How To: Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing is a trend that is quickly growing in popularity,  but is it right for you and your brand? And how do you choose the right influencer to partner with and make the most of the collaboration? This blog will break down what influencer marketing is and how to effectively use it in your own business.

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is a strategy that goes back as far as ancient Rome when events were advertised featuring popular gladiators. Today, there are entire companies dedicated to providing brands with influencer partnerships. Influencer marketing is a strategy in which a company works with popular content creators to receive endorsements and product placements. There are countless ways to be creative with influencer marketing. If you’ve ever seen a beauty guru on Instagram shout out their favorite products in a TikTok video, or a popular food enthusiast tag a restaurant they enjoy on Instagram, you’ve witnessed influencer marketing.

Is Influencer Marketing an Effective Strategy?

Influencer marketing is effective because these individuals have dedicated audiences who trust their opinions and recommendations. Although it may seem like the best strategy to seek out influencers with millions of followers, smaller creators can be just as compelling and are sometimes the better option. Influencers gain popularity as a result of their authentic, creative and engaging content. Their audience is interested in what they have to say and frequently engages with their content, which you can use to your advantage. One recent study found that 80% of consumers have bought products as a result of social media content, and 37% of consumers trust influencers over brands. Younger generations such as Millennials and GenZ are particularly trusting of influencer opinions, so if they are an audience you are trying to reach, influencer marketing is the way to go. 

Working with influencers is also a profitable form of marketing. There is an ROI of $5.78 for every $1.00 spent on influencer marketing. A popular strategy to engage with influencers is to send them free samples of your product, with the hope that they will highlight it in their content on social media. In fact, 36% of influencers are paid via product samples. This exposes their followers to your product or service, generating interest and expanding your audience. This is one reason to be strategic when partnering with influencers; you want their audience to be a group that would be interested in your product.

Working with influencers can positively impact your brand by increasing awareness, engagement and reach. This form of marketing is more subtle than traditional strategies, and consumers are less likely to tune out their favorite content creator as opposed to a Facebook ad. Partnering with influencers can also reinforce your brand’s mission and voice if you find the right person. So now that the “why” behind influencer marketing has been established, let’s explore the “how.”

How To Be Successful In Your Influencer Marketing

One of the most important aspects of influencer marketing is being strategic. Your first step in the process should be to identify what you want to achieve through the partnership. Is it a larger audience on social media, more traffic directed to your website or something else? Creating a measurable goal will inform what kind of influencer you are looking for and how you will approach the partnership. 

There are several ways to be creative with your influencer marketing. The first is choosing a partner. It is important to select a representative who aligns with your brand voice and values. If you are a clothing company, the obvious choice for an influencer will be one who is passionate about fashion. You can take this decision a step further by finding an individual who is passionate about sustainable clothing or body positivity. However, it is important to remember that influencers are human, and make mistakes. The last thing you want is to partner with someone who has been involved in a controversy, or been “canceled.” To ensure they are a good fit, research their interactions with their audience and other collaborations to get a sense of their online presence. Partnering with the wrong person will do more harm than good for your brand perception. 

Be creative with content creation on the platform of your choosing. Although Instagram is the most popular platform for influencer marketing, Facebook is shown to be the most effective. Each platform has different types of content that work for them. For example, reels and carousels are extremely popular on Instagram, and video ads are successful  on Facebook. The goal of your campaign, the product or service you are promoting as well as the influencer you work with, will all help determine the type of content you create.

Executing an Influencer Marketing Campaign

Once you have found the right influencer and are ready to get started, what comes next? An influencer marketing campaign will involve paying a content creator, through money or products, to promote your brand or product. You can evaluate your campaign's ROI based on engagement, lead generation, brand awareness or whatever aligns best with your overall goal. Using an influencer-specific discount code that can track how many customers purchased a product as a result of a social post is an easy and effective way to determine the success of your campaign. Here are some examples of effective influencer marketing campaigns.

Influencers vs Brand Ambassadors

If you like the idea of social media marketing but are unsure about influencers, marketing with brand ambassadors is another great tactic. Brand ambassadors, in contrast to influencers, do not necessarily have a large audience. Rather, they can be “regular” people who are hired by a company to promote their products. There are several key differences between the two. Brand ambassadors are typically long-term partnerships, and are hired with the goal of brand loyalty and increased sales. Influencers are short-term partnerships, and primarily work towards the goal of awareness. Whether you work with one of the other depends on your goals and objectives.

If you are interested in social media marketing but need more guidance, Kane’s integrated marketing services can help you achieve your goals and make a lasting impact.