It’s time! You need to introduce influencer marketing to your marketing mix. You might be holding back because you think your brand is too small or because you have a little shop in a small town. If you clicked on this, you’re likely not sure how to find influencers that align with your brand, that may be local or who would be interested in working with you.
When looking for an influencer to work with think about your brand values! What do you stand by? What is your brand’s tone? You want to ensure that any influencer or creator you work with has similar values.
When working with influencers, don’t micromanage the heck out of them! Let their posts be authentic, they need to tell a story. They’ve cultivated a following by being themselves and by adding value to their audience. If you want the content they create for you to perform well; let them be in control! They know their audience best and need the freedom to be creative and position the ad/collab how they see fit. They might have a funny story or experience that relates that will help the content come across as less “salesy”
So how do you find the perfect influencer, or influencers to work with?
Go direct to the influencer
They’re all over! You might prefer a blogger over an Instagrammer or YouTuber. Maybe you want them to post on all their platforms! It’s all negotiable.. the more work they need to do; the better your offer should be. Use hashtags, use search and find influencers that stand out to you. Send them a DM or an email and start the conversation. Be clear with what you can offer for compensation and what you want them to do in return. How many posts? What exactly are you trying to promote? Don’t worry about them saying No! Sometimes it’s just not a good fit.
Find a talent agency that has many influencers
Do a quick Google search, or browse Instagram for an agency that represents several influencers. A talent agency will be able to help you find the best influencer or influencers on their roster for your campaign.
Hire a PR/marketing agency
You can’t do it all! Hire a PR/marketing agency to run the influencer campaign for you. They’ll be able to cast influencers for you based on your budget and give you a report with analytics on how well the campaign did.
The good (or bad!) thing about influencer marketing is that there are a lot of variables. There isn’t a flat rate on how much one might cost. You have to think about what you’re offering and what you’re asking for. For example, if you’re going to give a medium sized mommy blogger the experience of a lifetime with an all-inclusive family vacation – they’re likely not going to have their hand out asking for a ton of money. Now if you’re approaching a full-time travel blogger with millions of followers and great engagement – they’re likely going to want some money.
