5 Tips for Choosing the Right Influencers for Your Brand
Nowadays, it’s easy for digital marketers to reach consumers- but getting them to purchase products is a challenge. Consumers have become increasingly selective with their buying decisions, building up mental filters against anything with the words ‘paid’ or ‘ad’ in them. As a result of this, the strategies digital marketing agencies devise have to be designed to break through these cognitive barriers.
The solution? Influencer marketing! Human psychology dictates that when faced with a bulk of information, recommendations from trusted sources play a pivotal role in the ultimate purchase decision. Influencers possess likeability, trustworthiness, and authority with their followings, which are vital factors that help people make decisions. Furthermore, influencers have large followings that consist of people who share similar interests. From food to fashion, fitness, technology, and more, influencers are basically gold mines for audience targeting.
When done right, an influencer marketing campaign will get you a creative, audience-oriented pitch that will drive awareness and generate more sales. That being said, choosing the right influencers will make a world of difference in how effective your campaign will be. Here are five tips to help you select the perfect influencer(s) for the job:
1. Focus on relevance before numbers
The first thing digital marketers need to remember is that an influencer’s impact isn’t just determined by their follower counts, but their ability to change the audience’s minds. This involves having a presence on the same platforms as your target audience, and creating content that is in line with your brand and product.
For example, if you’re marketing cookware, it’s unlikely that a beauty influencer could convince consumers to purchase a cast iron pan, no matter how many followers and big brand deals they have. Instead, the campaign may come across as inauthentic, reflecting badly on both the influencer as well as the brand.
The right influencer should demonstrate the ability to understand the unique selling points of the product you want to market. Think of it this way- an influencer who represents a brand’s product is essentially an extension of the brand’s identity, so select accordingly.
2. Select winning personalities
You can be the smartest person in the room, but if your IQ is all you talk about, it’s unlikely that anyone will want to listen to you. What separates technical experts from influencers is their charisma. Successful influencers are able to capitalize on their passions and interests and convince people to come along for the ride.
For instance, popular YouTuber Binging With Babish has zero professional culinary experience, but hosts his own show that garners hundreds of thousands of views per video. The appeal? His down-to-earth personality, sense of humor, and relatability. If he doesn’t have a fancy piece of kitchen equipment, he uses whatever he has lying around the house- which is something audiences can identify with.
Essentially, the influencer you choose should have the personality you want your audience to associate your brand with.
3. Analyse their relationships with their followers
The next step is examining how an influencer engages with their followers. Reciprocity is an important element of building trust; therefore, people respond better to influencers when they feel acknowledged by them.
To gauge this, keep an eye out for audience-oriented content, such as Q&As, live streams, and the phrase “many of you have requested”. If an influencer makes an effort to respond to their audience and highly requested content, they’ll have a great handle on making your product come across the same way.
Another thing to consider is the product-oriented interactions between influencers and their followings. If a makeup blogger often gets asked about the products they use, it means that their followers don’t just follow them for entertainment, but for their expert opinion- making them a great candidate for a makeup campaign.
4. Examine their history
The first thing to consider here is the influencer’s reputation. The larger the platform, the greater the scrutiny they’re under. If an influencer has been embroiled in scandal, it may reflect badly on your brand, so it’s imperative to do a thorough background check.
The next thing to review is the inluencer’s past relationships with other brands. A general rule of thumb is that the less sponsored content you see on an influencer’s page, the more likely they are to have a trustworthy and authentic reputation, and the more believable your campaign will be.
Additionally, it’s important to ensure that their past brand relationships don’t conflict with yours. Sharing a platform with competing companies will only confuse your audience and make it unlikely for the influencer to want to collaborate with you in the first place.
5. Break down the numbers
Once you’ve identified the perfect persona for your brand, it’s time to get down to brass tacks. While high follower counts aren’t everything, it’s important to look at metrics such as reach and frequency of postings to ensure that an influencer does indeed have the numbers to support your campaign.
Also, don’t forget to factor in production costs. Not all influencers own professional equipment (especially smaller ones), so unless you’ll be providing an in-house production crew, ensure you agree on the specifics of the content quality required.
Like any business venture, influencer marketing campaigns have to be cost-effective. Our advice? Get a quote from the influencer in question, then work out an agreement that benefits all parties involved. If you’ve followed the first four tips, the influencer will be eager to collaborate with you.
Final thoughts
When harnessed correctly, influencers are a wonderful avenue to enhance your digital marketing strategies by targeting new audiences and building relationships to generate sales. We hope you find these tips insightful!
At Social Grooves, we pride ourselves on being one of the top digital marketing agencies in Malaysia because we understand the psychology behind what turns consumers into customers. With our cutting-edge digital technology solutions and creative flair, we’re here to help businesses reach new heights with their digital marketing efforts. If you’re interested in expanding your business with influencer marketing, get in touch with us.