Building credibility as a brand is essential for any business – large or small. And collaborating with influencers is one of the most effective strategies to establish a good online reputation and gain consumer trust.
In fact, almost 50% of consumers rely on influencer recommendations or reviews before buying anything.
Even small businesses with limited resources can benefit from influencer marketing by using tactics that will not go above the allocated budget. The key is to find an influencer who trusts your products and genuinely likes what your business represents as a whole.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Set Your Influencer Marketing Campaign Goals
Are you planning on running a seasonal or long-term influencer campaign? How much is your allocated budget for the campaign? Are you after improving brand awareness or targeting a new audience? These are just a few of the questions that should have concise answers before you begin searching for an influencer. Identifying what you want your small business to achieve is the first crucial step before launching a marketing campaign.
Do Your Research
Monitor the online activities of your target demographic before diving in headfirst. Before you reach out to an influencer, make sure they are suitable for your small business. Determine which platform your potential customers use, what content they consume, and what type of influencers they follow. Being aware of these factors will also help you narrow down your list of potential influencers to collaborate with.
Find the Right Influencer
You don’t need to spend a fortune to collaborate with influencers. But given that you are working on a limited budget, partnering with a local influencer or micro-influencer is your safest bet. A quick Google search to find reliable tools that you can use to look for influencers in your niche would be a great help.
Ideally, you should look for someone who is already interested in your product or service. Check the potential influencer’s previous posts to see if he or she has already published anything about your brand or anything related to your product or service. Keep in mind, though, that the goal is to find an influencer with the ideal balance of reach and engagement to help your business increase online visibility.
Establish a Genuine Connection
It’s not enough to send a simple email to the influencer and hope they accept the proposal for a potential collaboration. Follow them first before reaching out. Make it a point to engage with their current posts by sharing or leaving comments.
When crafting an email, make sure that you personalize the content and let the influencer know you’re willing to meet their needs. Set expectations and let them know your value as a small business and that you’re open to brainstorm and collaborate. You can also include a promotional gift to give them a chance to try out your products.
If it’s taking too long for them to answer, try again and use a different, more genuine approach. It’s always better to build a partnership based on mutual trust and respect.
