“Influencer marketing is hitting a teenage growth spurt’’.

 

This quote, from leading influencer marketing agency MediaKix, perfectly captures the essence of where influencer marketing currently sits alongside other methods in the ‘marketing toolbox’.

If you’re new to the concept, influencer marketing is a paid partnership for the promotion of products, services and brands by a social media personality. There are different tiers of ‘influencer status’ ranging from a ‘micro-influencer’, who has over 3,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, to a ‘mega influencer’ who shares their every waking moment with their 1mil+ followers.

The method has exploded in popularity over the past few years and according to MediaKix’s survey, it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere.
The results of their 2019 Influencer Marketing Survey showed that:

  • 80% of marketers find influencer marketing effective.
  • 71% of marketers rate the quality of customers and traffic from influencer marketing as better than other marketing sources.
  • 89% of marketers say influencer marketing ROI is as good or better than other marketing channels.
  • 65% of marketers plan to up their influencer marketing budgets in 2019.

We’ve compiled our top tips on getting started with influencer marketing and how to make the most of it.

Have a Strategy

It sounds a little obvious for us to say, but you’d be surprised how many people want to jump straight into influencer marketing. Just choose a great influencer and reach out to them about your brand – sounds simple, right? It absolutely can be a straightforward aspect of your greater marketing strategy, but as the old saying goes, anything worth doing is worth doing well. Taking the time to develop an influencer strategy is the best way to make sure your influencer marketing campaigns are on-brand, every time.

Alignment is Everything

This is where having a strategy comes in useful. Consider your wider brand values as well as your campaign messaging when selecting influencers to reach out to. Check out their profiles, read the tone of their posts and see what they usually feature on their account. Does your brand fit?

Authenticity is ALSO Everything

Closely linked to brand alignment, the authenticity of the paid posts is absolutely crucial to their success. Influencer marketing is built on trust – you trust them to portray your brand positively and in turn, their follower community trusts them to be honest and provide genuine recommendations. Find an influencer who is either already using your product or would be likely to try your product. Once you’ve found a fitting partnership, it’s important to work collaboratively to ensure you strike the right balance and resonate with their audience. Provide some direction on the messaging you’d like them to use, but make sure you give them the creative license on how to portray your product. After all, they know what their audience responds to best.

Consider Using an Agency

Influencer agencies are a great option if you’re new to influencer marketing. There are a range to choose from, some are talent agencies that put you in touch with relevant influencers and others provide services to assist you in running the whole campaign. Many full-service or multi-discipline marketing and communications agencies (like us) will offer influencer marketing services through a trusted partner.

Have fun!

Don’t forget to be open-minded and creative when it comes to influencer marketing – embrace it!