4 Key Considerations Before Jumping On the Social Media Influencer Bandwagon

Social media influencers. They’re all the rage. People want to become them and advertisers want to engage them. 

As social media has continued to flourish and become a mainstay in the daily lives of everyone from teens to older adults, influencer marketing has continued to become more accessible and in demand by marketers. 

Social media influencer marketing is the ability to utilize a social media persona to endorse or promote your business, product, or service to their captive and engaged social media followers.  

It allows advertisers the unique ability to have control over the messaging around their product or service, while also capitalizing on the elusive value of “word of mouth.” Social media influencers have earned the trust of their followers and in many cases, are asked by their followers to share their favorite products and brands. Finding the right social media influencer partner and crafting an authentic partnership can deliver very successful campaign outcomes if done well. 

Is social media influencer marketing just for big brands? 

No. Any brand, no matter how big or small, can engage social media influencers to endorse or promote their products or services. The key is to find the right social media persona to align with your brand and reach your target audience. 

So, how do you get started? 

Getting started with a social media influencer campaign of your own can be daunting. Here are 4 key considerations to keep in mind as get started with a social media influencer campaign of your own. 

1. Set clear goals and objectives. 

Setting clear goals and objectives at the forefront of your social media influencer campaign is essential. The goals of your campaign should drive your entire social media influencer strategy from influencer partner selection all the way through to activation and measuring success of the partnership. 

2. Research influencer options carefully. 

Finding and identifying the right influencer partners for your campaign is one of the most important and likely time-consuming aspects of a well-thought-out strategy. 

There are several paid and free influencer search platforms out there that can support your search efforts and help you more easily identify high-potential social media influencer partners. 

In addition to these tools, searching relevant hashtags across platforms can be a helpful way to identify potential partners on a more granular level, especially if your product or service is focused on reaching a very specific segment or target audience. For example, if you’re looking to promote a plant-based food product, a quick social media search of #PlantBased shows there are 36.5m posts on Instagram and 1.8B video views on TikTok with content that uses that hashtag. From there, you can view the top social media users and accounts that use these hashtags as well. 

Top criteria to consider when researching social media influencer partners include: 

Persona

Will the influencer’s social media personality identify with the target audience you are trying to reach or the product or service you are looking to promote? 

Geographic Focus

Does the influencer reach or are they known to those in your target geographic area? Are they locally focused or do they have a broader social media following that extends nationally or even internationally? 

It’s important to note that with social media influencer campaigns that are organic in nature, there is no way to be 100% sure you’re only reaching the geographic area you’re focusing on. There is always the potential you could be reaching individuals/followers who may reside in other geographic locations. 

Social Media Channels

Some influencers may have large followings on Facebook, but not on Instagram. Others may be big on TikTok and not Facebook. While it’s great to have a mix of social channels as part of an influencer campaign, you should be sure the social channels represented align with where your target audience spends their time. If you partner with an influencer who is on TikTok but none of your target audience uses that platform, then that may not be an ideal fit. 

Reach, Followers, and Social Engagement

Social media influencer partners you consider should have a growing or already established social media follower base.  

Social media engagement is another key metric to consider, which includes likes, comments, shares, and views on social media content. Strong engagement on content can be more valuable than followers alone. That’s because it indicates that the influencer’s social community is paying attention and interested in the influencer’s content – and is maybe even seeking it out. 

Content Type and Tone

It’s important to consider the type of content the influencer typically posts. Does your brand, product, or service align with the content their followers would expect to see on their channel? You want to ensure the social media influencer generally aligns with your brand and doesn’t have historical content that could weigh negatively on a brand relationship. 

3. Have a plan. Be clear about what you want from the social media influencer partnership. 

• Create an influencer brief that has clear brand talking points and a direct ask for the influencer partner. 
• Negotiate partnership details and pricing upfront. Ensure your agreement outlines the details of the final engagement, including content to be produced, timeframe for execution, and negotiated costs and payment terms. 
• Consider a special offer or discount code to drive brand engagement. 
• Integrate the use of campaign hashtags or dedicated landing pages to support tracking and monitoring of campaign success.

4. Establish a realistic budget. 

There really isn’t a standard for influencer pricing. Influencer costs can range broadly and are typically based on the individual influencer, the volume and engagement of their social media followers (more followers equals higher potential reach, and likely higher cost), and the type of social media content you’d like them to create. 

Each influencer partnership should be assessed on an individual basis, taking into account the goals and objectives of your campaign, your budget, and the potential reach and value the partnership will deliver as part of your campaign. 

While getting a paid social media influencer effort off the ground can take time and patience, if you set clear goals, start small, and measure success along the way, it can be a strong and effective component of your social media strategy.