How to Build an Effective Influencer Marketing Strategy

‍

A few years ago, if you were working in advertising or communications, you definitely heard about influencer marketing. Now, if you have a social media account at all then you not only know what influencer marketing is—you probably know an influencer. This booming area of our field is transforming how brands reach people in the digital age. Partnering with thought leaders, tastemakers, and creatives on social lets brands share their products in a way that feels genuine and authentic. In doing so, brands can increase awareness, build trust, and create a stronger connection with audiences. We all love getting a recommendation from a friend and that’s the kind of relatable endorsement influencer marketing can generate. 

‍

What is an Influencer Marketing Strategy

An influencer marketing strategy is a plan used by brands to collaborate with individuals who have a significant following and influence over a target audience. The goal is to leverage the influencer's reach and credibility to promote a product, service, or brand message. Here’s how we do it:

‍‍

Define Your Goals

‍

Identify Objectives (Campaign Goal)

What do you want to achieve in the here-and-now? Common goals include increasing brand awareness, generating leads, building a content library, or driving sales. The more specific the objective, the more detailed a strategy can be to guide your influencer selection and campaign planning.

‍

Align with Business Objectives (Bigger Picture Goal)

Your influencer marketing strategy should benefit and impact your overall business objectives. For example, if your broader goal is to expand into new markets, your influencer marketing campaign should target influencers who have a strong presence in those regions.

‍‍

Know Your Target Audience

‍

Audience Research

Get in the weeds! Understand your audience’s demographics, interests, and online behaviors. Tools like Google Analytics and social media insights can provide valuable data on your audience. And think about people who aren’t represented in your current consumer base—influencer marketing can present a great opportunity to reach new audiences.

‍

Influencer Fit

It’s crucial to choose influencers who align with your audience's preferences and values. Prioritize authenticity and relevance over sheer follower count and fame —this targeted approach will make your campaign a lot more effective. For example, a fitness brand targeting health-conscious millennials should collaborate with influencers committed to fitness and wellness. Influencer content can also be vetted through a brand’s owned perspective. Would this content make sense if it were posted on the brand’s social media? If so, you know you’re on the right track.

‍

Find the Right Influencers

‍

Types of Influencers

Each ‘type’ of influencer has their own set of benefits. Macro-influencers have large followings and can provide broad exposure, while micro-influencers have smaller but highly-engaged audiences. Nano-influencers, though the smallest in terms of reach, often have a highly loyal and niche following. Depending on your goals, you might choose to work with influencers of different sizes to maximize your campaign's impact. And remember: organic reach will only get you so far, so sometimes a niche audience with efficient pricing will have better ROI if you put paid support behind it.

‍

Influencer Discovery Tools

You’re not going to stumble upon every influencer that could provide value by scrolling your social feeds. Although native search (particularly on TikTok) is invaluable, you’ll want to supplement your search with more refined practices. A variety of tools and platforms offer comprehensive databases and analytics to help you discover influencers who match your criteria. These tools can streamline the process of finding influencers who align with your brand and campaign goals.

‍

Evaluation Criteria

Assess influencers based on engagement rates, content quality, and authenticity. Ensure their values align with your brand and that their audience is genuinely interested in your product. And keep in mind certain product sensitivities. So, if you’re working in the alcohol space, vetting for legal drinking age compliance is critical.

‍

Develop a Compelling Campaign

‍

Creative Brief

A well-crafted creative brief is essential for a successful influencer campaign. The brief should outline the campaign objectives, key messages, and deliverables. Providing clear guidelines will help influencers create content that aligns with your brand's voice and goals. For example, if your campaign's goal is to promote a new product launch, the brief should include details about the product, key selling points, and any specific messaging you want to convey. Campaign briefs can and should be tailored to individual influencers as well, providing thought starters and guidelines that help them lean into their platform strengths!

‍

Content Collaboration

Collaborating with influencers to ensure that the content aligns with both brand guidelines and the influencer’s style is crucial. Open communication and flexibility are key to achieving a balance between your brand’s messaging and the influencer's authentic voice. For example, if an influencer has a unique storytelling style, working together to incorporate your brand's message in a way that feels natural to their audience will result in better content.

‍

Campaign Types

There are various types of influencer campaigns, including product reviews, sponsored posts, and giveaways. Each type serves a different purpose and can be used to achieve specific goals. For instance, product reviews can provide detailed insights into your product's benefits, while giveaways can increase engagement and attract new followers. Choose the campaign type that best aligns with your objectives and resonates with your target audience.

‍

Talent Engagement

‍

Budget Planning

To determine a budget for your influencer marketing campaign you have to consider factors such as the influencer’s reach, engagement, and type of content. Brand-driven requests such as exclusivity, organic usage, and paid amplification terms will also play a large factor into where the pricing for a campaign will land. 

‍

Engaging Talent

When engaging talent (either informally or in a contracted capacity), there are various compensation models for influencer marketing, including flat fees, affiliate commissions and some campaigns which simply seek out earned content with no compensation included. The compensation model you choose should reflect the influencer's value and the scope of their involvement in your campaign, as well as brand goals and expectations. For example, if a brand would like to have approval rights over content, there should be an expectation of payment, whereas the opportunity to potentially see Stories frames posted is more in line with an earned campaign. Having a standard contract template in place with all your asks clearly laid out will help to streamline the overall process. And don’t forget to factor in talent negotiations when building out a campaign timeline!

‍

These steps build on one another to create an efficient and streamlined process that ensures your influencer marketing always benefits your brand’s bottom line. With these factors in mind, you should be feeling confident about your influencer campaign before the content goes live. 

‍

Looking for more expertise in the influencer space? Let’s talk. 

‍