How to find and choose the right influencers for your business

Social media has unquestionably changed the world. It has transformed how we live, the way we communicate, stay informed and even the way businesses operate. Despite speculation around the negative impacts it may have on mental health if overly abused, millions of people are using it for the greater good. Societies are coming together to fight for important causes they believe in such as climate change and equality. That’s because the power it has to inspire change and influence people’s thoughts and behaviors is unlike anything we’ve seen. Messages reach people faster, news is delivered across the globe in a matter of microseconds and the general public is made aware of urgent situations in real-time.

Influencers have been around for decades and we’ve all been guilty of looking up to powerful figures for tips on how to dress and what products to buy. Social Media Today takes us through the history of influencers that date back to royalty in the 1700s. The ability to cultivate a dedicated following can be traced back to the 1920s when fashion icon Coco Chanel introduced the world to the little black dress and remains one of the most influential designers of all time.

Collaborating with influencers has become an intricate element of a marketer’s strategy. It can help a brand gain visibility, recognition, customer loyalty and significantly boost its conversion rates. More and more millenials are turning to social media before the purchase of a product. In turn, businesses have learned to incorporate influencer marketing into their digital strategies if they want any chance at survival in this COVID era. The rise in online shopping is driving marketers to look for influencers within their niche to promote their new products. But finding the right influencers isn’t as easy as it may appear. Thankfully, we’ve compiled a few tricks to help you invest in the right social influencer for your business.

Asking yourself some important questions

1. Who is my audience?

Knowing the customer’s demographic, age group and annual income in order to efficiently tailor messaging is an important strategy businesses have been exercising for years. However, understanding the buyer’s persona today means digging deeper into a prospect’s lifestyle habits, social following and online interests. Who are my customers engaging with on social media? Who are they following? The answers to these burning questions will help clarify it all for you. Studying their interactions online will provide more insight into their likes, dislikes and what they’re most likely interested in purchasing from you.

2. Who is my influencer’s audience?

Finding the right influencer related to your industry can be challenging. Through hashtags and common connections on Instagram for example, marketers can get a sense of who is out there. The best way to figure out whether or not an influencer is right for your niche, is to begin following them yourself! Once you’ve made that connection with several industry experts, it’s important to take the time to observe and explore who is commenting and liking their posts. Doing so will provide you with a good indication of who their audience is and what peaks their interest.

The brand’s audience and influencer’s audience need to match

The recipe is really that simple. Both audiences need to match. Before vetting a potential influencer based on his or her levels of engagement and number of connections, take a closer look at the online personality of the blogger you want to reach out to. Does it mirror that of your brands? Is he or she authentic and relatable? Do they make their posts interesting every single time?

By following them, you’ll learn whether they are promoting your competitors. That singlehandedly may be the most fundamental attribute in finding the right influencer to help promote your brand. That simple characteristic will set that influencer apart from all of the others.

Tips on how to get started

Before you begin your outreach, use hashtags in your posts and see who is using the same hashtags. Chances are the influencers you need, want to be found using the same keywords you’re using.

Engage with them through likes and comments before actually asking them to collaborate. Naturally, the best way to get someone to perform a task for you is to give them something in return. Bloggers and social influencers need likes, comments and follows. Show them you’re a fan by genuinely interacting with the content that they share. They’ll be more inclined to interact and want to help you if you’ve helped them out first.

Poptribe

In case you need help finding the right influencers, we are here for you. Contact us today, and we’ll chat with you to determine the most effective path to success for everyone involved. Influencer marketing has gone from a fad to a must-have for product marketing success. We’d be thrilled to be your partner as you put this remarkably effective medium to work for your brand.