With the rise of social media, various online marketing campaigns have emerged that focus on establishing their brand and target the potential customers with creative ad posts, celebrity endorsements and hashtag trends. But one segment of social media that almost all brands believe in, are the influencers that connect with the a large portion of audience online. An estimate shows that the influencer marketing industry will touch 10 billion US $ by the end of the year in 2020. But before going into details, let us see who are influencers and what actually is influencer marketing.

Who is a social media influencer?

An influencer is basically someone who is willing and able to influence others. A social media influencer uses social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to influence the behavior of audience at large. Social media influencers are known to create unique and engaging content. They have a large number of audience, in thousands or millions. The right influencer for your brand will help you reach your target market effectively. They will also ensure that the content is relevant to your brand and they also engage with their followers.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a step-by-step process that enables a brand to create a positive positioning in the minds of their target audience. The brands achieve this by involving reputed influencers and leverage their presence and trust to influence the audience and generate revenue. The influencers can be celebrities, athletes, YouTubers or anyone with a substantial social media presence.

Importance in current times

According to the Digital marketing institute research, 49% of all consumers trust influencers to buy a certain product or service. Also, 70% of teenagers trust social media influencers more than traditional celebrities. This means that the role of influencers in brand endorsements and creating value is something to take note of. The ultimate goal of every business is to convert the target audience into actual customers, thereby generating revenue. With an engaging content and the right influencer, the business can achieve this goal. Brands can utilize this to impact buying choices and play the role of a catalyst for conversion rate. As indicated by a gen.video study, 33% of the respondents concurred that influencers are trusted more by them for shopping decisions. Hence, it is important to recognize the potential of influencer marketing, especially with the rising social media market.

Steps to create an effective influencer marketing strategy

Defining goals/targets

Be it any kind of marketing campaign, the first step is to set and define your targets. Defining the objectives in the beginning phases of planning will assist with molding a reliable procedure all through your mission, and it will likewise give you a thought regarding the measurements you should track and screen to gauge your results when the campaign ends. There are an array of objectives that you can consider while defining your plan further. It could be to generate lead, indulge in customer engagement, bring in sales, or build brand awareness. Thus, it is important to define the goals before moving forward with planning the campaign.

Selecting the type of marketing campaign

After defining what you want to achieve with the influencer marketing campaign, you now move forward with the strategy to achieve those goals. What kind of campaign is desirable as per your product and target? It could be sponsored content, wherein you pay the influencers to showcase your product. The other options include arranging for giveaways and contests, or perhaps giving the access of your social media accounts to the influencer for a specific period of time. You can also go for brand ambassadors if you wish to reach out to a larger audience through various mediums.

Defining your target audience

Now that you have chosen your preferred method of campaigning, it is essential to define who you are targeting. This should be done before selecting the influencer. This is because the type of influencer you go for will be based on the audience you wish to reach out to. Make a purchaser persona that incorporates both segment and psychographic division. When you know your crowd, it will be simpler to recognize the best influencers they follow and sites they use.

Scouting the suitable influencer

Looking for the right influencer for your campaign is a crucial step in achieving in your end target. There are several categories of influencers that have different set of audiences. These include but are not limited to;

• Social media celebrities
• Traditional celebrities
• Experts from the industry
• Bloggers
• Athletes
• Fashion influencers

Scouting for an influencer that is followed by your target audience is a challenging task, but fortunately, there are tools available to overcome this task. For example, you can use Alex’s Audience Overlap tool to find out about the sites that are overlapping with similar audiences. With this, you will be able to identify blogging sites that have similar set of audiences, in terms of characteristics. Other tools that you can use to find blogging specific influencers are BuzzSumo, Ninja Outreach or Izea.

Selecting the influencer

Qualifying the right influencer for the campaign depends on the kind of audience that follows that particular influencer and the authority and reach he/she possesses. You may determine the number of followers, their engagement and reach and the type of content that they create. If you are considering bloggers or websites, you may take note of their on-site metrics. This shall give you a clear idea of whether the influencer is suitable or not. To check the content, look out for its quality, the relevance according to the product or idea and also whether it is in sync with the organizational beliefs or not.

Gauge and analyze the performance

The work doesn’t end with finding the right influencer. You also need to track the progress with every content being posted either on social media or websites. Whether or not your specified goals are achieved can be measured by finding out specific data related to the goals. This involves;

• Sales metrics
• Lead generation data
• Website traffic, site visits, page visits
• Follows and likes along with regular engagement
• Data for retention of customers

Review the information for each of your influencer showcasing efforts so you can think back and consider what worked and what didn’t. Utilize the information to manage your next influencer promoting technique. Rehash your triumphs and stop endeavors that don’t create results.

I hope the article helps you to find the right influencer and strategy for your business. Do drop in comments to suggest more such topics. Until then, GO DIGITAL!