The Rise of Influencer Marketing: Find the Right Influencer for You

By: Aeron B. Espanillo

Rise of Influencer Marketing

The emergence of multiple social media platforms has paved the way for influencers to surge. Exacerbated by the most recent pandemic, millions of people relied on influencers for online content consumption as a way of entertainment. Influencers are referred to as known social media users and content creators who have a number of organic and engaged followings, and can influence the purchasing decisions of their followers. Due to this, companies tap influencers to create social media content that promote their products or services, thereby giving rise to influencer marketing.

What are the Benefits of Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing may be a relatively young social media marketing strategy, but there are benefits obtained with employing such strategy. First, influencer marketing offers precise audience targeting. By connecting with influencers whose followers align with the brands target market, it ensures that the content reaches the right audience, making the social media campaign more effective. Second, it offers a better conversion rate as influencer marketing reaches an audience who are likely interested in availing your products and services. With influencers having the trust of their followers and creating interactive content for them, this persuades them to make a purchase or sign up for deals. Third, influencer marketing builds trust and credibility for your brand. Influencers have already gained the trust of their followers by virtue of being relatable. Through partnering with an influencer the audience trusts, your brand gains credibility. An influencer is like your loyal customer recommending your brand to thousands of their closest friends.

What are the Types of Influencers by Size and Reach?

Mega Influencers

Mega influencers are those with over 1 million followers. They are often famous actors, musicians, athletes, and other public figures. Their famous status allows them to capture a wide and diverse audience, perfect for large-scale brand awareness campaigns. However, even if this is the case, tapping a mega influencer can be costly. Moreover, since their audience is broad, their engagement rate may not be as high compared to influencers who have smaller and niche followers. Businesses that have the budget and resources, brands targeting a broad audience, and luxury brands that want to create a sense of exclusivity are those who might benefit the most from collaborating with mega influencers.

Macro Influencers

Macro influencers are those with a hundred thousand to a one million followers. They are often established personalities with specific niches, and regarded as thought leaders there. They have earned this status through consistent content creation and engagement over time. Compared to mega influencers, macro influencers offer a more targeted approach for people who share common interests. Although they provide substantial reach, collaborating with them might be relatively costly. Startups that aim for quick exposure, NGOs needing to raise funds and awareness, and brands targeting a specific but large audience are those who might benefit the most from collaborating with macro influencers.

Micro Influencers

Micro influencers are those with highly engaged ten thousand to one hundred thousand followers, regarded as the rising stars in influencer marketing. They generally have a strong presence in specific platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Businesses who want to captivate a specific niche and on a budget are those who might benefit the most from collaborating with micro influencers as they attract specific and passionate audiences through creative content.

Nano Influencers

Nano influencers are those who have one thousand to ten thousand followers. Although small, they often have a strong connection with their followers. They have built a close-knit community through their relatable content, yielding high engagement and trust. Businesses who want to target specific communities and demographics who are on a tight budget, as well as those artisan and home-based businesses needing to reach a niche audience, are those who might benefit the most from nano influencers. Since these influencers work on a small scale, they are more dedicated to individual partnerships, thus providing better tailored content for your brand within their niche communities.

How can I Find the Right Influencer for My Brand?

Identify the goal of your influencer marketing campaign

The first step to finding the right influencer for your brand is to determine the goal of your campaign. This is important as influencers can help you achieve different goals such as brand awareness, sales, and follower growth. Having a goal also helps you to create metrics for your brand and the influencer, to track your progress and achieve such a goal.

Understand your target audience

Understanding your target audience is a standard procedure for any marketing campaign. This may also help in finding the right influencer for you. Try to have a solid understanding of your audience’s demographic, geographical, and behavioral characteristics. This can also include how often they use social media and the platforms they primarily use. In this way, it helps you to be directed to influencers who speak to your target audience.

Find and list influencers relevant to your goal and target audience

Now that you know your target audience, find and list influencers who have a sway over your target audience. You can find them mostly using social media through trending industry posts, or through communities in their specific niche. You may also check creators of viral posts relevant to your industry as they may be your potential influencer. Moreover, you can check hashtag searches relevant to your products and services. For instance, a marketing brand looking for influencers may look at the #digitalmarketing hashtag.

Know your influencer selection criteria

From the influencer list that you have, you can choose the best influencer by creating your selection criteria. This is where the types of influencers come into play when it comes to their followers; do you want a mega, macro, micro or nano influencer? Moreover, you can check their engagement rates to see how well they capture their followers. Generally, an engagement rate above 3% is high, so you may opt for influencers who fulfill this criteria. You may also check the frequency of their postings, as well as the quality of their contents. Brands who want genuine engagements prefer more genuine contents, versus those that are highly commercial or hard-sell.

Choose who aligns with your value and displays authenticity

And lastly, it is critical that the influencer aligns with your values. For instance, if your brand has a stance on social issues, get an influencer who shares the same opinion. If your brand is eco-conscious, might as well pick someone who’s environmentally responsive too. This allows your collaboration and campaign to be authentic as possible, adding credibility and integrity to your brand.

In conclusion, the rise of influencer marketing, driven by the proliferation of social media platforms and amplified by the pandemic, has transformed how companies promote their products and services. By leveraging influencers—social media users with engaged followings—businesses can achieve precise audience targeting, higher conversion rates, and enhanced brand credibility. Influencers are categorized into mega, macro, micro, and nano influencers, each offering distinct advantages based on their reach and engagement levels. To find the right influencer, companies should start by identifying their campaign goals and understanding their target audience. They should then find and list influencers relevant to these goals and audiences, establish selection criteria considering the influencer’s size, engagement rate, content quality and posting frequency, and ensure the chosen influencer aligns with the brand’s values for authentic and credible partnerships. This strategic approach ensures that influencer marketing efforts are effective, impactful, and aligned with the brand’s overall objectives.

Let Verafede help you start building your campaign online. We have ties with influencers, and niche communities you can partner with in communicating your brand goals & advocacies. See you online!

References:

https://mailchimp.com/resources/what-is-influencer-marketing/#:~:text=Influencer%20marketing%20is%20a%20form,promotes%20their%20products%20or%20services.

https://sproutsocial.com/insights/influencer-marketing