To Create an Influencer Marketing Strategy: Start Here

Influencer marketing has grown beyond the typical Kardashian endorsement. Today, businesses leverage influencers of all sizes – from micro to macro – to reach their target audiences,increase conversions, and develop a loyal following for their respective brands. Influencer marketing effectively promotes content and provides a powerful avenue for growth and revenue. Knowing how to leverage influencers is integral to your business’s success in the digital age.

Social media plays a powerful role in the process and knowing where to find your influencers is the first step in reaching your target demographic. As I told Thinkific in a recent content piece:

“A good way to find influencers in a specific industry is to look on social networks for key players in your industry and use the trickle-down effect. Meaning, if you don’t have the budget to pay an influencer with 1 million followers, start looking at who is following them, and find a smaller micro-influencer to work with instead. You can also find industry publications online that may mention influencers. A simple Google search will sometimes garner lots of great results, since many niche influencers will not be on the search databases – they often get enough inquiries directly.”

Digital Everything founder Susana Yee, to Thinkific

Often, micro influencers prove to be just as effective in garnering likes as the major influencers – the Kardashians of Instagram. In fact, recent studies show that consumers have a high regard endorsements by micro influencers, possibly because they are more relatable to the average customer. The results of a study in which Twitter partnered with Annalect showed that 49% of respondents relied on influencers for product recommendations. Another study, by Experticity, found that 82% of those surveyed said they were highly likely to follow a recommendation made by a micro influencer.

Once you find a perfect influencer, whether it’s someone with a few hundred thousand followers or only a few thousand, it’s time to connect. A simple email is usually the best course of action, as your DM could get lost in their inbox. If you have their phone number, send them a text, as this is the best way to get their attention. Keep in mind that it might take several attempts to connect.

Before you reach out to your influencer, think about how you’ll create a win-win proposition. Is your goal brand mentions or a piece of evergreen content to drive inbound traffic?

No one-size-fits-all mechanism exists for collaborating with an influencer. Your business must work to create a collaboration that works for your unique goals, audience, and alignment with an influencer’s goals. Creating a winning influencer marketing campaign and measuring its results requires the help of an expert in the field.

Get a free guide on 5 Things to Do Before Hiring an Influencer here.