How to Get Started: Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Influencer Marketing is both an old and new marketing tool, taking the idea of celebrity endorsements and placing it into a present-day content-based marketing campaign.

The difference is that the results of the campaign are collaborations between the businesses and influencers.

An Influencer doesn’t necessarily have to be a celebrity. An influencer can be a popular photographer on Instagram, a blogger who regularly tweets, or even a marketing executive on LinkedIn, as long as the person has a huge following on social media within your industry.

The difference between celebrities and influencers

Influencer Marketing isn’t about finding someone with a large audience and offering them money or exposure to say good things about you. That’s what celebrities are for. Influencers are people who’ve spent time building their own brand and developing their audience. They have naturally built their reputation, and their community is a group of people who trust them. They are people who had the patience to increase their social media following, often one organic follower at a time. They are not usually looking for short term success, rather they are in it for the long run.

It is a slower approach, similar to most social media and content marketing approaches. Your campaign isn’t about directly selling your product. It’s about showing your credibility, building your reputation, and increasing brand awareness.

First interaction with an influencer

Before you approach the influencer, come up with a strategy. Plan for a budget and figure out your target audience. Understanding your potential audience is key in picking that right influencer to work with.

Try to develop a schedule with the influencer. Do they prefer weekly, monthly, or quarterly updates through newsletters, emails, or phone calls? Set up a product release schedule and arrange face-to-face meetings. The more organized your company is, the more likely the influencer will want to work with you.

Before picking your influencer

1. Expertise: Having an influencer that can give deep insight on your products or industry is important.
2. Reach: Can this influencer engage your audience? Do they specifically have reach on the social media platform where your audience spends its time?
3. Demographic: Is this person’s following similar to your company’s buyer personality? Does he or she affect the same people?
4. Notoriety: Is this influencer well liked or is the influencer fame split between admiration and criticism?

Give your influencer information and access to your brand, but also allow them to have creative control. Most of the time, you want to choose an influencer who is already engaged with your brand. If not, make sure they understand your brand’s voice and what you stand for. Invite them to your office and share interesting stories about your work and the people you help. They have to believe in your brand first before they can collaborate with you.

To sum it up, people trust people more than they trust brands. Influencer marketing allows you to leverage that trust to create a positive interaction and awareness towards your brand.

If you are looking to learn more about influencer marketing and setting up a successful social media campaign for your business, contact the professionals at Kraus Marketing. We specialize in integrated digital marketing strategies that include responsive websites, comprehensive branding, social media marketing, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) & PPC (Pay Per Click).