Instagram Influencers: All you Need to Know

By Victoria Ellison - Last Updated on April 8, 2020
Instagram Influencers Guide

Since its launch in 2010, Instagram remains one of the most popular social media platforms. Hootsuite(1) reports, “Instagram will reach 112.5 million users in the U.S in 2020, a 5.4% increase from 2019.” Because of its tremendous reach, social media is a source that can increase brand awareness, audience engagement and so much more.

Statistics show that “81% of people use Instagram to research products and services, putting Instagram’s potential advertising reach at 849.3 billion users.” Social media has become a very significant part of 21st century everyday life and has evolved its initial purpose of connecting with others online and has transformed into useful tool business can use to their benefit.

What are Instagram Influencers?

Instagram influencers are Instagram users who have accumulated a big following and hold a type credibility and trust that impacts the opinions of their audience. Influencers have the ability to promote or recommend content or services to effect buying patterns.

How can Instagram Influencers improve my business?

Partnering with Instagram influencers who have exponential exposure due to their high follower count, is one way you can bring visibility to your target audience. Also because, Instagram is most effective platform for influencer marketing. Influencers that have high engagement rates,  followers are most likely to interact, like or comment on their posts.

How to work with Instagram Influencers?

  • Budget
  • Research
  • Reach out

The first step to take to work with Instagram influencers is to make a realistic budget. The bigger following/ audience an influencer has, the more they will charge for their services. Influencers charge per post, which varies from size of audience.

Next step includes research. You should find an influencer who has a high engagement rate and has the reach to target the demographic your aiming for. Be sure to find an influencer who has positive characteristics you can trust with your brand.

The most challenging and important part about influencer marketing is choosing the perfect influencer for your company. Out of thousands of influencers out there this part can be a bit tricky. Nevertheless when you know exactly what you’re looking for in an influencer, it can be simple. Finding a micro-influencer rather than a celebrity will save you money and will provide genuine and expertise in their niche areas.

Search your brands hashtags and relevant hashtags to find influencers who are already supporting your products and are familiar with your products. You can also use tools that make finding influencers easier, such as Snoopreport or Influence.co, which are websites that evaluate influencers based on location and follower count.

The last step is contacting the influencer regarding campaign collaboration or business proposal. Professionally reach out to the influencer, through direct message or email. Contact information is usually found on their bio. Or if you are looking into a larger influencer, you can get in touch with the influencer’s agency and get quotes on rates and thoroughly discuss the needs for your campaign plan.

(Also Read: Social Media Influencers: The Comprehensive Guide)

How to ensure a successful Instagram Influencer marketing?

The most successful influencers are ones who are or appear to be authentic and genuine. The more honest an influencer appears, the higher their credibility and the more their audience can trust them. A tip on becoming an influencer is to have  followers that  like and relate to your content. Also, those seeking to become an influencer should grow their engagements and following with genuine followers and not ghost followers.

Types of  Instagram Influencers

There are different kinds of influencers for different types of interests. They vary from food, travel, fashion and style, photography, lifestyle, design, beauty, sport and fitness, music, tech, gaming, makeup, wedding influencers and the list goes on.

The size of an influencer effects their range and reach. Mega influencers or celebrities have the most reach and don’t always stay within a specific interest. Its best to find an influencer with expertise whose niche matches with your brand.

Instructor influencers are a type of influencer that involve life hacks, food or DIY crafts. Another type of influencer is the beauty guru. All things beauty, lifestyle and fashion fall under this realm of influencer. Another type of influencer are the creators, typically photography, tech, and music influencers.

In today’s age, it’s clear that influencer marketing will only become a more critical component in digital marketing. Advertising with Instagram influencers is great for product placement by influencers audiences look up to and trust. As the field of Instagram influencers becomes more and more saturated, it is important that companies get more creative when trying to keep consumers engaged in their campaigns.

There are many ways to execute a campaign so that influencers effectively promote content.

  • Sponsored posts

    This type of campaign includes influencers creating content that features a company’s product creating visibility to audiences and increasing engagement rate. Influencers will be paid for each sponsored post and audiences should be aware of the collaboration between the influencer and the brand.

  • Giveaways

    Influencers can hold giveaways of companies products and this can be a great way to spread brand awareness and engage new audiences around your company.

  • Product reviews

    Product reviews allow for audiences to receive honest feedback from influencers they trust which can lead directly to sales and brand sentiment.

  • Coupon code

    Companies can give influencers or brand ambassadors a coupon code or link they want their audiences to use. Influencers in turn can get a percentage of the revenue their followers generate. This is a way to directly increase website traffic.

Researching is key when trying to find the right influencers to partner with for your marketing campaign. You should check for

  • Engagement rates
  • Reach
  • Budget
  • Quality of their audience
  • Quality of content
  • Follower count
  • Caption length

(Also Read: List of Top Marketing Influencers on Instagram)

How to properly disclose influencer sponsored posts

Not properly disclosing sponsored posts can ruin the relationship an influencer has with his/her audience. Lack of transparency in sponsored posts can cause feelings of mistrust which effect engagement rates. Influencers should always be open and notify sponsored posts with terms verbally and written so it can be visible and easily communicated to audiences.

How to track success of an influencer marketing strategy

It is important to track your campaign so you can measure its effectiveness and evaluate your efforts. Having a coupon or discount code link is a great way to identify the amount of traffic an influencer is bringing. The rates of influencers show no signs of slowing down.

Final Thoughts

There are many advantages to influencer marketing. When trying to engage in influencer marketing you should consider which influencers would be best for your brand. It is important to allow influencers to exercise their creative freedom. Give influencers room to make a sponsorship unique, while simultaneously following the goals of the campaign. Let’s not forget that the most important part of a campaign is evaluation. Businesses’ should adopt analytic tools to tweak campaigns to improve results.

Victoria Ellison | Victoria Ellison is a copywriter intern at TechFunnel.com, a top B2B digital destination for C-level executives, technologists, and marketers. Previously, she worked as a copyeditor for PR Showdown, an academic competition in Lubbock, Texas. She studied at Texas Tech and graduated with a degree in public relations.

Victoria Ellison | Victoria Ellison is a copywriter intern at TechFunnel.com, a top B2B digital destination for C-level executives, technologists, and marketers. Prev...

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