To drive awareness and expose new audiences to your brand, influencer marketing can help you build valuable relationships with consumers across social platforms. But how do you identify an influencer? Determining who the best advocates are for your organization and mapping out a plan that ensures all involved will benefit can be a challenge.
In this week’s #SproutChat we were joined by Sprout All Star, Adam Buchanan of Experticity to discuss the ins and outs of launching an influencer program. We touched on how to identify influencers, how gauge if a program is successful and if compensation should be involved.
An Engaged Audience is Best
Shape your influencer marketing program around engaged followers with established communities. Tap into subject matter experts who bring your brand into conversation.
A1 People who have used the product and already advocate for it are great partners with brands. #influencermarketing #sproutchat
— Adam Buchanan (@adam_buchanan) June 28, 2017
A1 Look at your followers to see who is a key source of influence in market and likes and shares your posts the most. #sproutchat pic.twitter.com/eg4CYFNkG6
— John Venen (@JohnVenen) June 28, 2017
A1: Brands are having a tendency to think big instead of goals. Being "somebody" doesn't make them the right somebody for you. #SproutChat
— Jeff Higgins (@ItsJeffHiggins) June 28, 2017
A1 be intentional with all content and choosing influencers to achieve business goals #SproutChat #InfluencerMarketing @adam_buchanan
— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) June 28, 2017
A1: Subject Matter Experts who want to be helpful. Most are wired that way! They can be any level, any functional area #SproutChat https://t.co/VrCNp8a8gg
— Su Doyle (@sudoyle) June 28, 2017
A1. Look at the overall engagement. A lot of followers =/= a lot of engagement. You want influencers who inspire conversation! #sproutchat
— Jenna Catherine Reed (@jcatherinereed) June 28, 2017
A1: It's all about reach, audience and branding. Engagement is a huge aspect, too. #SproutChat
— Daniel Klopfenstein (@Dannyklop) June 28, 2017
Focus on the Relationship Before Payment
Compensation for influencers doesn’t necessarily mean cash payment. Rewards can look like VIP access to events or advanced insight into product launches and features. Since you’re already working with an engaged brand advocate and taking the steps to foster that relationship they may be more likely to spread the word about your brand without payment.
A2 Rewards can come in all different forms. Recognition and acknowledgement can be huge for people. #sproutchat
— Adam Buchanan (@adam_buchanan) June 28, 2017
A2: Having an influencer who genuinely believes in & uses your product/service is more effective than a paid stamp of approval. #sproutchat
— John Venen (@JohnVenen) June 28, 2017
A2. It needs to be authentic, but I feel there needs to be compensation in some form ($, free product, etc.) #sproutchat
— J. Nolfo 🦏 (@jnolfo) June 28, 2017
A2: PART 1: I think it's about the relationship! Someone who I really value and know their worth I absolutely want to pay. #SproutChat
— Deserae_Dorton (@Deserae_Dorton) June 28, 2017
A2: But really, you'll have a tough time getting popular influencers to post w/out compensation. That's just the game today. #SproutChat
— Daniel Klopfenstein (@Dannyklop) June 28, 2017
A2 you can reward them by amplifying their work, VIP access, brand swag, a personal note. #SproutChat
— Erika Heald (@SFerika) June 28, 2017
A2: Find influencers who already love your product. Insincerity & bad matches will make the fact that ur paying them apparent #Sproutchat
— Jennifer Daugherty (@GlitterOtter) June 28, 2017
Tap Into People who are Already Showing Your Brand Love
Identify audience members that are constantly engaging with your social presence, these are your brand advocates. Monitor mentions and take advantage of reports in the Sprout platform to discover your most interactive customers.
A3 it's easier to work with people who already like you then trying to get them to like you. They will exceed your expecations. #sproutchat
— Adam Buchanan (@adam_buchanan) June 28, 2017
A3: Have found influencers by running promos e.g. "show us how you style our brand". Fans raise their hands & show their POV. #SproutChat https://t.co/5U1DYwu8KX
— Su Doyle (@sudoyle) June 28, 2017
A3 when you buy influence you are buying influencer rep. bad behavior can backfire #SproutChat
— David Pepper (@thedavepepper) June 28, 2017
A3 they're likely already using your products! A genuine fan is better than a manufactured one #SproutChat pic.twitter.com/Z48ZNRiCZh
— meaghanbrophy (@meaghanbrophy) June 28, 2017
A3 First and foremost, "influencers" are people like you and me. Connect with them, build a relationship before making an ask. #sproutchat
— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) June 28, 2017
A3: Identify influencers who are already passionate about your brand and give them a voice. Make them the hero of your brand. #SproutChat
— Randy Thio (@ideabloke) June 28, 2017
Align Business Goals to Influencer Program Goals
When launching your influencer program make sure that your building something that aligns with overall business goals. Goals can vary from boosting engagement to conversion to sales. Either way, be sure to use the program to track progress and inform strategy throughout.
A5. I still say engagement metrics are the best to have. You can't depend on new followers being real. #SproutChat
— Maggie Bizzell (@MaggieBizz) June 28, 2017
A5 depends what your original goals were. Sales? Mentions? New likes? New usage occasions? Videos? Photos? Appearances? #SproutChat https://t.co/EgkLUQrVtM
— LUCYrk (@LUCYrk78) June 28, 2017
A5: CONVERSIONS. I know other things are fun and cute, but conversions are what matter. #SproutChat https://t.co/ecOBww1vTI
— Adam Greenbaum (@Greenbaumly) June 28, 2017
A5: Impressions and follower growth are important, but we want to make sure people are engaging with influencer content #SproutChat https://t.co/vwpHkodf0Y
— Metter Media (@mettermedia) June 28, 2017
A5: Increased sales, brand mentions, engagement, and social follows (to name a few). #SproutSocial
— Sortis Marketing (@SortisMarketing) June 28, 2017
We’ll be back next week with Sprout All Star, Taylor Hall of GVC Mortgage to discuss social customer service and bots. Until then join our Facebook community to connect with other folks in the industry.
This post #SproutChat Recap: Launching an Influencer Marketing Program originally appeared on Sprout Social.
source https://sproutsocial.com/insights/launching-influencer-marketing-program/
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