Social media influencer collaborations account for a significant percentage of digital marketing initiatives led by businesses both small and large. If you haven’t already tried collaborating with a social media influencer to spread brand awareness, there’s no better time than now to get started!
The right influencer can drive traffic to your channels, spark more sales, and create a sense of brand loyalty with your audience. There are tons of perks that accompany finding the right influencer to rep your brand. But with the millions (literally) of influencers out there, how do you choose the right ones to pitch to for your brand?!
Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered 😉 Keep reading for tips on finding on-brand influencers that match brand voice and goals!
Follow Industry-Relevant Influencers
The only way to familiarize yourself with the practices of influencer marketing is to jump right into the nitty-gritty. In other words, follow and get to know prominent and up-and-coming influencers in your industry. Keeping tabs on influencers in your niche area will give you an idea of how these influencers are conducting branded campaigns currently, which is particularly helpful if you’re new to the whole social media influencer collab world.
But how do you go about finding these influencers in the first place? One way is to check out your competitors’ social media channels to see who they’ve been collaborating with recently. The most important thing to keep in mind when approaching and pitching influencers is to make sure that their account’s voice and aesthetic are aligned with your brand messaging.
Of course, when you think ‘influencer’, a few people probably come to mind (@kimkardashian, we mean you). However, over time you’ll probably find that taking the time to investigate micro-influencers in your industry will prove to be more worthwhile than pitching macro-influencers (celebrities, people with millions of followers, etc.). While macro-influencers may be attractive business prospects, they may not always respond to your pitches, and working with the right micro-influencers will speak directly to your nice audience and be more effective overall!
Use Your Sherlock Skills!
Alright, this is where your investigative abilities will really be put to the test! If you want to make sure the influencers you’re considering pitching are the right ones for your brand campaigns, there are certain things to look out for. For example, who are their followers?
We only say this because buying fake followers is still very much an ongoing problem. While it is a universally-respected no-no, many influencers and brands still indulge in buying fake followers to make their social media profiles appear more attractive. Even while their account may seem legit, it’s important to thoroughly check out potential influencer posts to make sure they’re the real deal.
What’s a usual tell-tale sign of influencer authenticity? Click on one of their posts and analyze the levels of engagement the post has received. If the influencer has a couple hundred thousand followers yet there are only a couple hundred likes and a few comments, that right there is a red flag for fakes. Use common sense during your pitching process and you’ll surely find the right influencers for you!
Stick To A (Realistic) Budget
As with all business, setting a budget is important when it comes to influencer marketing campaigns. Depending on the kind of influencer you aspire to work with, you’ll need to come up with a custom budget that’s realistic for both you and your social media collaborator.
Do your research, and be aware of the average rates for influencers to determine your price range. For example, Kim Kardashian charges around $250,000 per Instagram post – that’s probably a little out of financial reach for most of us!! Don’t freak out, though: on average, influencers charge $1,000 per 100K followers. Investing $1,000 into a niche influencer campaign that results in a brand awareness boost is definitely worth the money!
There ya have it: influencer marketing 101. Check out our other blog post to learn even more about influencer marketing!
Until next week! Xx
Michelle ✨
@serotinamedia
#KEEPSOCIAL
