How to find the best influencers to promote your brand (and a few things you want to avoid)
Have you ever wanted to work with an Instagram influencer but didn’t know how, where, or who to find?
Let’s say that is your case. You might be saying: “I already pay for ads on social media and don’t need any more exposure. It won’t make a difference if I work with an influencer or not.”
Well, here’s the thing: you would only be partially correct about that. Working with influencers will expose your brand to a new audience. Millennials and other generations spend more than nine hours per week on social media and about 30 minutes of it comes from organic content (as opposed to paid ads). There is a huge opportunity there.
Working with influencers can get you new leads and help build brand awareness. In addition to that, social media users tend to have a positive view of Instagrammers’ products, so their word-of-mouth impact would be huge for your company. If they like the product and you provide them with good service, they will most likely tell their friends about it and you just got yourself a strong referral system.
“[Remember] that wherever your audience might be, influencers speak the same language as them – social media.”
On the other hand, if you can’t correctly identify who would be an optimal fit for your brand and what the best strategy to use is, working with influencers could be a nightmare.
This article will help you find the best influencers for your brand and how to approach them; we will also discuss some “do nots.”
Many people underestimate the power of an endorsement from an influential social media user. They do realize that it has influence on their audience, but they do not know to what extent.
Let’s go over some numbers: the same as every year, influencer marketing will be a $5 billion industry by 2020 . On top of that, 92% of customers trust recommendations from their peers and people whose opinions they value. These statistics show how far an endorsement can go and why you should consider using influencer marketing as part of your strategy.
Ideal profile of an influencer for your brand.
Before you think about contacting the first person that has a lot of followers, it is important to find out who would be the right type of person to work with.
When looking for someone to promote your products, there are a few traits you should consider:
❌They might have a lot of followers, but if they do not match your brand’s image or they are not going to be able to connect with their audience, it won’t make any difference. Do some research on the influencer and see whether he/she has worked with similar brands before.
❌It is important to consider whether the influencer is actually social media savvy. This will make it easier for you to communicate with him/her and they will be able to understand your needs better.
❌Talking about money, do not spend any if you are not sure that it would be worth it. If the numbers are too high, there might be better options.
❌ Would you rather have someone that has 20,000 followers but only gets 10 likes per post or someone with 200 followers that get 50 likes? The answer should be clear. It is not just about the numbers, it is about engagement.
That being said, the ideal influencer for your brand will actually see themselves as part of the company. They will not be doing it for the money but to help your brand get more exposure and because they like it.
“It is important to consider whether the influencer is actually social media savvy.”
Now that you know who an ideal influencer would be, how do find him/her? It might seem like a daunting task at first, but actually it is much easier than you might think.
✅The first option would be to look for them by yourself. It does not have to take too long if you use some tools that are available on the Internet. For example, Top 10K helps you find influencers based on specific keywords or hashtags they use in their posts.
✅You can also think about using influencer marketing agencies or specialist companies that already have a big database of influencers and their contact information. Sociallyelitemarketing.com is your best option as we have thousands of influencers that we strictly vet. Unlike most brands who allow any “influencer” with a pulse onto their platforms. We will not only find the right person but also get in touch with him/her on your behalf so you do not even need to worry about it anymore.
✅And lastly, do not forget to look at your competitors. If they have managed to get an influencer that is already working with them, it might be a good idea for you to use this method too.
“Your brand will never go wrong if it has the people behind it who truly believe in what they are saying.”
Once you have found some potential influencers, there are still some things you want to avoid.
✅You do not want to get too many influencers at the same time. Just think about it, if you have 1 million followers and another person has 2 million, there is no way anyone would be able to tell which one of you is better than the other. It will actually just look like a competition and people will wonder who sponsored who.
✅Do not get influencers that are popular but only because they post selfies all day long. There is no point in getting someone who does not know how social media works and does not understand what brands need from them.
✅It goes without saying that you should never pay for fake or purchased followers . If an influencer’s audience does not come from real interactions with their posts, it means that they are not actually engaging with what the influencer is saying. And this would be counterproductive, because you would just end up paying for nothing.
“Make sure that you do not get influencers that are popular but only because they post selfies all day long.”
Once you have found some great potential influencers and paid them for their work, there is one more step to take before you continue on your path of success. It is important to make sure that both sides respect each other and want to build a relationship based on honesty and openness. You should also think about how there will be no surprises later down the line since it might affect the images or products of your brand in a negative way . Always communicate honestly with your audience and influencers.
“It is important to have a clear agreement with your influencer from the start.”
… and of course, always remember that a satisfied customer is a great source of referral for both you and your business. So be nice 🙂