Social media has become a driving force in business. Underneath the facade of humorous content, likes, clicks, and shares, businesses are making a lot of money by utilizing effective social media as part of their marketing plans. Social media influencers are becoming an integral part of the marketing strategies for many companies, both large and small.
Establishing a solid partnership with a popular influencer can help you get your business or products into the public eye, thereby increasing traffic to your website, heightening your brand's popularity, and generating revenue. But how do you attract an influencer to your specific brand? The following are several things to consider when working to establish a relationship with an influencer.
Before reaching out to influencers, you need to keep your business ready. Pixabay
Before you reach out to an influencer, make sure your business is prepared. A single tweet or Instagram post from a popular influencer can generate thousands of orders overnight. Do you have the capacity to fulfill the potential orders? The influencer is putting their professional reputation on the line when they tout your company. Make sure you aren't letting them down by selling an inferior product or leading an organization that isn't up to the task of fulfilling the expectations of your potential new customers.
Influencers are first and foremost, people. It is the influencer's personality, coupled with hard work and savvy marketing skills, that has made them so popular in the first place. Get to know them. Research all of their social media to determine not only how they can help you but what they are like and what they like.
Ultimately, what you are seeking when you approach an influencer is to form a mutually beneficial relationship. That could come in the form of the influencer really liking and appreciating your product, but it can also come from the influencer genuinely enjoying your interactions. Make sure to click, like, and share influencer content.
Influencers are first and foremost, people. It is the influencer's personality, coupled with hard work and savvy marketing skills, that has made them so popular in the first place. Flickr
Forming a partnership with an influencer will generally require that the influencer receive some sort of compensation for their services. After all, they've spent a lot of time and energy working to make themselves stand out from the crowd.
One of the most basic ways to compensate an influencer is to give them your product for review. The influencer shares their thoughts on your business and product in exchange for the gift. You can send the influencer your product directly or provide a coupon code so the influencer can order form your store's website at no cost.
Straight cash is another way to compensate an influencer. Work with the influencer to determine how much money they want to promote your business, and then send them the money.
Ultimately, utilizing social media in your business's marketing strategy is about forming relationships. Think of the influencer as a like-minded colleague—someone who shares the same interests and outlook as you and your company. You aren't the influencer's boss, and the influencer doesn't work for you. Instead, the influencer is sharing your product or service because it is something that has made their life better, and they want to share it with their followers.
