Tips for Reeling Them In
Choosing an influencer is about finding someone with a great following who would believably use your product. Next, you’ve got to reel them in.
What is influencer marketing? The concept behind this popular form of marketing is a pretty amazing one. You find a well-known person with a strong following to either post on social media or blog about a particular product or service you provide, therefore offering their endorsement of your brand. Of course, you have to pay them to advertise your brand, but since this person is beloved by those who follow him or her, an endorsement of your brand is going to influence those hundreds, or even thousands, of followers to give your product a try.
An excellent example of social influencer marketing is Catherine Lowe, wife of Sean Lowe, beloved ABC’s “The Bachelor” couple. If you follow either one of the Lowes on Instagram or Facebook, then you know they’re not only an adorable couple, but they have an absolutely adorable baby boy and another baby on the way. So when Catherine shared with the world of social media that she used a product that looks like a watch to tell her when she was most fertile before becoming pregnant, it’s easy to think that at least hundreds, if not thousands, of Catherine’s 1.2 million followers followed suit and purchased the item. This is a prime example of how to find the best influencers for your company. Catherine and Sean are a young couple of sweethearts, and if a simple fertility indicator helped them get pregnant with what will surely be another darling baby, then it could help you too.
Tips to Find the Best Influencer for Your Brand
Finding the best influencer for your brand is about knowing the celebrity you’re thinking about asking. Obviously, you likely won’t know them in person, but if you’ve followed a celebrity on any social media outlet or followed a popular blogger, then you know them well enough to know if the type of product or service you provide is one they could be seen as endorsing. That’s the obvious first step: choosing an influencer who would truly use your product in real life. Whether or not they actually do use it on a daily basis or they’re promoting it for the paycheck, as long as it’s a believable scenario, followers will eat it up.
Once you’ve found the right influencer, it’s time to reel them in. That’s right; figuring out who would be a good fit for your brand is only the first step. Step two is to actually get them to agree to do it. This is best done by reaching out to them using language that catches their attention. Don’t just say, “Hey, how would you like to promote my product for some money?” While this might work with someone new to influencer marketing, it’s not effective at recruiting an influencer veteran. They’re getting emails with that exact question in it from hundreds of businesses per day. Make your email stand out. Suggest why you’re interested in having them promote your product. The brand behind the fertility indicator in the example above was dead on when they chose the Lowe’s to promote their product. You’ve got to be that savvy as well, and then you’ve got to sell your brand to your influencer.
Don’t be afraid to reach out beyond the world of Facebook and give blog influencers a try. Blogs are more widely followed than ever before, and bloggers can be especially influential. Not only do they write about your product or service in a fun tone that draws people in, but then the blog can be shared via social media, giving you a two for one deal. You’re paying the blogger to write something snappy and captivating that people have just got to read, but then you can continue to promote your brand by sharing the post and having other share it as well.
Take the time to find the best influencers for your company and then put forth the effort to reel them in. One blog or social media post by the right person, and you’ll be reeling in more than just the right celebrity; you’ll be bringing in new business in a huge way.
