Influencer marketing isn’t a new concept, but the practice is becoming increasingly popular as brands seek out ways to connect with their audience on a more personal level. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, influencer marketing is when an influential person or social content creator collaborates with a brand to promote something. Many times, these campaigns are carried out on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
Why is influencer marketing so important?
Authenticity. As stated in a report by Klear, customers want to feel like brands are being honest with them, and that they are buying into something that they identify with. Influencers have become a core channel for brands to authentically communicate with customers.
More than two-thirds (67.9%) of U.S. marketers will use some form of influencer marketing this year, and that’s expected to increase to 72.5% in 2022. It’s become a mainstream marketing approach for industry professionals, and if you’re not taking part in it, your brand could suffer as a result. Civic Science found that 14% of 18-to-24-year-olds and 11% of millennials bought something within the last six months (as of August 2021) because a blogger or influencer recommended it.
How do you implement an effective campaign?
There are a number of ways your company can go about influencer marketing, but here are 5 key components Twitter for Business recommends:
- Consider your brand. You need to identify your target audience, message, and business goals. Using these elements as a road map for your influencer marketing campaign is crucial.
- Find the right influencers. Identifying the right people to represent your brand is one of the most challenging aspects of influencer marketing. This person is going to be an extension of your brand, so working with the right individual is key.
- Don’t sweat small follower counts. You need to look beyond the A-list and remember that relevancy is more important than reach. Making sure you're reaching your target market is the most important thing.
- Allow creative freedom. The influencer you’re partnering with resonates with their audience for a reason. Once you’ve done your research and picked the right person, it’s beneficial to let them fly free. Trying to dictate the campaign too heavily can yield negative results for both your brand and your influencer.
- Track your metrics. Keeping tabs on the success of your campaign is a must. Otherwise, you won’t know what’s working and what’s not. You have to track and adjust as needed.
Additionally, centering your campaign around the
right platform is key.
Klear reviewed more than 1,800 campaigns run in 2021 to identify trends in platform usage. Their report found that 94% of influencer campaigns incorporated Instagram content, while just 10% included YouTube content.
What are some tips to get started?
As previously discussed, finding the right influencer isn’t always easy. In fact, 73% say finding the right influencer is the hardest part of influencer marketing. If you’re having trouble finding the right person for the job, there are a number of services available to assist you. Some of the best influencer marketing research tools for all budgets include BuzzStream, NinjaOutreach, Awario, Buzzsumo, Hunter, Pitchbox, Followerwonk, GroupHigh, Dovetale.
And it’s true: followers aren’t everything. Micro-influencers are currently dominating sponsored collaborations. In 2021, 91% of all sponsored post engagements were with content created by micro-influencers. They tend to have 5-30k followers, and a true reach of 500-5k.
Lastly, don’t partner just to partner. If you’re going to spend time and money on influencer marketing, you want your campaign to be a success. That means developing a strategy and sticking to it, even if it takes a while to get there. If you're just getting started with social media marketing in general, check out our guides on Instagram marketing and Facebook marketing strategies.