8 tips for influencer marketing

Working with influencers is a popular marketing tactic, providing an opportunity to share your product or service with additional audiences. In influencer marketing, brands have a chance to collaborate with individuals and companies who have significant and engaged following on social media platforms to promote their products or services. When influencers share their authentic content mentioning your brand, you can benefit from their established credibility within their niche. 

However, knowing how to find and work with influencers can be confusing. If your brand is considering introducing influencer marketing, here are some tips to keep in mind to be successful:

Determine your objectives.
Clarify what you aim to achieve through influencer marketing. Whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving website traffic, or boosting sales, having outlined objectives will guide your campaign and help you see results.

Do your research.
It’s ok to vet opportunities with influencers to see what’s right for you. Consider what kind of feel the influencer may convey and how that could reflect positively or negatively back on your brand. Usually what you see in their posts is what you can expect to get when they work with you.

One great place to start when looking for influencers to partner with is your followers list. Those following you are more likely to work with your brand. You may be surprised who is already watching your content.

Authenticity is important.
The content that your influencer partners create is different than what your company is posting. Having their endorsement provides significant clout for your brand. Their followers trust them so it’s important to keep content genuine. While you may be tempted to dictate direction, a more hands-off, open-minded angle is important when working with influencers. It's kind of like being at a party. You can walk up to a group of people and introduce yourself, but it probably has a more meaningful impact if you're introduced by a mutual connection.

Invest in good relationships.
Aim to build long-term partnerships with influencers who genuinely align with your brand values and consistently deliver results. Long-term collaborations allow for deeper integration and consistent messaging.

Consider a diverse approach.
While sometimes companies can benefit from niching down in their marketing, working with a range of influencers can be an effective strategy as you explore social opportunities. A bit of testing may be involved as you consider working with partners. For instance, those with larger audiences can be great for exposure but those with smaller crowds can carry a lot of authority with their followers and still do an amazing job with content. Different influencers may resonate with various segments of your audience. Getting in front of multiple groups of people helps educate demographics that may not normally purchase from you.

Measure your results.
You can use social media analytics tools to track the performance of your influencer campaigns. Monitor metrics such as reach, engagement, conversions, and ROI to assess the effectiveness of your efforts and optimize future campaigns.

Treat everyone on social media like an influencer.
By nature, social media is social. Everyone sees everyone’s activity. So, it’s smart to lead all communications with patience and respect. Acknowledge and sort out complaints and let your followers know you appreciate them and you’re looking to make things better.

Stay updated and flexible.
With ever-evolving social media trends, there’s always an opportunity to stay updated and adapt your influencer marketing strategies accordingly. Be flexible and open to experimenting with new approaches to stay ahead.

For more best practices and examples to inspire your company's influencer marketing strategy, listen to our podcast “Best practices for influencer marketing.”