Influencer marketing mixes different marketing tools such as celebrity endorsement and placing it into a modern-day content marketing campaign for various companies. The main difference is that the results of the campaign are usually collaborations between the influencers and brands. Unlike celebrities, influencers can be anyone and be anywhere. What makes them influential is their extensive social media followings. An influencer can be popular in fashion, photography, blogging, and so much more. The apps that they can influence others on can be either Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and websites. Within any industry, there are always influential people; you just have to look for them. They can be easily recognized by their many followers, and that is the target audience you should go after.
What works the best in Influencer Marketing
First, you need to consider your approach to influencer marketing carefully.
- Before you even meet them, come up with a strategized plan and budget. Also, do your research to get to know who the influencer is and if they are the right fit for your brand.
- Be patient. This is a people to people interaction rather than between companies.
Develop a schedule with the influencer.
- Understand if the influencer prefers monthly, quarterly, or biannual calls or newsletters.
- Integrate with your PR schedule and product release schedule.
- Send emails on behalf of key executives. Also, plan travel schedules for the exec of the brand and arrange face-to-face meetings with the influencer.
What Influencer Marketing does not do
Influencer marketing is not just about finding someone with a lot of followers on social media or offering them money or exposure so that they can bring positivity to your brand. That is where the stigma is created surrounding the idea of influencer marketing. They are people who have spent time building their own brand and creating their audience; they will naturally be protective of their reputation and the people they represent.
It is not about quick payouts. Because it is not directly about selling your products, it is about demonstrating your authority, credibility, and thought-leadership within your industry.
The Simple Rule: Influencer marketing is marketing to the influencers.
Users like this need more personal attention and be a part of a highly segmented group. Marketing to an influencer audience should focus on ways to keep on spreading the word about your brand.
At Digital Marketing Sapiens in San Antonio, we are an innovative global agency focused on results and achieving our customer’s goals. If you are interested in digital marketing and how influencer marketing can help your brand, visit our website today!