Influencers: The Missing Piece to your Marketing Plan

Leave your biases at the door and erase everything you think you know about influencer marketing. Influencers are changing the way marketing is conducted. Sometimes, the best way to reach your target customer base, is through someone who already has them as followers on social media. Influencers range in audience size from Mega-Influencers (over 1 million followers) all the way down to Nano-Influencers (under 10,000 followers), but they all serve a purpose – reaching audiences who relate to them and trust them. By partnering with an influencer, you’re allowing your brand to be marketed in an authentic way through someone else’s voice.

What are the benefits of working with an influencer?

Brand awareness, credibility, and authenticity are just a few of the benefits. When partnering with an influencer, you’re ensuring that your brand will be getting new eyes on it from someone who has made a career of creating partnered content and built a following of people who trust them. Brand awareness and endorsement may also be delivered in a way that you haven’t thought of before. Whether it’s an unboxing of your product, a before and after, or a tour of your store/facility, an influencer adds a sense of relatability and external credibility to your brand.

Aren’t influencers expensive to work with?

Budget doesn’t have to be a barrier! Influencers with a larger following tend to have rates already established that may be out of your budget range, but influencers with a smaller following tend to have lower rates and may be open to trades or in-kind payments. While larger influencers guarantee more eyes on your product or service, depending on the audience you need to reach, a smaller influencer might have the niche audience that you’re looking for.

How do I know which influencer is right for my brand?

When considering an influencer, in addition to their audience size, consider their public persona, voice, and style. Are they someone you want associated with your brand? Check out how their videos or images have performed for similar products in your space. Notice what other brands they represent. Are those conflicts or complementary? Reach out to multiple influencers to gather rates and move forward with the one that you think fits your brand the best. Here’s an example of a brand finding the perfect partnership with an influencer. Gymshark, a popular British-based fitness apparel brand focused on creating the tools that help everyone become their personal best, partnered with Ethan Payne, also known as Behzinga, from one of YouTube’s most popular British groups, the Sidemen. Why was this the perfect partnership? Many of Behzinga’s followers are teenage and older individuals who look up to him. He went through a transformation where he lost 110 pounds and made the ideal sponsored athlete for Gymshark’s fitness brand. While this is just an example focusing on two major players in their industry, this shows how there is an influencer out there who will nicely personify your brand while exposing it to the exact audiences you covet. For more examples of influencer and business campaigns, check out this article from Sprout Social.

What makes you an expert on influencers?

At S&A Communications, we understand influencer marketing. Throughout our 40 years in business, we’ve developed relationships with influencers of all levels. We recommend influencers who align with our clients’ brands and can help reach the coveted audience to drive sales.

Every business, big or small, can benefit from a partnership with an influencer. Influencers help expose your brand to new audiences by someone they trust. The ability to reach a niche audience you’re targeting with a new form of authentic content is well worth the investment. Do your due diligence in researching influencers who fit your brand and budget, and don’t be afraid to lean into this effective form of marketing.

Let’s see if an influencer campaign is right for your business. Email me at dbhardwaj@sacommunications.com.