Influencer marketing is a more recent form of marketing that creates an exciting new avenue for brands to engage with customers and attract new ones. Thanks to social media’s ever-increasing popularity, there are more ways than ever to connect through social media.
One way brands are building relationships with consumers is through social media influencers. These users have created online communities of followers by publicly sharing their lives, interests, or talents with others online. These followers are engaged in the life these influencers share online and are often persuaded to do or buy things by these influencers due to their relationship.
The influencer marketing industry is predicted to reach an estimated market size of $24 billion by the end of 2024, with no signs of slowing or dropping. Brands are seeing this growth and responding by dedicating more to their influencer marketing budgets than ever before. By embracing these exciting shifts in marketing theory and praxis, brands are poised to grow their exposure and increase their sales by enlisting the services of social media influencers.
What Is an Influencer?
An influencer is a person who uses their online platform to inform their online community members of brands, products, or services they approve of. The goal of an influencer is to guide their community toward consumer decisions through their posts. For example, if an influencer speaks highly of the benefits of using a specific cleaning product, their followers and mutuals will be more likely to try those same cleaning products.
Influencers are individuals who’ve mastered the ability to communicate effectively with others while understanding what matters most to the people who follow and engage with them. A professional content creator or influencer pays close attention to their audience’s demographics and understands how to speak to their community members’ lived experiences and needs. They’re also interested in engaging with and working with brands for collaborations or campaigns.
What Is Your Brand Looking for in an Influencer?
Before you seek out an influencer for your next campaign, you’ll need to establish a few things: the type of influencer you’re looking for, your talent budget for the campaign, and when is the best time to bring your talent on. For example, if you’re launching a new cooking product in Q4, you’ll likely want to find an influencer who makes cooking or lifestyle content and regularly features recipes, cookware, or home goods. Reach out to the influencer you’re interested in well before the start of that quarter so you and the influencer have time to negotiate payment, understand the deliverables, and create the content.
Narrowing down the kind of influencer that makes the most sense for your budget and goals must be your first step. Regardless of what your company does, there’s an influencer out there who fits your needs and aligns with your brand identity.
Authenticity is increasingly important to both brands and consumers alike. Influencers who have fostered strong relationships with their communities, followers, and mutuals through honest and authentic content are more likely to be trusted when speaking on the benefits of your product or service. In addition, influencers focusing on authenticity are less likely to engage in fraudulent activities that misrepresent their reach and impact, like purchasing followers or engagement.
Where Can You Find Influencers?
Finding talent to represent your brand or product is easier than ever. Consider using an influencer marketing service instead of poring over individual accounts and sifting through hashtags. Marketing companies who specialize in connecting brands with influencers keep active rosters of talent they’ve worked with and trust. These companies also know how to spot creators who are authentic and honest about their audience and growth.
If you’re having difficulty deciding what kind of influencer you need, influencer marketing agencies and companies have the knowledge and skills to help you define your needs. They can match you to experienced influencers with an audience most likely to respond well to your product or service. One such company is InnoVision Marketing Group, which has a dedicated team of marketing professionals with extensive experience working with influencers and can provide input and assistance in finding the right person for your next campaign.
How Do You Reach Out to an Influencer?
If you have an influencer in mind for your next campaign, initiating contact is your next step. A professional influencer will likely have an agent or talent manager representing them, but not all influencers do. Those who work with a manager usually have them listed in their bio with their contact information. Whether your ideal candidate has representation or not, opening a line of communication with a creator you’re interested in starts the process of working together.
Brands choosing to reach out to content creators directly should look for a few key details first. Explore their website and collect contact information for the influencer you’re interested in. They should prominently display their email on their website and social media pages.
If you can send an influencer a direct message (DM), you may choose to make a soft introduction through these applications before moving the conversation to email. Most professional influencers and their agents or managers prefer to keep conversations to email and do not have their DMs open on social media or do not check them often enough for a timely response.
Introduce yourself and the brand you represent to the influencer first. Once you’ve established who you are, share details about your product or service with the influencer. Inform them of what you need from them, including details about budgets or timelines, and encourage them to respond with questions or feedback. Treat the influencers you’re reaching out to with professionalism and respect. This sets the tone for your working relationship going forward.
Social media marketing is here, and it isn’t going anywhere. When you’re ready to expand your target demographic and engage them effectively, consider contacting influencers to help get your product, service, or brand out there. Professional influencers and content creators are essential to the success of your next launch and are ready to work with you toward your shared goals.
