Influencer Marketing is on everyone's lips - even if the principle behind it is not new. The fact that brands are looking for famous spokespeople has long been a common practice. With social media, however, the concept has gotten a new twist. Celebrities as testimonials in classic media are not the only ones in demand anymore, but bloggers, YouTuber and Instagramer as well. But how to find the right influencer for your brand?
Table of Content
- Influencer Marketing: Identifying advocates biggest challenge
1.1. Fit
1.2. Authenticity
1.3. Channel
1.4. Collaboration
1.5. Approaching influencers
Influencer Marketing: Identifying advocates biggest challenge
According to a study on the topic, the identification of truly relevant multipliers is the biggest challenge for 61 per cent of companies interested in Influencer Marketing. In the following we clarify the main criteria for the right advocate:
Fit
Reach is considered a KPI par excellence. But what is the benefit of an influencer who has generated hundreds of thousands of followers with vegan cooking recipes for a brand selling luxury watches? An influencer who blogs or posts about luxury items would be more effective even if he had only a fraction of the followers. Influencer Marketing is about increasing the awareness for a product or brand by an advocate expressing expressing how much he likes it. Brands therefore need to identify multipliers who can authentically post about the product or the brand and have a target group that fit their objectives.
Authenticity
Anyone who has found an influencer that fits into the brand profile should also check whether they can deliver what is expected. Influencers make a lot of money these days. However, not every professional Instagramer offers the range that one could expect from the number of followers he has. As we all know by now, followers and likes can easily be bought. Hence brands should thoroughly examine how authentic the influencer's reach actually is. Questions that help with this are: How long is the influencer already active on the platform? Is the follower number realistic? Do their posts trigger a lot of engagement (likes, comments, shares)?
Channel
A popular influencer on Instagram will do little for your brand if your customers prefer other channels. As always, a thorough target group analysis should be the basis as in all other marketing disciplines.
Collaboration
Influencer Marketing does not mean that you can idly watch on as brand awareness and sales numbers soar. Before a brand approaches a multiplier, it must know what it expects from him. The brand has to be willing to collaborate with the influencer with regard to creating content. The marketing department must therefore provide images, background information and the products themselves.
Approaching influencers
Influencers are characterized by their visibility on the web. Anyone who has identified a suitable advocate can also approach him or her via the given contact options in a private message. In addition to a brief presentation of the company itself, the project should also be sketched out. Moreover, there are various online platforms that help brands find influencers. Read more about Social Media Marketing.
