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We’ve all heard of “influencers”, those social media stars who have an above average impact in their niche, whether that be fitness, the arts, fashion or being a mom. But what do we mean by “influencer marketing”? This refers to the marketing tactic whereby we reward those people for featuring our brand in their social media posts.
In the past year, 70% of brands have used influencer marketing strategies, and many have achieved success in this way.[1]
The status of the influencer will determine their cost. For highly established influencers, their fee might be great, but for those just starting out, you might be able to negotiate a non-financial deal in which you can offer exposure, free product or payment in kind.
The common misconception is that influencer marketing relies only on social media celebrities who showcase their trendy, photogenic lives. Sure, the Twitterati and Instaglamorous are often the most visible influencers, but there a multiple groups we need to look at when developing an influencer-based campaign. Brand employees, regular consumers, brand advocates and micro-influencers might be more important for your campaign because of the clout they have in their niche, and the trust their followers have in their authenticity.
The best results occur when there’s an organic relationship between the influencer and the brand. Is this person an active user of the brand’s services or products? Is there synergy between the influencer’s values and communication style and the brand? Is there an overlap between the influencer’s audience and the brand’s customers? Perhaps not. Which begs the question: how do we find advocates who genuinely are living the brand?
Pinpoint your most engaged and influential existing customers by using social aggregator tools. Spend some time analysing the content that these customers are generating, sharing and engaging with. What are the common themes they’re interested in? How do these themes align with the values of the brand?
Once you’ve understood who your tribe of influencers needs to be, you can devote time to crafting a long-term content plan. During the construction of the content plan, keep top of mind how the use of your influencer tribe must align with your business objectives. Is your goal to gain more followers, increase awareness, boost sales, or launch a new product? Your objective will distinctly shape the way in which you build your influencer tribe into your content plan[2].
Ready to start using influencers to drive your online marketing objectives? Start small, grow your network of influencers and remember to track how successful your influencer campaigns are at achieving the goals set out for them.
Interested in a career in social media marketing? Why not kick start a bright new future, starting with our Introduction to Social Media Marketing Course. We can't wait to explore the ins and outs of social media marketing with you!
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