How do we choose what influencers you work with

Influencer marketing has continued to be the next best thing when it comes to the marketing world. Gone are the days of buying out advertisement spaces in different places being the most efficient way to market. Instead, influencer marketing has taken the world by storm and has proven to be one of the most effective marketing strategies in the digital age.

This kind of marketing is using people, who are known as influencers, to advertise and market a specific brand to their audience. These influencers are defined by their following as well as the niche that their following has curated. Influencers work to create an audience in their niche by connecting to them on a deeper level than just someone that is seen on a screen.

A lot of times, influencers will make it a point of emphasis to make sure they are involved with their communities. That can mean several things from doing giveaways on their page to responding to comments and direct messages that people send to them and everything in between. They also do not have to have as many followers or subscribers as many people think. As long as the influencer has gained a following of around 1,000 followers or so, they can be defined as an influencer. The important part of being an influencer is not the follower count, but instead, it is more about the niche following that they have cultivated.

When choosing an influencer to work on a specific campaign, there are a few steps that we go through to make sure that not only it will be someone who will fit the niche of the brand to make sure the campaign is successful but also find someone who will excel with the brand and bring it to new heights.

Consult with and develop an influencer strategy

When starting any kind of project, there has to be a plan. In this plan, we will make sure that the influencer that has been chosen in your campaign can both fit the goal of what needs to be accomplished as well as make sure they will be able to fill the niche that the brand is going for. Placing someone in this influencer role that does not have somewhat of a connection with the brand can lead to less success, so we work hard to make sure this does not happen.

Once the influencer is chosen, a strategy will then be cultivated for the influencer. This includes what they will be doing or showing off as well as how long the campaign will be. The influencer will then be given these tasks and start working on the campaign with their following.

Coordinate the tactical portion(s) of the campaign

Once the plan and strategy have been laid out, it is time to set the official goal and steps to get there. Each campaign is planned out with milestones and steps that are meant to be achieved during the entirety of it. This may include just one step of promoting and showing off merchandise for a brand for a short amount of time. Or it could mean a much longer campaign and plan that involves multiple steps to get to the final goal. Each campaign is different from the last.

This also helps when it comes to seeing the progress of the campaign. If you can estimate and see where the campaign should be compared to what is happening in real-time, it will help make sure that everything is on schedule and does not have to change.

Help guide the creative process

When the influencer is given their assignment for what has to be done, they are given the majority of control in the creative process. There will have to be some guidelines put into place at the beginning to make sure they know what to do and how to go about it in part with the brand’s plans going forward. After these guidelines have been put into place, it is now the influencer’s control to go about showing off what they have to or doing the task they have been assigned.

Their content will now typically be based around these products and brands which helps build brand awareness. They will make their content appeal to their audience and their niche while also following the guidelines that have been put into place by the brand. The step is mostly controlled by the influencer since they are the one doing the content but of course, the brand can guide the influencer in how they want their brand shown off.

Report on the campaign and provide key learnings

One of the best things about influencer marketing over traditional advertisements is that it is much easier to see the progress that is being made. Because numbers such as likes, follows and shares can easily be tracked with the influencer's account, brands can see how much growth has been made in the time the influencer started promoting the brand. Links that are attached to the account of the influencer can also be tracked in how many times it has been clicked on and by who.

Once this information is determined in the specific stages of the influencers campaign, it can be determined what needs to be done if anything depending on the progress that has been made. These numbers are important in case something drastic needs to change or on the other side of things if a campaign is going faster/ better than expected.