Influencer Marketing 101: Big Things to Keep in Mind Before Reaching out to Influencers

It’s 2023 and influencer marketing is still making a huge impact on the way brands navigate their social media strategy. It’s proven itself to be one of the most effective ways to successfully get your brand/business out there and reach potential consumers! Here are some important things to keep in mind before you reach out to influencers.

Who do you want to reach?

It may seem like the more people you recruit the better, but trust me, it’s crucial to niche down! For example, if you're selling fitness products such as weights, bands, etc. you’ll want to reach out to influencers strictly in the fitness space. Doing this can ensure that you’re reaching their followers that will most likely be your target audience. If their followers are following the influencer for fitness tips and advice, they’ll typically be interested in the products they recommend.

Know your budget.

If you don’t go in with at least guidelines for your budget, it’ll be hard to determine who to work with. The majority of the time, influencers will give their own rates depending on their engagement, follower count, etc. This is where it’s helpful to have a budget so that you’re able to negotiate with the influencer if needed. It will also help you in your search for who to work with. You’ll start to get familiar with what influencers are typically charging and if you need to stick within a certain range. A great place to start is to stick with a monthly budget. Set aside a certain amount that you’re free to spend each month on influencer marketing. If your budget is on the lower side, you’ll want to stick with micro-influencers since their prices are typically lower. This will help you niche down your search so that it doesn’t feel so intimidating.

Be clear about your expectations.

Think about what your ultimate goal is for the partnership and make sure you clarify that in your agreement with the influencer. What is the reasoning behind why you’re working with the influencer? A lot of times if you’re selling a product, your goal is for the influencer to use that product on their social media to then get their followers interested! This is perfect if your goal is to increase brand awareness. If your goal is to increase website traffic/link clicks you need to be very specific and clear in your pitch to the influencers. If you want to lead people to your website, be sure to have the influencer make that a priority when they post (ex: give a discount link for their followers to use, tell them to add a CTA in the caption leading to the website). So make sure to clarify in your pitch to the influencer the deliverables and what your exact expectations are.

Do you want to keep a lasting relationship with the influencers you work with?

It’s important to note that with any influencer you work with, it’s important to build a relationship with them even if you only plan on only working with them once. By building a relationship, I mean following them on social media, engaging with all of their content, letting them know how great their work is, etc. That way, the influencer feels appreciated and excited to work with you in the future! If you plan on working with the influencer for an extended period of time, it’s super important that the fact that they’re being paid isn’t the only reason they continue to work with you. They should want to work with you because they think your brand/business is awesome and fun to work with. That’s why it’s important to nurture your relationship and build that trust behind your brand!

Implementing influencer marketing is an exciting step to take. Try out these tips and your influencer marketing will soar!

Time to start connecting!