Influencer marketing is becoming the favorite strategy for brands that wish to take major steps in their online growth. It’s no secret anymore that it’s one of the best tools – if not the best – to get you closer to your target audience.
The growing use of social networks like Instagram, which counts with more than a billion active users per month is a clear sign for companies that are shifting their marketing efforts towards these online platforms.
According to a study made by Launch Metrics, 63% of the age group known as millennials are more susceptible to trust the opinion of an influencer they follow. So, today’s best referral that a brand can get is the one from a leading voice in social networks.
Brands are also shifting their attentions towards micro-influencers which is a profile of influencer that has a smaller reach and perhaps a couple of thousands of followers. The idea behind reaching micro-influencers is that their following base is likely to be more loyal and therefore marketing campaigns can be more effective than pursuing a big influencer with millions of followers.
Even big companies like Adidas have started to turn small influencers into their brand ambassadors. But it’s the same for companies in the food industry or even in the betting and online casinos sector: The growth of platforms such as YouTube or Twitch have allowed streamers to entertain an audience while playing online games such as slots from the best mobile casinos showcasing to their followers the great tech developments of mobile slots and allowing online casinos to have a platform to broadcast their large offer of games.
There are no limits in terms of the associations that brands can make with influencers as nowadays you can find marketing opportunities for foodies, fashion, gamers, travelers, fitness, singers, artists, etc.
With these notions on the table, it’ll be important to take a few initial considerations when choosing the right influencer for your campaign:
The follower count and the like count on the influencer’s posts aren’t enough to have a proper idea of the actual reach that the influencer can have for your campaign.
There are several online platforms that offer a KPI analysis service like Socialbakers, Later or Sprout. This type of companies can be a perfect alternative when you don’t have the technological tools on your disposal to do the research on your own. The complete range of services is paid, but you can ask for tailor-made budgets to fit your needs. It’s something that you will find worth.
After the quantitative analysis of KPI’s, comes the qualitative analysis of the influencer’s profile.
The first thing to look into is the affinity with the brand: Analyzing the personality and the content they upload to see if it can be relatable to your products or services.
Then comes the engagement with the audience: See how the influencer interacts with his/her community. The type of comments they receive on their posts, and the type of interaction they have with their followers.
And finally, the type of ethic and values portrayed by the influencer: Are you looking for a person that stands against animal abuse? Or perhaps a coffee lover or a business engaging mother of children? Does the influencer speak with proper language? Take the time to analyze the personality of the person behind the camera.
The influencer market is very crowded and overly saturated simply because almost anyone with a smartphone can try do become an influencer. Therefore, the ones that are worth it a shot are the ones that showcase a special skill.
It can be a talent for editing their videos, or perhaps an acute taste of fashion. Maybe the influencer has a degree in photography or photo editing.
When you spot talent online, it can then benefit your brand when you get to make a deal with the influencer.
Just as in any professional deal, contracting an influencer should be taken like a job interview. Contact the person, ask them for their CV’s and treat them as a professional and in a serious manner as you’d like your product or service to be treated by them on social networks.
This is the best way to really get to know them and to dissipate the doubts over if it’s the right choice for you.
