Author: Jonathan Long / Source: Entrepreneur Influencer marketing is rapidly growing in popularity and demand -- there isn’t a more power
Influencer marketing is rapidly growing in popularity and demand — there isn’t a more powerful marketing channel for driving brand awareness. Brands are quickly understanding that a successful campaign can’t just be thrown together — there are many components that must work together for it to deliver a return.
I speak to brands daily through my influencer marketing agency, and many are under the impression that you simply find an influencer with a large following, negotiate a payment amount, have them post a picture and then watch the sales roll in.
It’s not that easy — not even close. Here are six must-do’s when creating an influencer marketing campaign.
1. Identify influencers that your target audience trusts.
One of the most appealing qualities of influencer marketing is the level of trust established at the beginning. When an influencer posts about a product or company, his or her audience is more likely to put down their barriers if they’re introduced via a more traditional form of online advertising, like a banner ad.
Social recommendations drive sales online. In fact, 89 percent trust social recommendations more than the claims made by the brands themselves. When you connect with perfectly-paired influencers, the results can be amazing.
2. Think relevance and engagement, not follower count.
CMOs constantly tell me tell me that they tried influencer marketing and it just didn’t work. 99 percent of the time, it failed because the company went straight for follower count, ignoring the influencer’s audience. You need to work with influencers who have a highly engaged following who connect with whatever you are promoting.
“We have such a targeted customer that relevance and engagement are the only two metrics we are concerned with when identifying influencers. Sure, there could be an influencer with millions of followers, but what are the odds that they are interested in what we offer? A much smaller, yet highly targeted and engaged following has much more appeal and value,” explains Sheldon Chapman, Head of Marketing at Pepperstone.
3. Let go and give influencers complete creative control.
While you know your product or service inside…
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