Getting The Most out of Influencer Marketing Campaigns

Influencer marketing continues to grow in popularity as its effectiveness is proven, time and time again. The number of personalities working as influencers continues to increase, offering smart marketers real-life and real-time examples of what to do and what not to do when attempting to employ influencers in marketing campaigns.

Here are some of the best practices marketers and brand managers should use to get the most out of their influencer marketing campaigns.

Consider Clout, Not Just Numbers

The key to success with most influencers is finding the right niche. Going off the number of followers or scope of influence alone does not necessarily guarantee results. The most important metric for influencers is, indeed, influence. How well and how often do they cause their fans to make buying decisions or to choose one brand or product over another? How much trust has been cultivated between the fan and influencer, and how eager are those followers to emulate that influencer?

Consider, if you have two influencers, one with an audience of 10,000 committed fans, and one with an audience of 100,000 casual followers, who has the most influence? The answer to that question is really in the question: “how many move when the influencer suggests?”

Choose an Influencer Who Represents the Vision

Brands are not just promoting their products, they are promoting the experience that goes with their products. If an influencer lives and acts in a way that lessens that experience or tarnishes that vision, they can create a net loss for the brand, even if some of their fans end up buying. Influencers are most effective when they are living the lifestyle represented by the brand, when their shared content paints a complementary picture of a life including what matters to the owners and users of that brand.

Create a Collaborative Plan

Brands that just hire an influencer and turn them loose can see their good intentions implode all around them. Influencer campaigns work best when the influencer works with the brand to create a campaign that works for both the brand and the influencer. That way, each person understands their role and responsibility, and the influencer is working from a script with built-in brand protections.

Offer Easily Shareable Value

Brands that give influencers something to share with their audience, that the audience can then easily promote on their accounts, create an exponentially-spreading web of positive responses to their brand or product. It’s a simple, easy step that’s so obvious some brand managers just miss it. Don’t just depend on the influencer to spread the story, give their fans something to say, to do, and to interact with.

While following these guidelines cannot guarantee success, this template offers a strong beginning to a successful influencer marketing effort.