Kicking Off Your Brand’s First Social Media Influencer Campaign: Where to Start

Tips to starting a social media influencer campaign from our PR Experts

The world of social media influencers is constantly increasing in size and impact. These influencers – people who work with brands to create content (such as product reviews and recommendations) to share with audiences on their social channels – have the power to directly affect consumer purchases.

The proof is in the numbers. According to the Digital Marketing Institute:

• Eighty-six percent of women use social media for purchasing advice;
• More than half of women have already made purchases due to influencer posts; and,
• Average influencer marketing campaigns earn an ROI of $6.50 for every dollar spent.

So, if influencer marketing is new to your brand, where do you start?

Tip #1: Consider How an Influencer Campaign Fits Into Your Overall Marketing Mix

• Influencer campaigns are an effective way to build awareness within a specific target audience, such as 18- to 35-year-old females. However, it’s important to remember that influencer campaigns are just one piece of the marketing mix.
• Find a balance between traditional media efforts, social media and influencer campaigns, especially when launching a new product. Each effort brings its own benefits and reaches different audiences.

Tip #2: Find Influencers Who Align With Your Brand

• Search popular hashtags to find new influencers. If you’re seeking to work with pregnant women, try searching a range of pregnancy-related topics, such as: #bumpdate, #30weeks, #firstbaby or #genderreveal.
• Vet and review all influencers carefully before you reach out to them, to ascertain they align with your brand.
  • Review comments and followers to confirm the influencer’s audience is authentic and engaged.
  • Ask influencers for their media kits to ensure they reach your target audience.

Tip #3: Implement a blend of paid and unpaid partnerships

• Earn a mix of product reviews and coverage by working with influencers who require payment, and with those who may only require a product sample as compensation.
  • Paid influencer partnerships focus on quality over quantity of posts.
  • Working with unpaid influencers, who work to create reviews in exchange for product samples, allows for more content, produced more quickly, but provides brands with less control.

Tip #4: Focus on Building Relationships with All Influencers

• Bring influencers into the fold by creating strong, mutually-beneficial relationships.

• Educate them on your brand and its mission, give them a sneak peek at new products, let them talk to the engineering department.
• All of these actions can make influencers feel like a welcome part of the team and could lead to the creation of more authentic content.

Tip #5: WOrk with an experienced team to help launch a successful influencer program

Still confused on where to start? Know that your organization doesn’t have time to meaningfully research influencers and build quality relationships? Consider outsourcing the task to a third-party agency, such as Sikich PR.

Our team at Sikich PR has more than 15 years of experience working with juvenile products brands and maintains relationships with thousands of influencers. Email us today to talk about how we can help you!

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