Who exactly is an influencer?
There are a wide range of influencers. They can be social media personalities who make a living through their platform, or a mommy blogger with a local influence, or a loyal customer with a wide reach – the possibilities are endless. Not every influencer is your Kardashian or Charli d’Amelio type. For small businesses that primarily rely on local patrons, a Kardashian is probably not the most effective, nor the most affordable option, but that doesn’t mean influencer marketing is out of reach. We’ve got a few suggestions on how you, and your small business, can navigate the world of influencer marketing and find a partnership to help your business thrive:
Know your goals:
What exactly is it your business wants to accomplish through an influencer marketing campaign? Do you want to sale a specific product? Raise brand awareness? Increase brand trust? Your goal for the campaign will help you know whether certain influencers can help you achieve that or not.
Second, know what audience you want to reach. As wide as possible is not always the best option. Well-known Instagram influencers may have millions of followers, but the more followers, the lower the engagement. Smaller influencers may have a smaller audience, but they tend to boast higher rates of engagement, which means a more effective reach.
Find Possible Influencers:
Do a simple search for influencers that align with your brand, product, and goals. You may already know someone personally or online that you think would be a good fit. Ensure that their audience aligns with your target audience for this campaign. If you desire to market a campaign towards young men, don’t partner with an influencer whose primary audience is mothers.
Remember, influencers don’t have to have a huge social media following, nor do they even have to wear the name ‘influencer.’ For small businesses, loyal and returning customers and locally known personalities are usually some of the most effective influencer partnerships. Don’t forget to consider ‘expert influencers.’ These influencers are experts in their fields and partnering with them may be a good way for you to showcase your brand as trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Start a Partnership:
First, make sure you’re following and interacting with them on social media. Second, be knowledgeable about their personality, audience, content, and focus. You can approach them through messages on social media or email, or even in person if you know them. Keep the offer simple and straightforward. Invite them to sit down for a meeting to get to know each other and explore a possible business partnership. Before the meeting, come up with a plan. Have a strategy already worked out that shows your business’s goals and suggestions on how this campaign could play out. However, don’t forget to leave room for creativity and input from the influencer, and be mindful that this should be a mutually beneficial partnership. The influencer should see value and benefit for them in your strategy, and have room to design how they might grow through this campaign as well as your business.
Influencers have the potential to be valuable and effective partners for your business’s success and growth. There’s no reason to wait! Get started now on finding new ways to expand your marketing strategy by partnering with influencers.
Does all this sound great, but you don’t have the time or know how to find, partner, and produce a successful influencer marketing campaign? Let us do it for you! Our job is to tell your story in the best possible way on the most engaging platforms with the highest quality content. Give us a call today: (936) 637-7593
