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Social media influencers have emerged as an increasingly vital way for brands to improve their online presence and increase sales.
What was once a niche communication and marketing strategy is now viewed as an increasingly essential pillar.
And the influencer marketing industry is now believed to have grown to more than £17 billion.
The role of influencers is something we are increasingly asked about during our social media training courses.
So, we thought we would share some of our insight on how to find and select the right influencers and how you can make the most of their potential.
The impact of social media influencers
When people think of a ‘social media influencer,’ the image that often comes to mind is a well-known social media or TV celebrity.
But these influencers represent a small proportion of those available to brands.
Hundreds of thousands of influencers are trusted voices within their niches and communities.
An endorsement from the right influencer can bring authenticity and relatability to your brand, helping it stand out in today’s digital landscape where it can be hard to obtain visibility.
The key is to find an influencer who is trusted in their community and is a good fit for your brand values.
How to find and select the right influencer
Selecting the right influencer is vital for the success of your marketing efforts. Here are some of the crucial steps we advise our social media training and PR clients to follow:
- Understand your brand’s needs: Clearly define what you aim to achieve with an influencer partnership.
- Research potential influencers: Use platforms like Brandbassador for a curated selection of potential influencers.
- Use specialised agencies: Consider agencies like Find Your Influencer for expertise in finding and managing influencers. Agencies can also help you create and manage influencer campaigns if required.
- Search social media networks: Use keywords related to your brand to find potential influencers, then assess their engagement rates, content relevance, and authenticity.
- Consider audience demographics: The influencer’s audience should reflect your target market.
- Align with your brand values: Ensure the influencer’s values resonate with your brand.
- Check for past collaborations: Look for evidence of previous brand partnerships on the influencer’s social media accounts. Successful past collaborations can indicate reliability and effectiveness.
- Engage in direct communication: Whether using a platform, an agency, or finding an influencer directly, it’s important to communicate your requirements clearly, setting the stage for a successful collaboration.
Fostering a mutually beneficial business relationship
The relationship between a brand and an influencer is pivotal.
It's not just a business transaction; it's a partnership based on trust, mutual respect, and shared goals.
The two vital elements are managing expectations and communication. Both parties should have a clear understanding of the campaign goals, whether it's increasing brand awareness, driving sales, or engaging with a new audience.
Regular communication throughout the campaign or longer-term relationship is essential.
This includes discussing ideas for content, timelines, and reporting. While it’s important to have a clear understanding of when content will be posted and reports provided, it’s vital to allow the influencer creative freedom.
A brand should trust the influencer’s expertise and allow them to create authentic content that will resonate with their followers while aligning with the brand’s message.
Let’s take a look at this in action.
Earthing Revolution and Nicky Alan, Psychic Medium
Earthing Revolution’s collaboration with Nicky Alan, a psychic medium, exemplifies the effectiveness of a well-suited influencer partnership.
Nicky used YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to promote the company’s grounding products, focusing on their ability to reduce pain.
Launched on 20 November 2023, the campaign resulted in impressive social engagement statistics, particularly on YouTube, with one video achieving more than 6,000 views, 700 likes, and 140 comments.
More importantly, Nicky’s efforts resulted in 155 orders worth £20,000, with over £7,000 of orders placed within 24 hours of launch.
We can attribute the campaign’s success to several factors:
- Resonating with Nicky’s audience
- Authentic presentation relating to Nicky’s personal experience
- A clear value proposition of pain reduction
- Strong calls to action, including website screenshots and links
- A discount offer, using a code for trackable sales and an incentive of 15 per cent off
West Midland Safari Park’s influencer campaign
The campaign from WPR aimed to drive positive awareness of West Midland Safari Park by focusing on its core family audience.
It involved two main strategies: delivering content creator reviews for day visits and securing high-profile influencer and celebrity visits to the park’s premium safari lodges for an immersive overnight wildlife experience.
In the first six months, there were 45 influencer day visits, where influencers visited the park and shared their experiences on social media, generating 215 pieces of media coverage.
Celebrity visits included TV personalities like Jac Jossa, Jennifer Metcalfe, Kelvin Fletcher, Louise Thompson, and music stars Becky Hill and George Shelley.
The social media impact was significant, with an average engagement rate of 5.47 per cent. Notably, Jac Jossa’s posts led to a 127 per cent uplift in profile visits to West Midland Safari Park’s Instagram Profile, attracting more than 11,000 new visitors and 2,000 new followers in just 24 hours.
Several factors contributed to the success:
- A vetting process to assess influencer suitability based on follower size, engagement rate, audience profile, and content type.
- A proactive outreach program targeting celebrity and high-profile influencers for safari lodges visits, using similar benchmarking criteria.
- Gifted tickets to influencers, who were given creative freedom for their reviews on social media channels.
- The target audience of the influencers matched the visitors West Midland Safari Park was looking to attract.
Using influencer marketing as part of your marketing strategy
Influencers can add immense value to your marketing efforts when there’s unity between their style and your brand's essence.
By selecting the right influencers, and cultivating strong partnerships, businesses can amplify their message and achieve their marketing objectives.
You can hire an influencer for a one-off campaign.
But building a long-term relationship can lead to ongoing benefits for both parties.
It allows for a deeper understanding and stronger alignment of brand and influencer values.
Longer-term partnerships can evolve with the brand and influencer, adapting to changes in the market and audience preferences.
Overall, incorporating influencers into your social media strategy can significantly boost your brand's reach, engagement, and sales.
It’s all about finding the right influencer, with the right message, for the right audience.
Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
Click here to find out more about our social media training courses.
