You have decided that one of the most exciting strategies to push your brand’s marketing on search and social is Influencer Marketing. Engaging with influencers, asking them to share your brand’s content, online and offline activations, all sound fun and engaging, but do they really bring results?
They do, only when you have the right strategy in place and the right influencers to execute them. Many brands and marketing teams do not put a lot of effort into thinking about the right Influencer Marketing strategy. This should not be the right approach. Over the past few years, influencers have started charging exorbitantly.
In this article, we will look at five things you should check before going for an influencer marketing strategy. We are also going to point out some red flags, which will help you avoid problems.
5 Things to look out for before pursuing an Influencer Marketing Strategy: The List
1. Spend time doing your research before the Campaign starts
A is cool, handsome, funny and has an awesome sense of dressing up. He is great at engaging his followers when it comes to underwear and fitness product. However, will he be able to sell Insurance to his followers?
This is where most Influencer Marketing strategies go south. It is about doing research on the right Influencer and seeing whether he or she is a good fit for your brand and its product. What works for some niches and industries does not necessarily work for some other industry.
2. Pay attention to Engagement Rates and not Follower Count
Another classic mistake, which most do is reaching out to influencers who have a high follower count. Rather than focus on the follower count, it is important to take into consideration the engagement percentages. This is because the algorithms of social media platforms prioritize engagement more.
If you want someone to market your product on social media, you would want it to reach as many of his or her followers as possible. This can happen not when someone has a high follower count, but when someone has high engagement rates.
3. Checking out Micro Influencers for your Influencer strategy
In the last few years, many brands and marketers are veering away from mega or macro influencers (<1 Million) and concentrating on Micro Influencers instead (>10000). This is because of a number of reasons. This is a major Influencer Marketing trend now.
Micro influencers have genuine engagement rates and authentic followings on social media. They also do not charge as exorbitantly as mega influencers do. They are easy to work with and do not come with the baggage of some of the bigger influencers in the industry.
4. Go for Genuine Influencers who like your Brand and not your money
If you have been a part of the industry for some time, you will get this point immediately. Ever since a post or a video on YouTube where you start cringing when the Influencer starts promoting a brand or a product in a very disinterested way. You can make out that this person has been paid to do it and is doing it without any interest.
It is best to go for influencers who share your brand values and who are genuine, not only in their craft, but as human beings. You will see a major difference.
5. Settle the frequency, types and channels of Social Media well in advance
There have been numerous instances where the assistant of the Influencer has screwed up these important details. What you are left with are scattered posts and zero strategy. A good influencer strategy is one where everything clicks at the right time.
Do the paperwork and decide on all the nitty gritties well in advance. Influencers are busy people, hence it is necessary to make them commit.
Conclusion
Many people ask the question- does influencer marketing work? The short answer to that is that it does! However, it is important to do your homework before proceeding with the strategy. This will help you be better prepared and avoid some unforeseen issues, which are common occurrences, while pursuing such a strategy.
