.Strategic alignment:?Beyond choosing influencers who are strategically aligned with your brand values, it is crucial to select influencers who epitomize or personify the product or service you are marketing. Influencer campaigns can fail miserably when the influencer chosen to represent the brand is a complete contradiction to what the brand represents. Marketers must be strategic and purposeful. Not everything should be about the numbers. You should be convinced that this individual has the clout, personality, and reputation to reinforce the brand position of your product or services. Like employees, brand influencers are essentially an extension of whatever the brand represents. Never forget that.

4.Accountability:?It is riskier to deal with influencers who do not have any structure around their business. These influencers may not be very accountable to the business and the purpose of the engagements. You need to be certain that you have a team of individuals who can influence the influencer to avoid being shocked or surprised by the turn of events. The influencer, during the processes leading to the engagement, must prove to be accountable with their time and any other resources allocated to them through the engagement.

5. Check their niche:?Influencer marketing is not about chasing numbers and people with perceived influence. It is about building communities of like-minded individuals to support a cause, whether it’s a product, service, or advocacy. Using one-size-fits-all influencers, who have no niche, will be counterproductive. In every business, there are individuals who have carved a niche for themselves. I take the liking to some influencers like @eatwithsophz @ zubaidah.x and @mrtourism who are very clear about what their brands represent.

As businesses seek more productive avenues to spend their marketing budget, the impact of influential marketing will certainly justify its place in the promotional mix. It therefore behooves on marketers to be alive to what it takes in managing our engagements with influencers, whether at the macro or micro levels.

I write about Marketing Communications; Public Relations, Sustainability?and Content Marketing.