Influencer marketing isn’t a new thing. It’s been around long before marketers even coined the term. The original influencers were movie icons and style bloggers who used their power and fan following to inspire product purchases. These days, influencers are mostly social media users who have a large following. Since they have such a large and loyal following, influencers can reach key demographics that a brand may not.
Head onto Instagram, and you’ll see many fitness models and coaches promoting the workout brands who’ve partnered with them. This platform has created an industry that connects brands with the users they need to promote their products.
If you’ve been taking a watch-and-wait approach to influencer marketing, reconsider doing so. A study by eMarketer found that 60% of marketers are planning to increase their budgets for influencer marketing. That means that if you still haven’t started, then your business is falling behind.
This marketing strategy is a discipline all its own. To succeed at it, you’ll need to build your influencer campaign by including a few key components.
Before you begin contacting influencers or creating a strategy, you’ll need to determine some basics to help set the stage. Here is what we recommend you identify:
Who is your audience?
Often, brands and marketing agencies make the mistake of identifying their preferred influencer before they think about who their target audience is. Instead of doing this, take a step back and think about your audience. Who do you want to reach? Who is the preferred market for your message?
What are your goals?
Determining your goals will give your campaign more purpose. Many brands use influencer marketing to gain more exposure, create brand awareness, get people to test a product or to increase their sales.
How will you measure success?
The final key component is how you plan to measure success. This can often be measured by analysing your key performance indicators. Identify and set up your tracking method – this will help you identify where a customer is up to in the conversion journey.
If you haven’t started doing influencer marketing, now is the time. Just follow these tips to achieve your goals.
