If you’ve read our previous blog on Can Influencer Marketing Benefit My Business then you are probably wondering how to get influencers in the first place.
If you know that your business can benefit from having influencers promote your products or service then it’s key to make sure the influencers you find are going to be perfect for you. But actually finding influencers can be tricky. There are a few things to look out for.
Find the right influencer for YOU
If your business account is that of less than 1k followers then the chances are you aren’t going to be able to pay for an influencer with 500k followers. Find an influencer that has enough reach and is within your budget. If you approach an influencer that has smaller followers like that of a micro-influencer, someone with around 5k, you are going to be able to pay for their time and receive a substantial reach in comparison to your own. Sometimes micro or nano influencers don’t request payment and offer influencing in return for trying out your products for free. This is a great way to keep costs low, crucial for a newly formed small business.
Do they fit your usual demographic?
Its important to find an influencer who’s previous work aligns with the product you’re trying to promote. Its important to find someone who will like and use your product, ensuring positive feedback and an honest response to their audience.We know how appealing it is when you might be able to collaborate with an influencer with a large following but you need to consider whether they as a person would fit your usual demographic. If you are selling and promoting beverages or food for example, but their feed is all about beauty, it may seem slightly odd if they suddenly start talking about something they don’t usually discuss. This is where looking for an influencer who would predominantly talk about food and drink would be perfect.
But, How?
It’s all well and good knowing what you want but knowing how is the tricky part. So how do you find and approach influencers? There are several ways to find the influencer for you things like hashtags can be a great way to find one that suits your demographic. If you are trying to find an influencer most organically then it is a case of just looking around your explore page. Often your explore page will only show you things that are related so that’s a great place to start. Take a look at the posts see what people have hashtags and do some digging. Even take a look at similar companies and take a look into their following to see if they are following any influencers. Of course, if you have no luck just doing a bit of digging there are platforms out there that find influencers for you. If you just Google the type of influencers you are looking for, there are usually plenty of sights that generate this for you.
Approaching an Influencer
You have found the influencer that fits your brand perfectly, now it’s time to bite the bullet and approach them. It is just about being polite and confident and speaking to them like you would any other customer. The one thing to take into consideration when approaching an influencer is how to stand out. If this influencer has a good following and engagement, you are not going to be the only brand reaching out to them. You want to make sure your message doesn’t just go straight into their requests and is never seen again.
Creating a powerful first message
Drafting the first message is daunting but if you follow a powerful structure it should work a treat. We would always try and stay within your tone of voice. For example, beauty brands or fashion brands often start with a really friendly approach that fits their demographic. They use things like pink emojis and very supportive language. It’s always good to start with a DM, and if they have an email in their bio, send an email as well with a similar message to your DM. So let’s create an example of how you could approach an influencer.
Hey (influencer name)
My name is (your name) from (your brand) and we love your content! (brand name) would love to work with you on a collaboration. If we could ask for some great content, either reels or static posts and a few stories about our product we will offer you a selection of free products and also a 20% discount the next time you purchase!
We look forward to working with you!!
Thanks
(your name)
This is a great way to map out a message if they are a micro or nano influencer as they won’t be able to charge you just yet. If they have a much higher following and work on a payment process then just switch out a few parts and ask about their process. When you are writing your message, definitely personalise it as much as you can. Add relevant emojis and have fun with it. You want to be a brand that the influencer also wants to work with.
Forming Relationships and Ambassadors
Once you have formed good strong relationships with influencers you can then start to look at forming long-term collaborations or ambassadors. It’s a nifty tool to be able to have trusted influencers who have a long-term relationship with you. You can offer them discounts or send them products every few months to keep the ball rolling and to show you are a trusted brand to all their followers. Consistency is key. If you follow someone and see them repeatedly using and loving your product, you are going to want to try it yourself way more, rather than a one-off never hear about the product again from the influencer.
What are you waiting for?
Hopefully, we have helped answer some questions regarding Can Influencer Marketing Benefit My Business and Approaching Influencers. If you have any more questions or need any more advice please don’t hesitate to get in contact with the Sokada team.