Unlike traditional advertising, which can be distracting and often doesn’t resonate with customers, influencer marketing is a more authentic way for brands to connect with their target audiences. Influencer content is often more human and less scripted than traditional brand messages, and the trust built by an influencer’s reputation adds a layer of authenticity that makes consumers more likely to buy.
The type of influencer you partner with will depend on your goals. If you’re looking to maximize near-term engagement, it’s important that your influencer has a large audience and posts frequently. Similarly, if you’re seeking long-term engagement, look for influencers with an interest in your industry or niche and that have a solid relationship with their followers. It’s also important to be transparent in your communications and to provide an incentive for influencers.
To help you identify potential influencer partners, use a tool like Hootsuite Search Streams to monitor online conversations about your industry and niche on social media. You can then use filters to narrow down your list of candidates based on a number of criteria, including their follower count, engagement rate, and content style. Once you’ve shortlisted your candidates, reach out with a personal message instead of a mass email to increase the likelihood of receiving a positive response.
Once you’ve secured an influencer partnership, it’s important to work collaboratively with them. This will help ensure that the content they produce resonates with and drives traffic to your brand. Avoid giving influencers a prescriptive brief, and allow them the freedom to post in their own voice. Doing so will give the impression that you are controlling their work, and this can be offputting to your audience.
Another tactic is to create content that harnesses an influencer’s unique following to drive sales directly to your ecommerce store. To do this, create a product page and offer a discount code that influencers can share with their followers. This allows you to track how many sales your influencer campaign generates.
Lastly, consider running an ambassador program for your brand. This will give you the opportunity to cultivate a relationship with an influencer over weeks, months or even years. During this time, the influencer will serve as your brand ambassador and promote new products to their audience. The success of this approach depends on your industry and the level of expertise the influencer has in it. For example, WordStream’s own Larry Kim is considered an authority in the paid search and content marketing space, which elevates not only his own profile but that of our entire company.
As you begin to build a relationship with an influencer, ask them about their favorite products and how they’d recommend yours to others. This can be a great way to get their creative juices flowing and make your collaboration more fruitful. In addition, it’s a great opportunity to build a loyal following and boost your own brand’s credibility and reputation. Ideally, this will lead to a more seamless and successful influencer marketing strategy.