“Social media is not just an activity; it is an investment of valuable time and resources. Surround yourself with people who not just support you and stay with you, but inform your thinking about ways to WOW your online presence”. Sean Gardner.
We have heard the term “Influencer” countless times but beyond merely entertaining us, or following those whom we consider to be conveying an interesting and inspiring message, today there are real professionals who, through social networks, manage to be a very interesting communication channel for brands and companies that need to reach new audiences and markets.
An influencer is a user – blogger, instagrammer, tiktoker or youtuber – who has credibility with a specific audience on a specific topic. That is why “influencers” are considered opinion leaders or trend setters.
What is influencer marketing?
Influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing, in which people who have “influence” over their followers, or potential buyers, are hired to recommend products or collaborate in advertising campaigns. They may be celebrities, artists, models, athletes, political or cultural personalities, prominent figures in their professional field, or exclusively excellent communicators in social networks, who, by promoting a brand or a specific product, in the media or their social networks, have an impact on the purchase decisions of their followers.
It is important to mention that “Influencer Marketing” requires a previous strategy, where a collaboration agreement is reached between a brand and an influencer so that they can spread or promote their brand. Normally the strategy aims to increase the visibility of the brand, the number of followers on social networks, the traffic to the website and, above all, to increase the number of sales. When the collaboration contract is signed, the objective of the collaboration must be clearly defined to avoid frustrations and misunderstandings in the future.
What are the benefits of influencer marketing for my business?
Influencer marketing is a powerful tool if you know how to use it well. If you have a good eye or work with good digital professionals as consultants, you will be able to choose the most suitable and charismatic influencer to include in your marketing strategy.
Some of the benefits that can be obtained through them include improvement of SEO positioning, internationalisation of the audience and the product, the possibility of generating unique content of value, “humanisation” or “closeness” of the brand and the “spread” of its values, greater reach, web traffic and, most importantly —and in general, the main objective —, sales.
Professional influencers attract the attention of the public with credibility. When you find a true professional, you will find that their followers trust and care about everything they do and consume. Thanks to this, you will be able to reach new market segments and positively increase your brand’s image. Of course, to achieve all these benefits, you will need a well-managed marketing strategy and campaign by professionals in the digital sector.
On which platform does influencer marketing take place?
It is a fact that social media has opened new opportunities for the world. For influencer marketing purposes, the key platforms are Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. We could also include Youtube, the leading video platform for video content. Many brands choose to sponsor their products through different types of influencers who record videos for this platform.
What does influencer marketing cost?
Not all influencers charge the same. Depending on their degree of popularity, their fee for hiring them will be higher. This is something that must be considered before hiring an influencer, in addition to, as mentioned above, having a solid digital strategy in place to achieve the previously specified objectives.
What factors influence the price of influencers? The main one is usually their number of followers, the type of collaboration you want to hire, the level of impact or engagement of the influencer, their ability to generate trends, the sector or the social network used.
Something important to bear in mind: in an influencer marketing strategy it is essential to select influencers whose values are aligned with those of the brand. It makes no sense that if, for example, you have a cruelty-free cosmetics brand, you hire an influencer whose other collaborations may include a brand that does not respect animals, or whose style of publications or message may be out of sync with the values of your company. The importance of choosing influencers judiciously is something to keep in mind first and foremost.
5 tips to keep in mind if you want to do influencer marketing
- Don’t be fooled: the number of followers will not be directly proportional to the number of potential sales. Depending on what your brand needs, it is often better to hire a “Micro-Influencer” whose community is solid and loyal, which, although their message reaches a smaller number of followers, ensures quality and positioning, and in many cases, sales.
- Influencer friends: If the influencer you decide to hire is well connected with other influencers, this relationship can be very beneficial. However, you must bear in mind that the spontaneous generation of content around a brand tends to happen in the most powerful campaigns and for very well-known brands.
- Type of collaboration: as is logical, it will not cost the same to produce a single publication, a weekly publication or several publications, or also include “Instagram Stories”. It is more common to negotiate a price through different packages. Map out your strategy by considering what will boost your brand’s image and benefit from the collaboration.
- Ability to generate trends: going back to “Micro-Influencers”, keep in mind that even if an influencer does not have many followers, they may have the ability to create trends. In these cases, their services may be slightly cheaper or, even if they ask for a high figure, worth the investment.
- Long-term relationship: Are you looking for an influencer for a single campaign or are you looking for a brand ambassador? Depending on the quality of the content that the Influencer you decide to hire can generate, don’t rule out a long-term relationship, where you can propose an “Ambassador” type of collaboration. Although the prices may be a little higher, you will ensure an even more beneficial and lasting image of your brand with their followers.
Remember that there is nothing more important than linking your brand to positive values that are on-trend with current market messages. The coherence between the message of your brand and the Influencer you decide to hire must be one of the main criteria to select him/her and make your brand grow and reach the audience you need.
