How to Get Started with Influencer Marketing
There’s a reason influencer marketing is so popular: it works!
Plus, it’s much less expensive and requires a lot less energy to create (usually).
What’s more, it’s easy to integrate influencer marketing into the advertising strategies you’re already implementing, so it isn’t as if you have to sacrifice one form of advertising for another.
Influencer marketing is actually a lot older than you might think. Even though most of us associate influencer marketing with the modern era of social media, brands have been using influential figures and personalities to represent their products forever.
Think about all the athletes who have worn brand-name shoes or all the music artists who claim to love a restaurant chain. That was all influencer marketing before Instagram!
Why You Should Use Influencer Marketing
One harsh reality we have to face in marketing is that most consumers really don’t like to think they’re being marketed to. In worst-case scenarios, they see some marketing as a disingenuous attempt to just get their money.
The good news about influencer marketing is that people tend to perceive it as much more trustworthy.
Sure, they’re being exposed to a product or service. But they’re hearing about it from somebody they trust.
Maybe that person is a famous figure, or maybe it’s just an ordinary consumer on the internet. Either way, their words of praise seem more genuine than anything you would hear come directly from the company.
Don’t forget that influencer marketing is also a lot easier for you.
Instead of having to brainstorm all the ways your product changes a person’s life or solves their problems, and instead of trying to generate the right creative assets like photos and video, your consumers have already done that for you: They’ve enjoyed your product, taken a pic or video with it, and posted it to social media with glowing words about why they like it so much.
That’s an easy ad for you right there — no effort on your part!
How to Gather Influencers
If you’re lucky enough to see somebody praising your product on social media, reach out to them and ask whether you can share their post. In most cases, they’ll say yes.
It’s a win-win: You get a positive review from an honest customer, and they get a little bit more exposure.
And yes, we know the term “influencer” might make you think first of somebody with millions of followers, but that doesn’t have to be your focus. A person who influences a sphere of only 10 or 20 people can still show others the value of what you do, especially if those 10 to 20 people really trust this person.
How to Approach Influencers
Finding influencers is easy when people post to social media without any prompting and tag you so you’re able to see the post (and their followers are able to find you). In that case, you can just send them a DM or leave a comment asking to use their content.
But in other cases, you might find that you have to be much less passive. Reach out to customers you know are satisfied and ask whether they’d be interested in creating a video testimonial or just a picture of them using your product.
Some people will need a little bit of prompting. Come up with a few questions or talking points so they know what sort of things to say. This will take away some of the intimidation factor that might be holding a few people back.
And finally, remember that there’s nothing wrong with offering a perk in exchange for some influencer marketing. Come up with a freebie or a discount you can give to anyone who provides you a shoutout on social media.
Just Try It
Remember that there’s really no downside to getting some extra exposure, particularly in an organic way like this.
Influencer marketing will work better for certain businesses than it will for others, but any brand will be able to use these methods to some extent!
We know it can get confusing (and a little stressful) when there are so many ways to market your business, and you’re not sure which methods you should pursue. That’s where we come in. Book a discovery call with us, and we can discuss the right approach for your business and your target audience. Get in touch today right here!
