This is one I get asked ALL THE TIME.

Whether you love them or hate them, there is no question they have changed the game when it comes to social media marketing and the advertising industry.

I have had some really bad experiences with influencers, but I’m not lying when I say most of them have been really great experiences. When done right, influencer marketing can have a HUGE impact on your brand awareness and even your sales.

The world of influencer marketing is a fairly unregulated industry and it is constantly changing so my first piece of advice is to educate yourself on the market and ask other business owners who you see doing it well what their biggest learnings are.

In terms of finding the right ones? Well, most PR specialists have worked with their fair share – myself included. So, you’re already on the right path.

Here is what to consider when researching influencers for a campaign:

1. The platform
   • Where is your audience going to be hanging out? Is it Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or even Pinterest?
   • From there you can determine what platforms the influencer need to be prominent on and bonus points if they tick more than one platform box because they can cross-promote!
   • Their audience
   • Don’t be afraid to ask them for their backend audience analytics. This allows you to see what their audience demographics are and see if their audience fits your ideal target audience.  
   • For example, if you run a service-based business that services only NSW and your influencer’s analytics shows their audience is mostly in QLD… probably not the best fit!
2. Content Types
   • Not only understanding what sort of content your audience engages in the most on your owned channels but also what content types your influencer’s audience like, is going to be SUPER beneficial when it comes to the contracting stage.
   • If your audience loves Reels and their audience loves flat-lays perhaps you can work with the influencer by contracting them to post a flat-lay but give you the BTS of them creating the flat-lay for you to use in a Reel on your Instagram!
   • Understanding the objective and communicating it
   • If you know want you want to get out of your campaign, and are transparent about that from the beginning, everyone can work towards that goal. For example it could be follower acquisition, engagement, website traffic or even sales.
   • Knowing this means you and the influencer can work more collaboratively and make it happen!
3. Get examples!
   • I will always get my client’s examples of other campaigns the influencer has worked on and a mixture of stats across organic and sponsored content so they can see the full scope of that influencer and their look and feel.
   • The influencer will usually have a media kit they’d be happy to share if you ask nicely 😊
4. Know the Budget!
   • Influencer costs are determined by the influencer or their manager however they are usually happy to negotiate on costs especially if investing in a number of outputs or a larger partnership.
   • Understand the costs, what you’re willing to spend, what you have to sweeten the deal (for you on cost) i.e. products, respect their pricing and services and come to an agreement! Also, always look at your contracts or have a services agreement in place before payment is made!
5. Evaluate and network!
   • Relationships, relationships, relationships!
   • Maintain your relationship with the managers and the influencers. Doing so can help with your brand awareness, future connections with other influencers, impact your customer loyalty and even help you find your future brand ambassador!

If you want to learn more about influencer marketing or even dip your toe in (with support of course), contact Eve, the owner of eden communications, today via eve@edencommunications.com.au