When it comes to executing an Influencer Marketing campaign, finding the right Creator for your business can be a headache. The obvious: number of followers, nice aesthetics, and that blue tick might not directly translate into high engagement or quick conversions.
Over the last 5 years in the industry, I’ve seen some stuff. Whether it be a foodie hired for arecipe creation resulting in a massive fail (who puts tuna in cheesecake?) or a promising Creator with a high following (of bots), let’s just say I’ve taken these “smh” moments and have turned them into major learning experiences. With my no-nonsense outlook on Influencer Marketing, I’ve experienced some pretty amazing results, built long-term relationships, and helped both local and national brands succeed in their marketing campaigns with authentic and reliable Creators.
With COVID-19 restrictions shifting our buying habits digital, Influencers’ talent is a marketing strategy worth looking into.
Here are 5 factors to effectively choose Creators to help promote brands, products, and services online:
Niche
This seems like a no-brainer. Food brands will want to work with foodies and beauty brands will most likely reach out to beauty bloggers. However, there are a few things to consider when selecting a Creator to collaborate with. Take a deep dive into a Creator’s profile to determine if they are a good fit for your brand. For example, if you want to promote a new beauty product that is vegan and cruelty-free, you may not want to work with a beauty blogger who is also an ambassador for a competitive brand that is known for animal testing. The obvious reason is that you most likely will not reach your ideal audience and you could damage your brand’s reputation with cruelty-free consumers.
Reach
When researching Creators to work with, marketers want to know how many people an account reaches. An Influencer’s follower count can be deceiving at times. Followers, subscribers, and view counts provide a basic metric for reach. We all know followers can be bought but tools such as the Creator Search Tool can verify a Creator’s authenticity.
Engagement
It’s important to consider a Creator with an audience that is engaged and invested in their content. You have access to general data, but there is no harm in requesting their Media Kit with a further look at their engagement. Take a moment to read the comments left on previous images and videos. When creators have genuine interactions with their audiences, it is clear that they are trusted and have loyal followers.
Content
Other than brand awareness and sales, a great aspect of Influencer marketing is being able to repurpose user-generated content. It’s easy to fall in love with a Creator because of their personal aesthetic but does it match your brand’s identity? When a Creator incorporates the colors and aesthetic of a brand, it’s easier to reuse the UGC for brand accounts. Take a look at this ShoutOut for FreeYumm Foods by @katie_infinitesoul. FreeYumm’s brand is bright and fun, making this monochromatic photo perfect to use as UGC, which they did!
Audience
This may be the most crucial factor to consider when choosing Influencers to collaborate with. Whether it’s a gifted or paid campaign, you want to ensure that Creator Content is reaching your ideal customer demographics. If your products or services are only available in Canada, working with a Creator whose followers are 56% located in Brazil could and most likely will result in a missed opportunity. Consider your target market and make sure the Creator you select has a similar audience. Again, there are many online tools that help you determine this data and you can also ask for a media kit.
You’ve got this!
Hopefully, you won’t experience the headaches that I learned from and this blog has helped you understand the initial 5 factors to consider when working with Influencers. We would love to help you put your next campaign on autopilot! Please reach out to brands@creator.co to discuss your next Influencer Marketing campaign with us!