One sure-fire way to get attention for your brand is to hire influencers to promote your message or encourage sales.
What’s an influencer you ask? Influencer : one who exerts influence : a person who inspires or guides the actions of others.
In the social media world, influencers come in a variety of forms – bloggers, Instagrammers, Twitter users, Facebook pages, groups and even TikTok content creators. Many professional influencers have a combo of all of these networks. Hiring influencers is advertising in a sense, but with more authentic messaging.
Personally, I have been a niche micro-influencer for nine years. At this point, I’ve seen it all, from ridiculous pitches asking me for the moon (for free), to businesses pitching with perfection and clear expectations.
In fact, I’ve learned so much along the way that I have enough information for a two-part series! I’m grateful for this experience and have been lucky to directly apply this area of expertise to the work we do at Hay There Social Media.
For starters, in order to benefit from an influencer campaign, the business has to offer a product or service that makes sense and has visual components. A hotel wanting more couples to book a getaway weekend? Definitely! A business that just launched a business-to-business e-book? Possibly, but it will obviously look much different.
Here are the tips to get your business started with hiring influencers:
1. Follow influencers (and comment when appropriate).
If your business is in a specific niche, start by following influencers and subscribing to blogs in that category. Get to know the influencer’s style, likes, and dislikes before attempting to put together a pitch. If you’re feeling brave, chime in with a comment if you have something to add to the conversation (do not push your client in the comments, however). It’s great to let them know you are paying attention and get them familiar with your name.
2. Don’t get hung up on follower count.
Of course a larger audience has the potential to drive more traffic. But the larger that number is, the higher the influencer’s rates are going to be. Start with smaller micro-influencers with a highly engaged audience that is relevant to your brand and go up from there. (Note: Followers can be purchased, so make sure to check out the followers to ensure they are indeed legit!)
3. Vary content options.
Instead of working with several influencers and having them post the same information, try to vary content. Maybe one influencer is a great writer – have them write a blog and contribute to your brand’s SEO. If one is a great photographer, seek out information on an Instagram post. If one has a YouTube channel, see how you can have them leverage video. Experiment when possible, and if you aren’t sure, just ask! Influencers spend a lot of time analyzing their audience and know what will speak to them.
4. Have clear expectations and be direct with what you are hoping to achieve.
Whether your company is looking for awareness, to bring traffic to your social profiles, or to drive sales, think it through when deciding which influencers are a fit. Being upfront with your goals will help the influencer create a campaign that speaks to their audience. Sharing key messages is highly encouraged to provide direction for posts. With that said…Allow creative freedom! Micromanaging their creative process is a great way to have a campaign fail.
Overall, influencers are just people trying to run an authentic business. Take the time to get to know the person you think is a fit for your brand. Know what they typically post about and provide them with ideas for why your product/service/event might be valuable to their readers or listeners.
Stay tuned for part II!
Here at Hay There, we love working with influencers! Contact us to help you today.
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Lauren Weber
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