6 Best Influencer Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

Influencer marketing is no longer reserved for big brands with deep pockets. Now, businesses of any size or type can leverage the power of influencers to reach their audience and increase sales.?

And you don’t need an influencer with a huge following to grow your business. A micro-influencer with 10k to 100k followers has the potential to put your business on the map.

But why should you consider leveraging the power of influencers to market your business?

Influencer marketing is the easiest way to create brand awareness and reach your target audience. This form of marketing is pretty affordable with a good ROI. According to a study, brands earn over $5 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing campaigns.?

So, if you’re looking forward to starting your influencer marketing campaign, you’re on the right track. Here are some of the best influencer marketing strategies for small businesses.

1. Set Your Campaign Goals

Your campaign goals will act as a guideline for your business and influencers. If you don’t have a clear campaign goal, your influencers won’t have a direction to follow. They won’t understand how to market your business or what to tell their followers.

Influencers need to understand what you want to accomplish before they start working. Tell them whether the purpose of your campaign is to reach more followers, generate leads, or grow sales.

Define your goals clearly and incorporate them into your campaign plan. Ensure the collaboration with your influencer will work well for your overall campaign strategy. Once you have your SMART goals and everything figured out, contact your influencer.

2. Find the Right Influencers for Your Business

Not every influencer with a large following is good enough for your business. You’re not only looking at the popularity and the influence but also how relevant your ideal influencer is to your business.

In your goals, you probably already have your target social platforms for your campaign. Currently, Instagram commands the highest potential when it comes to influencer marketing.?

HubSpot survey found that 72% of marketers use Instagram to work with influencers. TikTok is also a huge platform, with influencers commanding a huge following. You can reach out to influencers on these platforms and tap into their following.

Apart from the huge audience influence, the influencers you reach out to should understand your industry and engage with your brand. Vet them thoroughly to ensure they fit your brand before reaching out.

3. Go Local With Your Influencer Marketing Campaign?

Your influencer marketing campaign will be more effective if you localize it. Geographical presence is very important because it will be easier to deliver your products.?

For your local audience, go for micro-influencers because they have a higher influence on the local market and guarantee a higher ROI. Look for influencers based on your geographical region to reach a wider, localized audience. Avoid tourists or influencers with huge international followings, even if they come from your Geo-location.

One of the best ways to find local influencers is to use hashtags. You can also search location tags for local landmarks or Google the city for famous bloggers in your niche.

Here is how to find influencers by location in Google.

4. Leverage Influencer Marketing Platforms for Small Business

Finding influencers to work with for your small business can be an uphill task. This is where influencer marketing platforms take up the leg work so you can focus more on running your business.

These platforms will let you review tons of influencers and narrow them down to fit your industry. They’ll give you the relevant information and statistics of the influencers, including their following, engagement, and interest.

The most popular influencer marketing platforms that can work for your small business include GRIN, Aspire, and NinjaOutreach. You can use any platform to connect with influencers and increase your reach.

Here is a great example of an influencer marketing platform.

5. Set Your Influencer Marketing Budget

As far as you want influencer marketing to get your business out there, you can’t strain your business financially. Have a reasonable budget and negotiate with your influencers to fit the budget.

Influencer charges depend on their audience size and their deliverables. If they’re going to do a full post for your brand, you’ll pay more than you would for a simple Instagram story.

Also, do your research to find out what other businesses in your industry are paying local influencers. If you have a low budget, consider partnering with upcoming influencers who tend to take freebies.

6. Give Room for Creativity

It’s normal to want your influencers to market your business a certain way. While it’s not bad to communicate this, you shouldn’t be too rigid if you want influencer marketing to work for you.

One of the best influencer marketing strategies you should never forget is always to be open to creative suggestions. Influencers also have their own marketing styles that will likely work better for your business. Let them use their unique presentation styles because that’s what they used to attract and grow genuine connections.

By giving them creative freedom, you allow influencers to create authentic content that is more likely to engage the audience. This will make your marketing more natural rather than appear promotional.

Let Influencer Marketing Work for You

Influencer marketing can bring good business for brands and businesses of all sizes. However, if your business is just getting started, it’s crucial to learn the steps and strategies that work. Remember, a strategy that worked for your competitor may not work for you.

Take your time to define your goals, find influencers that engage with your brand, and set a reasonable budget. When you get things running, don’t forget to track your metrics to ensure you’re getting a good return on investment.

With the perfect plan and a good strategy, your small business will no doubt reap a lot from influencer marketing.

What are the influencer marketing strategies that have worked for your small business? Share your thoughts in the comment section.