To understand influencers, you have to understand the growth and importance of social media first. In the past decade, we’ve seen a rapid increase in the adoption of social media platforms globally. And with that growth has come a new breed of online celebrities, known as influencers.
An influencer is somebody who has built up a large following on social media, and who is considered an expert in their field. Influencers can help you to reach a larger audience with your brand message, and they can have a big impact on your bottom line.
Studies have shown that influencer marketing is one of the most effective forms of marketing, In this article, we will explore the impact local influencers have on businesses, and how you can tap into this valuable resource.
What are local influencers?
Local influencers are people with a loyal following—usually between 1,000 to 10,000 followers—in a specific city, town, or region. They may have built up their following through years of hard work, or they may have become popular more recently. Either way, they have a lot of influence over their followers, and they can use this influence to promote your brand.
Local influencers have a huge impact on businesses in their area. They are seen as trusted experts by their followers, and they can help to promote your brand to a wider audience. The great thing about local influencer marketing is that it is very targeted. You can reach a large number of potential customers who are interested in your product or service.
What local influencers lack in reach, they make up for in engagement. Their followers are more likely to trust their recommendations, and they are more likely to take action as a result.
Why should you include local influencers in your global marketing strategy?
Human engagement
Brands no matter the size are still businesses. With the volume and sheer frequency of content on social media, how do you get people to notice your brand on a consistent basis? The best way to gain notice and receive the attention of people is through other people. Influencers possess a certain credibility and authority among their following, and their endorsements are generally taken seriously.
Simply speaking, people find it easier to believe and trust people that they know and can see, and the human engagement factor is crucial to even convince people to take a chance on your brand. This is invaluable for brands looking to expand their reach, especially the ones looking to have a global impact. It is inevitable for those brands to partner with local influencers when they are looking to break into new markets as it allows them to quickly get on the radar of people in that particular region.
Capitalizing on emotion:
When it comes to social media, people are more likely to engage with and remember content that provokes some sort of emotion. This could be anything from happiness and laughter to anger and sadness. The key is to find the right balance for your brand – you don’t want to be too negative or too positive, as people will quickly lose interest.
Across various social media platforms, there are millions of influencers who have people following them for various reasons, some of which might not even because of their content but because of their personality and the way they deliver their content. Brands can capitalize on this when deciding to partner with local influencers as these people have already built trust with their following.
According to a study, compared to ads, influencer marketing is seen to have 64% more emotionally intense and 182% more memorable response. Micro-influencers are especially good at creating these kinds of responses as
When looking for local influencers to partner with, it’s important to consider their reach, engagement, and audience demographics. Make sure that their target audience matches up with your brand’s target audience. You should also take a look at the type of content they produce and see if it’s a good fit for your brand.
What makes brands attractive to local influencers?
Local influencers spend a lot of time and effort building up their personal brand. Their field of influence is usually more niche and they have fewer followers than celebrities or macro-influencers. But, their followers are more likely to be interested in what they have to say and are more likely to take action as a result. However, they also want to work with brands that will help them to maintain their image and grow their audience.
Some of the reasons why working with brands is so attractive to influencers include:
Help them to reach a wider audience
When an influencer partners with a brand, they are able to tap into the brand’s audience as well as their own. This can help them to reach a much wider audience than they would be able to on their own.
Create content
Influencers who work with brands often have access to resources that they wouldn’t otherwise have. This can include things like professional photography and videography services, which can help them to create high-quality content.
Remuneration
Influencers who work with brands are often able to make money from their partnerships. This can be in the form of sponsorships, product placements, or affiliate commissions.
Build relationships:
Influencers who work with brands often have the opportunity to build relationships with other influencers and industry professionals. These relationships can be beneficial for both parties involved.
Access to new products and services
One of the benefits of working with brands is that influencers often have the opportunity to try new products and services before they are released to the public. This can be a great way for them to stay up-to-date on the latest trends.
Exposure to new industry trends
Influencers who work with brands are often exposed to new industry trends. This can help them to stay ahead of the curve and be one of the first to try new things. It can also help them to learn about new products and services that they may not have otherwise been aware of.
Building their personal brand
Working with brands can help influencers to build their personal brand. This is because they are often able to use the products and services that they are promoting in order to show off their own personal style. In addition, working with brands can also help influencers to get their name out there and to be seen as an expert in their field.
How to evaluate influencers for your brand?
Social media reach
Social media reach is one of the most important factors to consider when evaluating influencers for your brand. This is because the number of followers that an influencer has will determine how many people will see your brand’s message when it is shared by the influencer. Therefore, you should look for influencers who have a large social media following.
In addition to social media reach, you should also consider the engagement rate of the influencer. The engagement rate is the number of people who interact with the influencer’s posts divided by the number of followers that the influencer has. This metric will give you an idea of how influential the person is and how likely their followers are to see your brand’s message.
Finally, you should also consider the quality of the content that the influencer produces. You want to make sure that the influencer is producing high-quality content that is relevant to your brand. If the influencer’s content is not up to par, it will reflect poorly on your brand.
However, it is also true that bigger is not always better. There are plenty of micro-influencers out there who have a smaller number of followers but produce high-quality content. These influencers can be just as effective, if not more so, than bigger influencers.
Create a database of potential influencers
The first step in any influencer marketing campaign is to create a database of potential influencers. This database should include both big and small influencers who are relevant to your brand. There are certain criteria that you should use to create a comprehensive database. You can go ahead and narrow down your choices from there. Some of these criteria include:
- Name
- Niche
- Nature of target audience and following.
- Following size
- Social media channels
- Notable recommendations
- Strong points
- Weaknesses
- Observations: Additional factors like delivery, presentation, personality, existing endorsements, and competition.
- Contact Info
Brand alignment
After you have created your database, you should start reaching out to the influencers. You can do this by sending them an email or connecting with them on social media. Brand alignment is important when working with influencers. You want to make sure that their values align with your brand. This will help create a more authentic relationship and content.
When you are reaching out to an influencer, it is important to be clear about what you are looking for. You should also be transparent about your brand values. Influencers are more likely to work with you if they feel like they understand your brand.
It is also important to consider the influencer’s audience. You want to make sure that their audience is relevant to your brand. If the influencer has a large following of people who are not interested in your product, then it is not going to be a valuable partnership.
It is also important to research an influencer before you reach out to them. You should know their audience, their existing endorsements, and their competition. This will help you create a more targeted pitch.
Rates:
You should make sure that you are offering something of value to the influencer. This could be compensation, but it could also be something like exclusive content or early access to your product. Influencers are more likely to work with you if they feel like they are getting something out of the partnership.
When negotiating rates, it is important to keep the value of the partnership in mind. If you are offering something that is valuable to the influencer, you may be able to negotiate a lower rate. However, if you are not offering much in return, you will likely have to pay a higher rate.
It is also important to consider the influencer’s audience. If the influencer has a large and engaged following, they will be able to generate more leads and sales for you. However, they will also command a higher rate.
Platforms:
It is important that you narrow down what platforms that you want to visible and relevant. Your choice of influencer will be dependent on this. If you want to focus on Instagram, then you will need to find an influencer with a following on that specific platform.
Additionally, you should also consider what type of content performs well on each platform. For example, images perform well on Instagram but videos might be more effective on YouTube. Choose platforms that will allow you to share the type of content that you think will be the most effective.
Once you have chosen your platforms, it is time to start looking for influencers.
5 Hacks to Start a Conversation with an Influencer
Any influencer with a decent is constantly flooded with advertising requests, senseless offers, and spam. The first would obviously be to start researching the influencer and understanding their content, niche, and target audience. This will help you make sure that the influencer will a right fit for your brand. To get them to notice you, you have to stand out. Here are 5 easy hacks to start a conversation with an influencer:
Do instead of Ask
Influencers are constantly approached with job offers from businesses who want them to advertise something or do something for them. Unless you can overwhelm them with the remuneration, you have to be able to garner their attention instead. A good way to do this is to do them a favor. Here are a few ways you can do that:
- Sharing and commenting on their posts
- Endorse their skills on the platforms you are involved in.
- Find and report errors on their content.
Personalize your pitch
Influencers, just like anybody else, respond better when addressed personally. This means you have to take the time to understand and appreciate their work, then craft a pitch that is tailored to them. Make sure it emphasizes your appreciation for their work by mentioning any unique accomplishments they may have in their field of expertise.
Maybe even give them a high-quality article or post that they can then post on their relevant platforms. For example, if you’re a fashion accessories brand, send them photos of your newest products that they can share on their Instagram.
Engage with their content and be active
This is essential if you want to make a lasting impression on these key influencers. Follow their posts, comment often, and repost their content when appropriate. This will help show that you’re interested in their work, that you value their opinion, and showing your appreciation for them.
Some of them even respond to questions that you tag them in, so make sure to take advantage of this and ask questions that are relevant to your brand.
Conduct an expert interview
Invite your influencers to speak in an expert interview. Ask them some questions about their journey, insights into the industry, and their experience with working with brands. This will help you get to know them better as well as build a relationship with them while promoting your brand at the same time.
You can also use this interview as a way to gain some valuable insights from the influencer and position them as an expert in your field, thus increasing their credibility.
Transparent about remuneration
Make sure that your influencers are clear about what they will receive in return for their work and time. Transparency is key when it comes to working with influencers – be upfront about the remuneration you can offer them and make sure they understand any terms or conditions associated with the partnership. This will help ensure that both parties are on the same page and that your influencers are comfortable working with you.
Strategies for Working with Influencers to Build Links
When working with influencers to build links, it is important to create a clear strategy. This should start with identifying potential influencers for a given campaign or product, then outlining specific goals and objectives you want to achieve through the collaboration. One way to do this is through a personalized outreach campaign that outlines the specific benefits of working together and what you hope to achieve from the collaboration. This should also include an offer for compensation or incentives in exchange for their help in promoting your product or service.
- Narrowing down your list of influencers and identifying the type of social media influencers that you want to collaborate with can be done with the help of the 3 Rs: Relevance, Reach, and Resonance. These will help you determine which influencers are the best fit for the promotion of your product or service.
- Once you have identified the right influencers, established your objectives, and compiled a list it’s time to start building relationships with them. Finally, make sure to clearly outline the campaign timeline, expectations, and any other details that may be relevant.
- From your list, check their individual social media activity for their engagement rate – likes, comments, and shares – and precise follower segments that will allow your brand to appealing to potential customers. From there, reach out privately and personally to these influencers in order to create a mutually beneficial relationship. It’s also important to research an influencer’s history and their content strategies, as they might not be the best fit for your product or service.
- Measuring results is key to the success of any influencer marketing campaign, so track and analyze the performance in terms of ROI to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. In addition, ask influencers to provide hashtags or links that make it easy for followers to find out more about the product or service.
Tools to Find Influencers and Track Your Marketing Campaigns
HypeAuditor
This tool helps you to filter and identify influencers who are the best fit for your product or service. It also provides detailed analytics on an influencer’s activity, giving you an indication of their engagement levels with followers. For each influencer, HypeAuditor provides the following info:
- Current ranking
- Influencer’s Instagram handle
- Audience country, followers, and estimation of authentic engagement
- Main fields, topics, and posts of influence
BuzzSumo
BuzzSumo is a powerful influencer search tool that can help you find influencers for particular topics or industries. It allows you to filter the results based on criteria such as followers, engagement rate, and location. You can also track existing campaigns by monitoring content performance, analyzing industry trends, comparing competitors’ performance and discovering top-performing content ideas.
Followerwonk
Followerwonk is an influencer discovery tool that helps you identify and track the most influential people in your niche by analyzing their social media data (Mainly for Twitter). It provides detailed analytics information such as Twitter followers, influence score, account type (personal or brand), and more. You can also use Followerwonk to analyze and compare your followers against the competition, track changes in follower growth over time, find influencers based on their interests or location, and more.
Upfluence
Upfluence is an influencer marketing platform that helps brands find and collaborate with the right influencers to promote their products or services. It provides advanced search filters, such as topic of interest, follower count, location and more, to help you find the perfect fit for your campaigns. Upfluence also offers organic content discovery tools so you can find influencers who have already posted about your brand or industry. Additionally, you can use the platform to manage and track campaigns, analyze performance data, create content calendars and more.
Post for Rent
Post for Rent is an influencer marketing automation platform that allows you to quickly find and engage with the right influencers for your campaigns. The platform offers advanced search filters, such as topic of interest, follower count, location, engagement rate and more. It also provides content recommendations based on the topics relevant to your brand or industry.
Post for Rent also enables you to track and measure the performance of campaigns. It provides detailed insights such as impressions, reach, likes, shares and more. Additionally, it offers a content calendar feature which helps you manage your influencer campaigns in an organized manner. With its intuitive interface and powerful analytics tools, it is easy to leverage influencer marketing strategies
Conclusion
Influencers are the most effective way to promote your brand today. Through platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, influencers are able to reach millions of people around the world. Local influencers, in particular, are now becoming increasingly popular as companies look for more localized and niche audiences. As such, the use of influencer marketing platforms can help businesses maximize their ROI from these campaigns.
As a branding agency, Pixel Street is well-equipped to help you create a successful influencer marketing strategy. Our platform provides all the tools and analytics needed to effectively measure and monitor your campaigns, making it easy for businesses to leverage influencer marketing strategies.
