How to choose the right influencers?

Influencer marketing remains to be a force to reckon with. Engaging influencers give businesses the unique opportunity to tap into a vast network of potential clients and customers. 

Recent marketing studies show that influencers have continued to be a significant source of revenue for many businesses. Some statistics show that product mentions by select influencers have more sway as compared to traditional advertisements. The difference? Authenticity and relatability. Coming across as “ordinary” people, influencers can easily be a brother, a sister, or a friend. This, in turn, makes it easier for businesses to establish relationships with their customers via the power of influencer marketing.

So what is influencer marketing exactly? It is engaging influencers – those with a dedicated social following. From dancing to lip-synching to makeup tutorials, influencers are considered experts within their niche. Their views on social media platforms can range from the thousands to the millions. One TikTok influencer has over 90M followers. Isn’t that amazing? Influencer marketing exerts itself through endorsements and product mentions by these social media royals.

It is moot and academic to say the influencer marketing works because it truly does. That’s why the better question is – how do you choose the right influencers for your brand? Here are some points to ponder:

Data. Data. Data. The devil is, indeed, in the details. It doesn’t mean that just because an influencer has an insane number of followers, he/she will be the perfect fit for your brand. Good thing social media platforms recognise this. They have back-end data that will help you make an objective decision on whether to engage the services of this influencer or not. This data will tell the complete story – the influencer’s reach, engagement, the age range of his/her followers, niche, and so on. Knowing these metrics is already winning half the battle.

Vox Populi. This Latin phrase translates to the voice of the people. How does the public view this influencer? Is that image the right fit for your brand? Remember, it’s not the influencer – it’s his or her followers that you are trying to reach. Being in tune with the netizens’ pulse is necessary to choose the right influencer to represent your business.

Skillset. At this point, anyone can be an influencer. That’s why it’s essential that you look into whether the influencer’s skill set matches what you need them to do in your chosen campaign. Do not settle for less. Don’t forget that your brand name is on the line, so make sure you choose the right person for the job.

Relationship. More than the skill, what’s even more important is to find out if you can work with the influencer or not. There are some influencers assert certain control over the campaign. Is this something that you can compromise? Some influencers have a very tight schedule. Is this something that your time frame can accommodate? A working relationship with the influencer is a major factor in the success of a campaign, so it’s important to keep this in mind when reaching out to a shortlist of influencers you’d like to work with.

Budget. Do you already have an influencer in mind? Be upfront with your budget. Like it or not, being an influencer is a career, so you have to pay them what is due. Here’s the good news – if the influencer believes in your story, he or she might work with you for a fraction of his/her usual professional fee. Be honest, sincere, and creative. A good story makes for good content, so they may want to choose your business over the competition.

Engaging influencers is a worthy addition to your marketing strategies. Choosing the right influencer to represent your brand will make the difference between an influencer marketing win or bust.

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