Between micro-influencers, social media influencers and celebrities, it’s tough to choose who you want to represent your brand. Some people look at follower count; others look at clout. And some simply don’t know where to start. 36% of marketers say the biggest challenge of influencer marketing is finding influencers to participate. If you’re struggling with this, you’re not alone. Here’s a step-by-step guide to picking the right influencers for your marketing campaign.
1. Research
Chances are, you’re not lucky enough to have an influencer land on your doorstep. Most marketers spend a good chunk of time researching influencers of all kinds. This is the step where you get the lay of the land — figure out who’s representing what brands, which target audience is the right one and who seems to be an expert in your field.
2. Decide on the type of influencer
As you know, there are lots of different types of influencers. Celebrities are mega-influencers. They almost always have at least 1 million followers — usually even more. This usually comes down to cost and time. These influencers have lots of people reaching out, and they’re much more lucrative than an influencer who is new to the scene. If you’re willing to pay the price, it may be worth it.
We also have macro-influencers and middle-influencers, both of which fall into your typical influencer category. They’re much more established than micro-influencers, and their rates will impact that. But you can rest easy knowing it won’t break the bank like a celebrity.
Micro-influencers are on the rise. They can have as little as 1,000 followers or as many as 100,000. The perk is that you’ll usually get more time out of these influencers, and the price is much lower than that of a macro-influencer or celebrity.
It’s a lot to think about, right? That’s why it’s important you have an overarching strategy for your influencer marketing efforts.
3. Check out their followers
You can tell a lot about an influencer by their followers and their interactions with their followers. If their followers are engaged and they fall into a specific target audience, you can easily see if this influencer may be a good fit for your brand. For example, if the majority of an influencer’s followers are interested in fashion and your brand deals with financial advice, you may not see a great fit here.
4. Compensation
Money matters — we get that. That’s why compensation plays a role in your decision to pick an influencer. Our advice is to be upfront from the getgo. Tell them your budget, ask them questions about their offerings and have the money talk (even when you don’t want to). There are so many influencers out there that you can rest easy knowing there’s a fit somewhere. If compensation doesn’t come into the picture early, you may be sticker-shocked right before you seal the deal. No one wants that!
Picking the right influencer for your brand is almost like picking a logo or a font type. It’s something that will represent your brand in a variety of ways, so it’s a fair assumption that you’ll spend a good chunk of time evaluating your options. At the same time, don’t forget to have some fun with it. These influencers will impact your business in many ways — have fun and trust your gut!