In the past several years, influencers have become an important choice in a brand’s evolution. Just take a quick look on social media, scroll down your feed or browse through photos, you will see their influence everywhere. Which brings us to our main question:
Are influencers the good way of being seen fast?
Before we embark on a more analytical level, first of all, we have to establish what an influencer is. Some of them will define themselves as “content pioneers” or “an inspiration to others” but regardless of what definition you prefer, we can’t deny that an influencer is a person with the ability to influence potential consumers by promoting or recommending certain items on social media, blogs and vlogs. And they know it.
Here is what Romanian influencer Deea Codrea states about her position as content creator in social media:
I strongly believe that each and every one of us influences the people around us through the way we speak, how we carry ourselves, every gesture and every action. So, to me, being an influencer is someone who inspires others and has a great deal of responsibility in that respect.
In all truth, brands have used influencers for a very long time, even before they were called “influencers”. Brand Managers have discovered that using a celebrity to endorse or represent their brand image is a great method to provide value to the target audience. Moreover, since celebrities are well-liked and people have their eye on them all the time, it’s understandable how the image of a famous person can instill confidence in a certain product or service.
Take Porsche, for example; they have always worked with celebrities and Ellen DeGeneres is just one of them. Porsche identified potential in the TV show host’s likability and merged the two images together for better exposure and status. Similarly, Miranda Kerr was signed with Maybeline in 2004 to be the new face of the popular cosmetics and raise appeal to a cooler, younger audience.
Nowadays, social media offers the chance for everyone to become famous. A new breed of people has emerged and brands seized the opportunity at once. With over 100k followers, anyone can expect to convince a part of their followers to use a certain type of face cream or buy a new type of burger, for example.
So, what should a company keep in mind when choosing an influencer to represent them?
Anca Madalina, a popular beauty & fashion influencer believes it’s all about credibility and the way your message comes across to your followers. In an interview with AnyMedia, she states:
Message. Credibility. Audience. That’s right, you have the X Factor!
People are different and they have different needs. The same applies to brands. But not when it comes to conversion, haha!
If you want to choose the right influencer for a campaign, the brand needs to take into account his or her message, credibility and audience.
The message is the way in which you deliver your goal. Brands have to resonate with the way the influencer communicates, whether we’re talking about visual language, written or spoken. The influencer is the brand’s voice, capable of bringing more exposure or conversion, depending on the case.
Next, we have credibility and audience. It’s important you have the right audience for your message. As a beauty & fashion influencer myself, I can’t present a campaign about spark plugs. I can introduce you to the best lipstick on the market and you, my follower, you have to believe me. Credibility is built over time, step by step and it’s a lot more fragile than the three piglets’ house of straws; but once you have it, you can consider yourself lucky!
And that is why, apart from contracts and business, it’s important that both brands and content creators associate themselves only with the products and services they truly believe in.
With over 165k followers, digital creator and influencer Larisa Costea, feels the same:
The important thing is, both the brand and the influencer should have a common ground. The type of content you post should be focused on the brand’s target and have a superior quality from all points of view. Moreover, having an influencer that comes off as natural when presenting a product/service is a very important key point in establishing a possible collaboration.
In addition to what Anca and Larisa state, we’re giving you 3 more points companies should consider before signing up on their next collab.
A big following with a matching engagement rate
It’s well-known that many influencers activating on Instagram will buy their own followers and comments which leads to a high following with low authentic engagement. Other influencers will have high numbers in followers but little to none engagement. That means followers no longer interact with the influencer’s content and as a result, have no interest in what the influencer might promote.
In this case, a company should analyze the influencer from all points of view and make sure that the content he or she posts is still relevant to the audience.
Otherwise, they will have a low ROI and their social media goals will remain unfulfilled.
Choose a niche influencer
I’m sure you’ve heard the term “niche” all over the internet and here’s why it has been generating so much buzz: a niche encompasses a common interest and using a niche influencer will speak directly only to the audience you need. It’s important to identify your target customers and advertise to them for better results.
Take, for instance, a company that specializes in decorations or home products. Your best course of action is to choose an influencer that has content related to houses or interior design and collaborate with them. Their audience is already interested in decorations and they trust your influencer. There is a higher chance they will choose your brand next time they go shopping than by seeing this type of content advertised by a car influencer, for instance.
Keep an eye on creative content
It’s an influencer’s job to be creative, stay on top of trends or better yet, start them. If you search for a creative influencer, you might benefit from their imagination and have original content designed especially for your brand. What this does is, it sets your products or services apart and catches consumer attention effectively.
Influencers are already in tune with what people need and they understand their audience on a more personal level which leads to content that is sincere and shareable.
Taking everything into account, we have to admit that collaborating with an influencer has great perks. They are relatable and they aid your brand strategy, especially if you’re just starting out as a brand and you need immediate exposure. Just keep our three tips into account and you’re ready to embark on a social media mission that is just a bit easier to accomplish.
