Important Tips for Developing an Influencer Marketing Strategy

The power of influencer marketing is often understated. There is a reason for this though- when done incorrectly or without much analysis before making decisions, it can lack the potential impact that truly lies within the process. These sort of misrepresentations are especially seen when businesses choose to work with an influencer who: doesn't reach the business' genuine target market, have enough real engagement, or feel any connection to the brand. With this type of marketing only continuing to grow in the coming years, it is absolutely essential to be informed on the best practices. The reason crafting a powerful strategy is so vital to creating successful campaigns is that there is such a wealth of content being uploaded online every moment of every day. With this constant influx of media, it's easy to get lost in a sea of search results without the right kind of expertise. Thankfully, today I will be going over some keep pieces of advice for your business to assist with making influencers a part of your online growth game plan.

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Don't Focus On The Wrong Metrics

When attempting to select influencers to work with, a common misconception is that the creators with the largest numbers of followers or subscribers will automatically be the best selection for advertising partners. In truth, a great percentage of the dollars spent on influencer marketing- which happened to be about $6.5 billion in 2019- are wasted. This is because many companies look for follower counts rather than engagement (through comments and reach) with content. The most engaged audiences are much more likely to trust the influencer, as a result, check out your company when they post sponsored content.

Are Some Audiences Too Small?

A very common question I get is "What is the minimum size audience you would consider working with?" To be completely honest, there is no correct answer to that question. The size of a community can vary quite a bit but still have impact that is completely unrelated to the follower count. Micro-influencers are a valuable asset, especially for businesses with lower advertising budgets. Smaller influencers hold close connections with their audience base and likely have high trust levels with many of their followers. Investing in an advertisement with these creators is often more affordable and can result in remarkably high conversion rates.

Decide What Niche Influencer is Best for Your Business

One of the most essential steps in ensuring this process has meaning is deciphering who you are trying to reach. Think about what your ideal customer is searching for online, who they would already be watching on social media, and identify key creators in the communities your target market belongs to. Becoming knowledgeable about notable thought leaders in the industry your niche belongs to will be priceless for this step. This is time-intensive, however, so if your company has the resources then outsourcing may be an option to consider. By identifying the best partners from the start, your business will be able to identify better long term partners to work with and sooner rather than later.

Invest Time Into Your Connections

Lastly, I feel a game changer is developing true relationships with your influencer team. By genuinely engaging and getting to know them, you will notice more authentic and recurring mentions and resulting conversions. A pattern among many brand partnerships is only posting a single mention on the influencer's account, which can come off as inauthentic and random to an audience who is unfamiliar with your offerings. It is much wiser to work with creators for the long term because their following with see that they really care about your company.