Are You Finding the Right People for Your Influencer Marketing?

Ever wish you could get popular people to talk about your brand online? In the past, brands paid high dollars for celebrity endorsements. Many of the big companies still do. But for small businesses, there’s an easier way to get in front of the people who will spread the word about your unique business offering. It’s called, influencer marketing. Influencer marketing targets real people instead of household celebrities. These are the people who have built their own following through content marketing. They tend to be more effective because they build a highly targeted audience. If your business wants to tap into that audience, you need a specialized marketing plan specifically for influencers.  

Why This Works

Influencer marketing is the fastest growing online customer acquisition method, according to a study by Tomoson. 22% of marketers have seen success with influencer marketing, compared to only 17% with organic search.

This tactic has proven especially effective among younger demographics. 62% of 13 to 24 year olds would try a brand just because it was recommended by a YouTube celebrity. Only 49% trust Hollywood star recommendations. That’s according to a report by Constant Content. Perhaps one reason for the odd finding is that young people watch more social media than television. People aged 12 to 32 spend 30% of their time watching user-generated content and only 13% of their time watching television, according to Ipsos Media.  

How to Find the Right Influencers for Your Brand

If you want tap into the influencer marketing sensation, you have to find the right influencers for your audience. Here’s how: Define Influencers for Your Audience Before you know who to look for, you need to understand what an influencer looks like for your target audience. Define the type of content the person should share, the reach the person must have, and the amount of engagement they see with each post. Do Some Research Once you have a general idea of what an influencer looks like for your audience, start researching specific profiles. A few tools to help you narrow the pool of people are:

• Klout, a site that judges based on social media analytics;
• InkyBee, a site that weeds out bloggers with influence;
• Search engines will also pull top influencer lists to the top.

Create an Engagement Plan Once you know who you want to get talking about your product, start the conversation. Understand that this will take time. As with any form of networking, you need to build rapport and nurture the relationship. Keep a steady pulse on the conversations these influencers are having on social media, and dive in. The more you share valuable insight, the more you position your brand as an expert in your field – and that’s sure to get your influencers attention! As you continue to engage your potential influencers, you might be surprised by the positive reaction you receive. Be sure the engagement is natural and meaningful for both people. The more you strengthen the long-term relationship, the more likely it is that your content will get shared by people who matter to your audience.