When we hear the word “influencer,” we think of celebrities promoting different products and brands on their social media platforms — often to the tune of a huge chunk of change. This technique, called influencer marketing, is not unique to Hollywood. Businesses big and small, local and national, are using this social media marketing tool. Used correctly, influencers can help your organization achieve its goals.
Influencer marketing, which often includes endorsements and product placement, can be adapted for small businesses. The following questions may be common among your team:
Why should we consider working with an influencer?
An influencer can help a small company in several ways, depending on organizational needs. We all know it takes time to build trust and loyal customers in an industry. The right influencer has both, a built-in loyal audience that trusts what he or she recommends, just like they would trust a friend.
More specifically, if your business is new to the industry or hasn’t done much social media marketing, an influencer can help introduce your brand to locals and showcase the benefits of working with you. This helps heighten brand awareness and might even help you gain more social media followers.
Influencers can also help create excitement around your products or services, which can increase leads and sales.
What type of influencer is right for us?
Just like companies, influencers come in different sizes. While working with an influencer with a large following might seem practical, it will cost you. The more followers an influencer has, the more it costs to promote your product/service. For small businesses, nano-influencers or micro-influencers are a better fit.
Nano influencers, with a following of 15,000 or less, or micro influencers, with a following between 15,000-75,000, are often niche influencers, meaning they focus on and create content about a particular topic, hobby, or industry. Although they have a smaller audience, this audience is highly engaged and often has a relationship with the influencer.
There are several benefits of working with a nano or micro influencer. In contrast to profiles with many followers, audiences connect better with less popular accounts run by a person like them. In addition, nano and micro influencers are less expensive to work with. Partnership often starts with offering them your product or service in exchange for them promoting it on their platforms.
How do we find influencers we could work with?
While finding the right partnership can be difficult, start with your existing customers or employees. If they have a sizable social media following, they are your best brand ambassadors already!
Another option is to use your social media platform’s search function. Enter hashtags that are relevant to your product, service, location, or industry and see what profiles show up. For example, a local bakery looking for an influencer might search with hashtags like #localbakery, #sweettreats, #bakinginfluencers, and even a hashtag with the city in which it’s located.
It’s also crucial to be at places where influencers might be. Is there a relevant online group that your organization could join? Are those online group members active online? Who is speaking at industry events? Are they active on social media?
All potential influencers need to be vetted by your company. Your values should align, and what they communicate to their audiences should reflect your mission and vision.
To learn more about influencer marketing and how to incorporate it into your marketing strategy, contact us today to get started.