The public relations industry is changing, especially since numerous magazines and newspapers have folded. “Influencers” have gained widespread popularity on social media, and they have access to a large audience. Their opinions matter, which is why these bloggers are important for increasing your brand awareness. Before we go into this, we’ll first define the two types of influencers on social media platforms.
A micro-influencer is defined as a user with up to 100,000 followers, while a macro-influencer has 100,000 followers or more, such as Kim Kardashian. Using micro-influencers rather than macro-influencers has proven to be more beneficial since they have a more personal connection with their audience and engage with their followers on a daily basis. But how do you zero in on finding the best ones for your brand?
The key to crafting an effective influencer campaign is research and engagement. Use any time from two weeks to a month to Google search influencers who align with your brand. By also searching relevant hashtags on social media and finding influencers organically, you will find your target social media mavens. Microinfluencers can also be found through databases such as Agility, and possibly even your own follower list on social media!
Now you’ve found your micro-influencers. What’s next?
It’s now time to follow them and engage with their content. Become one of their followers and get to know who they are, what they talk about and what they like. Also, by engaging with their content, they will become familiar with you and be more likely to recognize you when it’s time to reach out. Be patient during this process, because you might have to invest up to a few months to form your relationship with your desired influencer.
Also, like with any campaign, start with a goal. Make sure you define performance metrics and set a budget. Developing a compensation plan will benefit both you and the micro-influencers by giving them some sort of incentive or pay.
If you successfully use micro-influencers with your brand, you will be well on your way to rapid growth in 2018.