By Meenakshi December 7, 2022
So, you’ve decided to take the plunge and collaborate with influencers. Kudos! Now comes the more important part: shortlisting influencers, contacting them, interacting with them, and finally, establishing a genuine relationship, not just a collaboration, with them. Sounds like a lot? Well, we’re here to help you make sure it isn’t.
The most important step, one that will dictate the outcome of your collaboration, is to find the right influencer. With the number of influencers dominating the digital space today, it can be challenging to find one that works for your brand. Having a lot of followers isn’t always the best indicator of success rate. Generally, micro-influencers (5k-100k followers) have been observed to have a better engagement rate.
In addition to that, it is also important that the vision and ethos of your influencer match those of your brand. Consider them as an extended marketing team, and if it feels right, you have already crossed the first barrier.
One of the first things to decide when considering influencer marketing is whether to contact them directly or go through an influencer marketing agency. Some brands may consider outsourcing this to an agency, but if you want to be more hands-on, you can consider doing it yourself, maybe with the help of an in-house marketing team. Thanks to Fancall, there is a simple way for you to contact YouTube influencers without the endless waiting period and delays in communication. Fancall lets you connect with YouTube influencers directly via video calls. This translates to efficient, quick, and clear-cut communication.
Now, it’s time to see just how good your shortlisted influencers are at ‘influencing’ their audience. Yes, it’s about more than just followers and likes (remember, they can be paid numbers). Don’t be taken in solely by the number of comments. Check for bot comments – for example, if someone comments the same text or link repeatedly, it’s likely a bot account.
If an influencer has a blog, a good sign is a Domain Authority (DA) number around 30.
Remember, not every influencer will have the same number of followers across all platforms. So, it’s important to decide which channels you’re going to use before you decide to collaborate with your influencer. Instagram is a great choice for influencer marketing, but it depends on your consumers and the platform they use most. Besides Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest also seem to work for several brands.
Before you start building a campaign, identify what you are expecting from your collaboration. Do you wish to improve brand awareness or increase sales? Each goal will have a different approach. Define your goals before you select your influencers to maximize your success rate.
It is no secret that influencer marketing can make or break a brand. Which is why influencers are often the recipients of a volley of presents or offers from all kinds of brands – big as well as small. Remember, brands that pay are often brands that can play. If you decide to send your product(s) as a gift, the influencer isn’t obligated to promote them.
It is a good idea to take some time and effort to establish a genuine long-term relationship with your influencers – essentially, to build a community providing mutual support. The genuineness of your relationship is often reflected in your campaign.
Done with the campaign? Your work isn’t over yet. It’s now time to run the numbers and find out what, and who, is working for you and what isn’t. The most successful influencer marketing campaigns are those that are planned thoroughly and well in advance. Do your homework and go the extra mile. The result will be worth it.
