Influencer Marketing – 10 Tips When Choosing An Influencer.
TLDR.
Don’t have time to stick around and read the entire blog? Not to worry! Here are the 10 key points that you should be looking for when approaching an influencer or online personality to collaboratively work with on an influencer marketing campaign;
- Request a specific breakdown of their audience.
- Prioritise influencers who already know and have interacted with your brand.
- Lean into the influencer’s signature style of content creation.
- Align your desired outcome and KPIs with the influencer.
- Don’t be afraid to go platform-specific.
- Make sure there is a culture and personality match between the brand and the influencer.
- Price around different influencers and don’t be afraid to negotiate price.
- Ask for a media kit and/or portfolio.
- Don’t be afraid to include the influencer in the idea generation phase.
- Make sure to lock in a timeline of deliverables.
Introduction.
In the ever-evolving landscape of marketing, influencer collaborations have emerged as powerful tools to connect with audiences and drive brand success. As brands increasingly seek partnerships with influencers, it’s crucial to ensure that these collaborations are not only beneficial but also aligned with the brand’s objectives.
You can read all about the latest influencer marketing trends here.
To help you make informed decisions, we’ve compiled a list of ten essential questions to consider before embarking on your next influencer marketing campaign. These questions will guide you in finding the right influencer who can effectively amplify your brand’s message to a relevant and engaged audience.
1. Who is their target audience?
Always request a detailed breakdown of their audience – age, gender, location, etc.
Do some primary research yourself and have a look at who is commenting on all of their posts.
Talk to colleagues, friends, and/or family members who might fall within the target audience of the brand or business and ask if they know this person(s).
2. Are they familiar with the brand or business?
This is not essential but would be a huge plus. See if the influencer already knows the brand, uses their product or service, knows about the industry, knows about the competition, etc.
Check to see if the influencer already follows the brand online, or follows any of their competitors.
A collaboration with an influencer who has a genuine interest in or connection with the brand will make the whole process easier.
This might not always be possible in terms of “interviewing” the influencer but try to get as much information as you can prior to offering them the job.
3. Try to align with the content they produce.
See if the influencer has a “signature” style of content creation. If this influencer is known for having a particular style, your brand must fit into that style.
Making an influencer create content that is not similar to their usual style will likely not work and will alienate their usual followers.
4. What is the desired outcome of the influencer marketing campaign?
The size of someone’s following can dictate whether or not they are the right fit for the collaboration.
For example, if the goal of the collaboration is mass awareness, target the influencers with the largest following.
If the goal is engagement, sign-ups, click-throughs, etc, some micro-influencers could be better.
Request engagement rate information from them, as well as do your own research on how many comments, forwards, saves, shares, etc, they got on their content.
5. Don’t be afraid to go platform-specific.
Influencers will likely charge more if you are running a campaign across multiple platforms – Instagram and TikTok.
If an influencer is very strong on one platform, don’t be afraid to keep the collaboration exclusive to just one platform.
6. Choose someone whose values align with the brand.
This one seems fairly obvious, but you would be surprised with the amount of poorly matched campaigns you see out there! The influencer’s values, personality, humour, tone, etc, should match, or at least be similar to that of the brand.
If you have to work to find the connection or similarities between the two, it is likely the audience won’t see it.
7. Shop around and negotiate for the influencer marketing campaign.
Influencer marketing is essentially unregulated when it comes to pricing and costs. It all comes down to what the influencer thinks their worth is.
Try to have a couple of quotes from different influencers. And if straight-up money is an issue, explore ways that payment could come in another form – eg. gifting products.
8. Ask for a media kit or portfolio.
Many influencers now have what is known as a “media kit”. Things you can expect to see in a media kit;
- Biography
- Social stats (following, engagement rate, audience demographics, etc)
- Rates card
- Previous work and collaborations
- Testimonials
9. Include them in the creative phase of the influencer marketing campaign.
The right influencer will likely have their own ideas for a campaign, the type of content, etc.
Why not include them early on and see what ideas can be developed together?
10. Make sure to lock in a timeline for deliverables.
If the influencer themselves is the one who is creating, editing, and posting the content, make sure to lock down deadlines and times. A date for the first draft to be done. Time for edits. A date for the live content. Etc.
The influencer, the brand, and the agency all need to be on the same page here to ensure a harmonious campaign.
Conclusion.
Once you have the content and the post is going live, your work is still not done! Make sure you are doing things like optimising Instagram Reels and reaping the benefits of TikTok ads.
By carefully assessing an influencer’s audience, familiarity with your brand, content style, and value alignment, you pave the way for a fruitful collaboration.
Determining the desired outcomes and engaging in platform-specific strategies can further enhance the impact of your campaign.
Don’t underestimate the importance of negotiation, asking for a media kit, and involving influencers in the creative process, as these steps can lead to a more harmonious and successful partnership.
Finally, setting clear timelines for deliverables ensures that all stakeholders are on the same page, promoting a smooth and efficient campaign execution.
With these ten pointers as your guide, you can navigate the intricate landscape of influencer marketing and forge partnerships that bring your brand’s vision to life, connect with your target audience, and deliver remarkable results.