Social media influencers have proven to be effective marketing tools in the past few years. By displaying products to their followers, influencers provide a vital link between a company’s products and countless consumers. If you’re looking for new ways to market your products, you might want to consider hiring an influencer.
But how do you decide which influencer to hire? It’s not always an easy choice. Keep these thoughts in mind as you conduct your search.
Envision Your Ideal Audience
Before choosing an influencer, you need to decide what time of audience you’re trying to reach. Are your products exclusively for women? Does your customer base trend young or old? You should have definitive answers to these questions before even considering contacting individual influencers.
Consider an Influencer’s Reach
Once you’ve got your target audience down, it’s time to find an influencer who reaches the types of people you’re interested in. Total follower count isn’t always the most important factor, but it’s worth taking into account all the same. You also need to investigate the types of followers an influencer attracts. Make sure their base fits your target demographics and engages in the types of activities that suggest they might purchase your products.
Look for Consistent Engagement
An influencer who has lots of followers but rarely engages with them is not nearly as useful as an interactive influencer who stays in constant communication with whatever followers they have. Check the comments section under an influencer’s photos. Look for people who answer questions and get specific about the products they’re marketing. This means they’ll do extra marketing work once you’ve hired them.
Seek Authenticity
The beauty of marketing through social media influencers is that it comes across as more authentic than traditional advertising. Yes, users often know that the influencer is being paid to mention products, but they still get the feeling that the people in the photos are promoting items they’ve used and enjoyed in their real lives. Look for accounts that maximize this feeling of authenticity. Some influencers blend in the product promotion more seamlessly than others. These are the folks you should reach out to.