Everyone is talking about Instagram influencers nowadays. But if you have never worked with influencers, it can be difficult to know where to start. When does an influencer campaign suit your brand and organization? What are the most important questions to ask? And how can you apply influencer marketing to the existing strategies?
Before you begin promoting your brand paying Instagrammers to get the word out, make sure you read about building a brand online – 4 strategies that will help establish your business. Generally speaking, a good influencer marketing campaign starts with a perfect match and ends with useful analytics, with which you can measure success. There are great influencers in virtually every niche, so with the right information, good research and a well-considered strategy, influencer marketing can be of use to any organization.
1. Does the influencer campaign match your brand?
Perhaps you think of the term ‘Instagram influencers’ mainly for fashion bloggers or vloggers… But the reality is that influencers represent a huge and diverse group of people who use social media to share stories with their audience about topics that interest them. So-called “content creators”. Influencers are important ambassadors for your brand if your strategy works well. Do not “use” them, just because it is a trend or because you hear everyone talking about it. Try and sense the needs of your company and the unique benefits of collaborations.
Public and trust
One of these benefits is the ready-made public that Instagram influencers have gathered during their online careers. Another advantage is the trust consumers have in their favorite bloggers. We know that consumers are often resistant to traditional advertisements. But as long as the content created for the collaboration is authentic and creative, you can be sure that your message will be delivered in a way that really impresses.
Are you looking for a more personal way to connect with your audience? Maybe you want to branch out and reach consumers who rarely engage with your brand or create a new brand image? In any case, there is most likely an effective way to integrate bloggers into your marketing strategy.
2. How does a collaboration with influencers fit into the strategy?
Maybe you think you do not have a budget, or that you can not think of a good concept. In this case, you just need the right influencer! The great thing about influencers is how diverse and flexible they are. There is almost always a way to fit a collaboration into your existing strategy. Depending on your budget and your needs, you can search for micro influencers or larger content creators. Discuss what kind of content they can create. Influencer campaigns are tailor-made. You can use the creativity of the influencer to build an appropriate collaboration.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to influencers, so be creative and do not be afraid to ask input from your future ambassadors!
3. Ensure the perfect match between the Instagrammer and brand
One of the most important steps for recording an influencer campaign is (not surprisingly): finding influencers. Many organizations logically tend to choose influencers with the largest communities. But first, determine the purpose of your campaign before making a choice. Do you want more visibility or more interaction?
If an influencer is really interested in a certain subject or brand, you have a recipe for a powerful collaboration.
A large community does not automatically go hand in hand with more engagement and interaction. Consider, for example, the range and how well an influencer fits your target group. If you aim to build a good relationship with your followers and position your brand and product in the right market, then you need a reliable influencer. Preferably someone who uses your product or service in an authentic way. Investigate the commitment to an influencer’s posts to avoid fake followers. If an influencer has many followers and little commitment, the followers are often fake. Also check out the interests of your chosen influencer.
4. Provide a solid strategy for approaching influencers
The way you approach an influencer is always different. Once you have chosen, do not forget to do your homework properly. Before you approach them, you need to know who you are working with, why you want to work with them and what you ask of them.
Every influencer approaches collaborations differently. Some work with agents, while some arrange everything via dm’s on Instagram. Once you have approached the influencer you have chosen, you need to be flexible in setting up your collaboration. Discuss each step with the influencer and his or her team (if applicable) and make sure you treat this as a professional collaboration.
Do not forget to look at all the relevant figures (reach, engagement, followers) and also at the history and customs of the person you want to approach. Investigate what kind of collaborations the influencer has already done, what content they usually post and how their audience usually responds to the messages.
Compensation
You should also never assume that you can use free products or ‘exposure’ in exchange for actual payment. Some people – especially micro-influencers – may be open to collaborations in exchange for free products. But if someone’s career and a full-time job is content creation, it is actually a bit rough to assume that you do not have to pay them.
5. Provide clear KPIs
Once you’ve started your collaboration, it’s time to set clear goals. A successful campaign needs clear KPIs. Logical, because without goals you do not know when you are really successful.
To determine KPIs, discuss internally and with the influencer what exactly you want to achieve with the collaboration. Do you want to increase your own reach on social media? Then, for example, measure the range of all content you make with the influencer. Do you want multiple people to leave comments, or share content? Then look at the engagement figures.
Term of the campaign
You also need to determine the term of your campaign. Will it be a continuous collaboration or is it a one-off item in exchange for a fixed amount? In any case, you should know what you hope to achieve at the end of the collaboration. And if this is ongoing, you have to make a decision about the important moments to measure your KPIs.
The most important thing is that your goals are realistic. Make sure that you manage the expectations internally well, and discuss with the influencer what is feasible in the area of the chosen KPIs. Use all the data available to measure your successes and determine what the KPIs should be for the next campaign.
And now, how do you start?
Now that you’ve read the tips above, you can get started with the following steps:
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- Determine whether – and possibly how – an influencer collaboration applies to your organization. Look at your own needs and the benefits of influencer marketing.
Look at your budget and current marketing goals to see how an influencer campaign fits into existing strategies. - Do your homework to find the perfect influencer for your organization.
Develop a tailor-made strategy to approach the influencers of your choice and start defining your campaign. - Set up clear KPIs. Go into conversation with your leader people and influencers to get them as clear as possible.
- Determine whether – and possibly how – an influencer collaboration applies to your organization. Look at your own needs and the benefits of influencer marketing.
Hopefully, you can get started right away with these steps. Do you have any questions? Ask them via the reaction option below!
