INTRODUCTION
According to Statista, the global social media influencer marketing market value is expected to exceed $32 billion in 2025, which is more than triple what we saw just five years ago. In fact, influencer marketing has become one of the most indispensable forms of digital marketing used by brands.
Businesses of all sizes can collaborate with social media influencers, also commonly called creators, to increase brand awareness, reach new audiences and ultimately, increase sales or leads.
Following are some tips on how you can work with influencers to promote your local business.
IDENTIFY YOUR IDEAL INFLUENCERS AND MEASURE OF SUCCESS
While the categories of influencers have evolved over the years (e.g., moving from micro and macro to sub-tiers), in general, we can categorize influencers into five tiers: nano (1,000-10,000 followers), micro (10,001-50,000 followers), mid-tier (50,001-500,000 followers), macro (500,001-1 million followers) and mega (more than 1 million followers).
Larger influencers tend to be better for top-of-funnel marketing objectives, such as driving brand awareness, while smaller influencers are often better for engagement or conversions (e.g., sales or leads). Larger influencers also tend to charge more for content creation than those with fewer followers.
Before you reach out to any influencers, make sure to establish a budget and identify a primary measure of success that makes sense for your business. In other words, what are you looking to get out of the campaign?
If, for instance, you’re looking to make a name for your boutique shop that can ship products nationwide, you may opt to maximize reach by collaborating with micro-, mid-tier- or macro-influencers. If you are looking to drive local actions, such as reservations or foot traffic to your restaurant, nano influencers in your area will likely be the better choice.
Research individual influencers to ensure they align with your target audience(s) and objectives. Look at their preferred platform (e.g., Instagram), category (e.g., fashion, lifestyle), content and location. For the latter, make sure to consider the location of the influencers as well as their followers–a question to ask when you reach out– to make sure you are reaching the right people. An influencer with a higher concentration of local followers tends to be more beneficial for local businesses.
Make a wish list of influencers and rank them according to preference to help stay organized as you connect with creators and negotiate terms. You also should ask your network or customers whom they follow to get a sense of which influencers resonate with your community.
ESTABLISH EXPECTATIONS AND SEND REMINDERS
Typically, you will need to DM (direct message) social media influencers to open the lines of communication. This means you will need to be clear and concise with your ask. Lead with the opportunity you are presenting and establish clear expectations of your objectives. For example, if you run a local restaurant, you should start with the offer or perk (e.g., an invitation to enjoy free dinner/drinks) and follow with the “why” (e.g., to help drive reservations).
You also should discuss the content type (e.g., reels, posts, stories) and quantity of content that is expected early in the conversation. If you are planning to repurpose the content, ask for the rights upfront to avoid any issues later. This also helps the creator save assets in their appropriate formats (e.g., raw video). In addition, negotiate the cost for the influencer’s services and logistics (e.g., dates and travel expenses) before finalizing any agreements.
While it is ultimately the influencer’s responsibility, you should push for FTC disclosures for any content they create for you. These disclosures make it clear that they have a (financial) relationship with you and help keep their recommendations honest and truthful. They can also protect your business from any kind of reputation damage.
Send reminders as you approach the engagement date(s) to ensure they have it on their calendar and make sure the creator has what they need to do their job. For example, if they will be demonstrating how to use your product, make sure they have all the items they need or an “Instagram-worthy” backdrop if they will be on site.
Finally, discuss the production timeline with the influencer and how you would like to be informed when the content is published.
ENGAGE WITH THE CREATORS AND THEIR CONTENT
While it may seem like a given, many businesses and brands fail to thank creators or engage with them and their content once it’s posted. Like, share and comment on the content they create for your business to help generate hype for your product or service. You also should watch for comments so you can interact with potential customers and answer questions.
If you’re working with an Instagram influencer, watch for an invitation to be a collaborator. Once you accept, that piece of content will live on your profile (in addition to the creator’s account), which can make it easier for you to monitor. Plus, their followers can easily click on your profile to check out your brand.
Make sure to tag the influencer anytime you repost or share their content on your platforms. They will often reengage with you, and it’s a good way to remind your followers that you have their endorsement.
ANALYZE, REFINE AND REPEAT
Like any marketing tactic, you should analyze what worked and what didn’t so you can refine your efforts for the future. Look at the key performance indicator (KPI) for your collaboration (e.g., your measure of success) as well as the quality of content and your working relationship with the influencer(s). For instance, you may identify opportunities to improve communication for future influencer engagements.
Think of creators as strategic partners vs. transactional advertisements and build relationships with those you would like to work with again. Some will be a better fit for your business than others and may be open to collaborating on future projects.
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