If You Target Millennials – You Must Know About Social Media Influencer Marketing
Social Media Influencer Marketing has taken the internet by storm. More and more people are going to social media than ever before – especially Millennials. There are “followers” and people who are “followed” i.e. “Influencers”. Social Media Influencer Marketing is the practice of building relationships (sponsorship deals, brand deals) with key social media influencers that have a following of your target demographic.
Why Influencers are Effective
Social Media Influencers can reach a following that your brand sometimes cannot – therefore, utilizing them to build trust in your brand and engage their followers to drive traffic to your business is a key strategy some of the tops brands are using. Adidas, H&M, and Sprint are a top few companies that have used Social Media Influencers to boost their brand awareness and drive sales – some with even a 16X return.
Tips to Help You Connect with the Best Social Media Influencers
Even though less than 40% of marketers hold social media influencer marketing as a back-burner method, influencers are gaining momentum and it will only rise. More brands are dedicating a budget towards social media influencer marketing because it doesn’t require spending millions on a major ad that is only 29 seconds long.
Your business can get more brand awareness by using influencers that have a major following (100k+) The key to knowing what to look for and which influencer to go with can be intimidating. Where do you begin? What do you look for? Here are some of the best ways to determine if a social media influencer would be a good fit for your company brand.
- Research to see which demographics you are targeting. Depending on the target market, research which influencers are specific to your target market.
- Look at the number of followers and how many “likes” they have for each of their posts. If it is a steady number of “likes” across the board, with comments from followers, they are likely to be a good candidate for a brand sponsorship or brand deal.
- Connect with the influencer and ask for a media kit that outlines their stats. If they don’t have one already, most likely they would not be a good fit. Influencers that are serious about social media influencer marketing will know to have a media kit available.
Research Your Candidates
If this seems like a lot of work, it is!! You can spend hours upon hours, researching, contacting, communicating, etc. and your brand has not yet grown. There are many benefits to utilizing influencer marketing due to the fact that more Millennials don’t watch TV, read print magazines, and wouldn’t know what channel to turn to on a radio station (terrestrial).
Influencers have built a connection with their followers and because they know and trust the influencer. Their opinions and reviews on your product or service will be held in higher regard than seeing a billboard on the side of a bus. In many circumstances, influencers do exactly what their name suggest, they “influence” their followers, i.e. your consumers.
Test out a campaign and see how it does. If your business is locally based, it may be beneficial to target an influencer that is specific to your area. Work with the influencer, s/k/a “content creators” and come up with a plan that will feature your brand via photos, stories, live videos, swipe-up promos and live links.
Know What To Expect
Of course there are risks associated with any celebrity-based endorsement. Your brand could get caught into a whirlwind should a scandal arise with the influencer. After all, they are human. Since Ad blockers do not apply to social media influencers, there is an upside, just be sure to follow the rules.
There are regulations that are enforced by the FTC and FCC for proper disclosures during a social media campaign with an influencer. Do not cut corners. With the right campaign and influencer, your brand can take off and generate more sales. Be sure to take consideration the quality of followers instead of being impressed with the number of followers. Know where your online business reputation stands so that you see a clear line for growth.
Call ReviewInc now for a FREE Analysis of your Business Reputation and consult with one of our specialists that can assist you in getting more reviews and increasing your sales.
