Influencer marketing, or working with creators, can boost any brand’s or project’s reach, as well as raise awareness, if done correctly. There is no pre-made strategy which every business can use, on the contrary, every business has to explore the strategy on their own, in order to achieve the best results possible.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing, as the name suggests itself, is marketing through working with people of influence, creators, on social media platforms.
So when you hire an influencer to promote your business, services, or anything of personal interest, is basically influencer marketing.
This can be done on all social media platforms: Instagram / Instagram Stories / Instagram Reels, Tik Tok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitch, Blogs, etc.
The best way to choose your platform of advertisement is by carefully researching which platform your target audience is using the most. For example, if your company is offering gaming services or anything gaming related, one of the obvious platform choices would be Twitch. Then again, which content creator on Twitch would best fit your business’ image and vision? Maybe the YouTube gaming section could reach a bigger audience?There is much to pay attention to, but the results are astounding when executed properly.
Influencer type & reach
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking of an influencer is probably a certain celebrity. While many celebrities are not influencers, many influencers are not celebrities.
As a matter of fact, most businesses would prefer reaching out to these smaller non-celebrity influencers. It is important to understand that an influencer with a smaller following can achieve greater results for your business than an influencer with a higher following would.
Pay attention to engagement rates and their follower base, since this determines the effectiveness of ads. A smaller influencer may have just the right follower base for your product, resulting in better results. Again, research, research, research!
You can divide content creators/influencers by their following:
- Nano- influencers — less than 10k followers
- Micro- influencers — 10k to 100k followers
- Macro-influencers — 100k to 1m followers
- Mega-influencers — 1m+ followers
And we can put celebrities in a category of their own.
Their following and reach also dictates their price range. Working with celebrities can cost $1M+, so oftentimes smaller influencers are a better choice.
Influencer adaptability/flexibility
It is important to always have in mind that influencers have built an image with their community, and they will not risk ruining it because of a paid ad. It is important that a business gives instructions to the influencer on what they want to be covered in the sponsored post/video, but they can not plan out every single detail, since every influencer has their own style and knows what their community likes the best. They’re an influencer after all, aren’t they?
Sponsorship rules
Before you buckle down, make sure to get acquainted with certain rules that come with influencer marketing.
The rules vary by country, but are similar for the most part. Make sure to check current requirements in your jurisdiction.
In the USA, these rules come from the Federal Trade Commission (FTA.)
Here is the link to the FTC’s endorsement guides, last updated in 2020:
https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking
The key takeaway is that influencers must identify sponsored posts or videos.
Relevance, Reach, Resonance
The three Rs are crucial for influence.
Relevance — covers whether the influencer’s content is relevant to your business or industry. This would mean aligning the influencer’s target audience with your own.
Reach — covers how many people the influencer can, well reach, through their follower base. Have in mind that even though a smaller follower base can be perfect, make sure to check there is enough of a follower base to align with your business’ goals and what you are trying to achieve.
Resonance — covers the potential level of engagement the influencer can achieve with their follower base, which is relevant for your business.
Make a list
Once you have done all of your research and you have certain influencers in mind, make sure to make a list.
List all of the influencers you would like to work with and include all information you have found. Follow range, price, compatibility with your business, etc.
The vital point of making a list is to know your budget beforehand. It is hard to search for something when you yourself do not know if you can afford it. You can find a perfect influencer, but then when you determine your budget, realize that they might be too expensive. This might lead to choosing a ‘good enough’ influencer when you could have found the perfect one if this was taken into account on time.
How to contact them
The best way possible is to plan in advance, and start achieving slow and organic interaction with the influencer of choice. Feel free to like their content, leave appropriate comments from time to time when it fits. Appreciate their work, as they deserve it. You have chosen them yourselves, haven’t you? So try not to come off salesly, but appreciative.
Once you are ready to contact them, a direct message is probably the best option to start with. Try to write a personal message, as you have been following them for a while now. If you can find their email, feel free to send an email as well.
Just make sure that your DM or email is not generic, and avoid sending mass email.
Try to give as much information as possible related to your business, but their benefit as well. Tell them what your goals are, what you are trying to accomplish, and how they could benefit, aside from the paycheck.
Cooperation
Influencers are content creators, so openly talking to them may benefit both of the parties. If you give the influencer the freedom they require to do their job naturally, as they were doing the whole time, you might see greater results.
Try to give instructions, but the chance of adding their own charm and style to it.
Furthermore, it should not be expected that an influencer will compromise their own career or make it seem inconsistent, just for the benefit of your business! They have worked hard to get to where they are, and that should be taken into account at all times.
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