Marketing With Influencers
Ever since the advent of advertising, businesses have prospered by using various marketing techniques. As we enter 2023, influencer marketing is trending across all industries as the fastest growing digital content-driven advertising campaign.
To understand what influencer marketing is and how it works, think about big name brands that use celebrities in their commercials to persuade people to buy their products. This is the same thing small businesses are accomplishing when they pay social media personalities to endorse their products and services.
Influencer marketing works because people tend to trust popular public figures as they believe they are honest and would only recommend worthwhile products that they themselves would use. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, marketing with influencers is gaining strength as the industry grew from $1.7 billion to $16.4 billion between 2016 and 2022.
Influencers are prolific on every social media platform; however, Instagram is the preferred social media channel for influencer marketing campaigns according to Thought for Food & Son because it has a wide global reach and 83% of its users are searching for something new to follow or purchase.
Influencer Marketing Leads to Big Gains for Small Businesses
Oberlo.com claims that businesses can expect to make $18 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing!
Social media influencers are influential because they have such a wide reach. There are influencers with hundreds of thousands of followers, and some social media personalities even have millions of people subscribed to their feeds! These are called mega influencers. While marketing with these types seems promising, businesses are experiencing more gains with micro-influencers who have less followers, but a more engaged audience.
Check out the following tips to help you choose the ideal influencer to market your products.
Find an Influencer that Matches Your Brand’s Values
Marketing with influencers is only lucrative for businesses when they link up with a social media personality whose values align with the company’s ideals.
To be successful at partnering with the right influencer, forget about demographics and focus on defining your core brand values. Once you’ve identified the top three principles your company stands for, you’re ready for the next step.
Play the Part of the Consumer
Begin exploring social media channels as a customer instead of a business owner. With time and patience, you’ll start discovering influencers that appear to align with your values. Narrow your choices down to five of your favorites and begin researching each one.
You should also consider the following questions: Is the influencer active on more than one platform? Are they a mega influencer or a micro-influencer? What are the products they currently endorse? Do you like how they promote products? Do they appear to be someone you’d enjoy having as a marketing partner?
Once you’ve finished your research, create questions you want to ask each influencer.
Open the Lines of Communication
Reach out to the influencers to get to know them better by having meaningful conversations. Start by introducing yourself and your company by sending them links to your product line. Don’t be shy about asking them about their core values. After all, you don’t want to partner with an influencer that conflicts with or undermines your values because this could damage to your brand.
After speaking with the influencers over several occasions, gauge your feelings about each. If you decide to work with one of them, propose conditions for their endorsement and discuss how your partnership will work. Above all, consider your budget and their pricing, and prepare to negotiate an agreement.
If none of the influencers seem to be a good fit, thank them for their time and keep looking. Finding just the right influencer takes time, so don’t get frustrated. The search for the perfect influencer for your brand can be a daunting process, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor that will pay off!
Invest in Influencer Marketing to Make 2023 a Spectacular Year!
Deciding to use an influencer to bring widespread attention to your brand and attract more sales is an exciting business venture! However, it’s important to understand that these types of marketing campaigns don’t deliver instant results. It’s a slow-and-steady process that takes patience and persistence. In time, your business will reap the rewards.
While you’re waiting for your influencer marketing to deliver results, keep using your tried and true marketing campaigns to keep your income flowing. It’s also not a bad idea to let your current customers and loyal followers know about the influencer who’s endorsing your products by sharing links to their channel. Encourage them to share their opinion on your influencer marketing campaign. This is valuable feedback that can help you discover if you’re using the right influencer and what, if anything, the influencer could be doing differently.
According to the experts, marketing with influencers is here to stay and will be ever more popular in the new year, so get involved and stay positive. You’re making a wise investment in the future of your business!
If you’re ready to strengthen your brand and increase sales by marketing with an influencer, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a pressure-free chat about how we can get your business started with a successful influencer marketing campaign!
Not sure yet? Check out our work and let us know when you’re ready.