By Aditi December 7, 2022
A rapidly increasing number of brands have been incorporating influencer marketing into their growth strategies. And for good reason. Influencers, also known as content creators, are known for their authentic content and genuine opinions. This can translate to better engagement, performance, and conversion rates.
Collaborating with influencers can be highly rewarding, provided it is done right. As a brand,
Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Telegram are all popular social media platforms, but not all of them will be suitable for your brand. Before charting out your campaign, do a thorough research and figure out which platform(s) you want to use with which influencer. Not every influencer will have the same following across all platforms. First identify which platforms you want to use for your campaign. Then, find out which platforms your shortlisted influencers use and which ones they don’t. This should give you your ideal social media platforms.
‘Popular’ doesn’t always mean better. Instead of collaborating with a big influencer, consider someone who has a niche following, even if they don’t have the highest number of followers. Look for influencers who are genuinely interested in the industry your brand belongs to. Their follower list will most likely already have your target audience, and it is also more likely to bring you better reach and conversion rates.
It is important to learn the difference between popularity and influence. They are not the same. Likes, comments, and followers alone are not real indicators of an influencer’s ‘influencing’ potential, as they can easily be manipulated by bot accounts. You want to look for quality over quantity. Conversions, leads, and referral traffic, are good indicators of a content creator’s influence.
Before you sign a deal with your influencers, ask yourself these two questions:
Does your target audience belong to tier-1 or tier-2 cities?
Which language are they most comfortable speaking?
Not all audiences are fluent in English. Especially with the popularity of the Internet reaching the rural population, it would be wise to consider influencers and YouTubers who create vernacular or regional content. Identify your target audiences and their geographical area before you shortlist your influencers, and then proceed to look for influencers that match your criteria. This will make your communication more audience-specific and, hence, more effective.
Long-term collaborations generally have better ROI (returns on investment). Going long-term with influencers also helps strengthen brand image and recognition. It would become easy for audiences to associate the influencer to your brand. For instance, it is virtually impossible to think of a Cadbury ad and not think of Amitabh Bachchan. Or to think of a Thumbs Up ad without Akshay Kumar. Long-term partnerships with YouTubers can bring you better results at relatively lower costs.
Read More: 7 Things to Keep in Mind when Working with Influencers
