influencers fit every campaign. Part of the allure of influencers is the individual, personal perspectives they provide. Here are four questions to consider when choosing influencer partners:
1) What are your
goals from this influencer partnership?
Before beginning the search for an influencer partner, it is
important to set up clear goals for your program. First, understand what you are
hoping this partnership will do for your brand. This may include generating brand
awareness or growing product sales.
Once you have your overall program goals, it also is
important to determine how you will measure success by establishing key
performance indicators (KPIs). Website clicks, social media engagements and
overall impressions are valuable metrics to consider. Depending on the program,
it may be best to include multiple types of analytics.
When crafting your program, it is important to be aware of
the reach of each influencer. Large impressions are helpful toward your KPIs,
however it is also important to consider the number of social media followers
and typical engagements on blog posts and social content. When analyzing the
influencer’s content as a whole, it may be best to choose those with smaller,
however more active and engaged following, to reach your program goals.
2) Does the
influencer fit for your audience?
Now that program goals are finalized, understanding your
target audience is important when choosing an influencer. Start with your
target audience – perhaps millennial females who cook – and work backward. If
you are entering a new geographic market, then promoting your brand with
influencers in the area will be important.
To help your program succeed, influencers should represent a
similar look and feel as your brand to best fit your target audience. Many
influencers consider themselves in the lifestyle category, however when reading
their content, does it match the personality your brand wants to portray? Finding
a blogger who meshes with your brand, such as a outdoor photography blogger for
a camera company, is a natural fit – and will make great content for the brand
and the influencer.
3) Is the topic ultimately
a good fit for the influencer?
You may find some influencers who provide high-quality
content, however understanding the typical content they cover is central for a
successful campaign. Your campaign should be something the influencer might
actually write about – not just content published and quickly forgotten. For
instance, a food blogger may be health conscious and talk about making healthy
choices. But as a meal-oriented site, it may not be a good fit for a disease awareness
post unless it has a clear tie to food such as diabetes or celiac disease.
Competitor coverage is also important to consider. A quick
search can determine if the influencer has covered one in the past, but it is
also worth asking about. For example, Ford would not want a blogger who recently
posted about Dodge to then share why they love Ford vehicles a month later.
The ultimate goal in a partnership is to make the content
feel as authentic as possible to the reader – and for the influencer. Finding
an individual who is an avid supporter for your brand or product, and wants to
share that with their network, is priceless.
4) Are the
expectations from the partnership clear for both you and the influencer?
After confirming the influencer is a fit and you begin
negotiation, it is crucial to be as clear as possible about what you expect
from the partnership. Outlining expectations down to the number of blog and
social posts, specific messaging and hashtags or links to use ensures that what
they create will be in line with your campaign. Providing a deadline will keep
the influencer on a schedule, and have you both on a timeframe to be
accountable for providing materials.
By securing these details through a contract, both parties will
be happy with the results. A positive experience with you and the brand can
lead to the ultimate goal of creating an ongoing brand advocate. Managing
minute details in the beginning can help build lasting relationships for you
and your client.
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