Influencer Marketing: The Who, What, and Why

Influencer Marketing: The Who, What, and Why

What is influencer marketing??

Influencer marketing refers to the situation in which a brand collaborates with an influencer to promote their product or service.?

This could be to boost a marketing campaign, to improve the image or reputation of your overall brand, or to push a new/popular product.?

Influencer marketing has been around since before even the internet. Brands used to employ celebrity figures to star in their advertisements on posters, TV and even radio. Today, we tend to associate influencer marketing with social media, and the wide variety of influencers that made a career based on their own personal brand.?

When utilised effectively, influencer marketing can have a positive impact on your business.?

Join Infoserve as we explore the ins and outs of this modern marketing method.?

Should you invest in influencer marketing??

The answer to this question is far more nuanced than a simple yes or no because it can depend entirely on the industry you work in, the budget you have available to you, and whether you have the resources to search for, and maintain, positive working relationships with influencers.?

One thing you have to remember is that influencers are their own business, so the working relationship you develop will never be as simple as paying someone to mention your company every now and again. It requires work and commitment from both parties.?

You need to consider it carefully within your marketing strategy and decide if it is right for your brand.?

The benefits of influencer marketing?

If you are considering influencer marketing, then there are several tangible benefits that come along with it, if it is done right:?

1. It establishes trust with your audience?

As a new business, it can be difficult to establish initial trust with your audience, but when an influencer they love endorses your brand, they are far more likely to take a chance on your products.?

2. It helps you reach your audience?

Influencer marketing can put your brand in front of your audience’s face, without the need to pay for ad content, and before your months of SEO work begin to pay off.?

Instead of waiting for them to search for your product and find it themselves, it allows you to insert it into their daily lives, in a way that will feel more organic than a paid advertisement that interrupts their scrolling.?

3. It shows that your product really works?

It is no secret that customer reviews are one of the biggest endorsements of your brand, and when they can see that someone they love online has tried and tested your product - with good results - they might just give it a go themselves.?

4. It improves your SEO?

Lots of influencers have blogs of their own where they try and review products. This can add valuable backlinks to your website that drive traffic and act as a trust signal to Google.?

Which industries does influencer marketing work best for?

Unfortunately, influencer marketing is not suited to all industries, and there are definitely some that it works best for.?

These include:?

• Beauty?
• Cosmetics?
• Travel and hospitality?
• Health and Fitness?
• Entertainment?
• Food and beverages?
• Technology?

How to find influencers for your brand?

1. Find someone who believes in your brand

One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your search for influencers is being too general in your search. If you’re just starting out, then it might be difficult to find someone who knows you, let alone believes you, but you should never settle for someone who is just accepting your money to show a product every now and again.?

Why??

Because people want authenticity and can tell when someone is truly passionate about the product they’re promoting. Plus, if they love your product, they’ll be more willing to showcase it and wax lyrical about its benefits.?

If you already have a following, then there are plenty of ways to find influencers who will want to promote you. You could try searching hashtags to see who has mentioned you, or use social listening platforms.?

Otherwise, you could try looking at the influencers your target audience are interested in, and offer them some free products. The people who get back to you and say they loved it are the ones you should focus on.?

2. Match your audience with your influencer

Your audience is the key to matching your brand with an influencer.?

Create audience profiles and create a spreadsheet of the type of person they follow. You will be far more likely to be successful in boosting brand awareness this way than if you target the wrong people.?

3. Consider the platform carefully?

The platforms your influencer uses matter more than you might think. This is because the audience will change, as will the method of advertising and the format of content.?

For example, Youtubers can be a really good shout if you’re promoting meal plans. This is because it is really natural for an influencer to slot footage of using your meal plan into their daily vlog. Fashion can be showcased more easily in TikTok reels than landscape Facebook videos.?

Consider carefully who you want to buy your product, and which platforms they might be using, then this will better inform your choice of influencers.?

4. Look at your competitors?

Take a look at who your competitors use for their influencer marketing.?

You won’t be able to pinch their influencer’s time and energy, but you will be able to find similar public figures this way. You may also find influencers that you haven’t considered before.?

For example, if you sold book lights and book stands, you may have rightfully thought to look for Instagram influencers within the reading space. But, you might find that your competitors are advertising their products to new mums who want to relax in a way that doesn’t disturb their sleeping newborn. They might also have neurodivergent or disabled influencers who need a more accessible method of reading.?

Through this, you can better align your products with influencers.

5. Do your research

Whilst influencers can have a positive impact on your brand, they can also break it if you choose the wrong person. Make sure you know who they are, and understand their history, their online behaviour and their ethics.?

If they are unpredictable or do something that doesn’t align with who you are as a brand, it can sever the trust your audience has in you.?

So choose wisely, and know who you’re working with.

What to avoid in influencer marketing?

As well as the many things to look for in an influencer, you also need to know what to avoid.?

1. Expecting fast results

Sourcing influencers and creating trust are two tasks that do take time. Whilst influencers can persuade people to put their faith in your brand quicker, it isn’t going to happen overnight. Be patient, and expect steady growth.?

2. Just paying someone with a large following?

Popularity isn’t everything.?

As we established before, just because an influencer has a large following, it doesn’t mean that they will believe in your brand, or that your audiences align.?

Like everything in marketing, shooting blind is nowhere near as effective as being specific, targeted and thoughtful in your approach.?

3. Generalising your approach?

Every influencer is different, and you need to tailor your approach to them. It might be that all they want to do is work with you because they believe in you, and receive a small endorsement or access to free or discounted products. But, this is the exception.?

You need to be mindful of their lifestyle and work alongside them to come to an agreement that works for you both.?

Remember, they will have spent years cultivating their personal brand into a business, and you need to be fair, honest and respectful of this.?

How to measure influencer marketing?

Like every marketing campaign, you need to set specific and measurable goals for your influencer campaign.?

There are many factors you can use to determine how successful it has been including:?

• Followers gained during your campaign?
• Impressions?
• Conversions?

We recommend introducing the following techniques to give yourself something more tangible to measure:?

1. Trackable links: Assign a unique URL to your links that only your influencer has access to. This will demonstrate how many people have clicked through from their posts.?

2. Discount codes: Give your influencer a discount code specific to them. You can easily track the number of people who have used this code at the checkout.?

Don’t know where to start?

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