How to reach influencers: A 5-step guide

Guide: How do you reach influencers for your brand?

49 percent of surveyed marketers who used influencer marketing in 2017 said it was effective, while 51 percent said it outperformed branded products. When it comes to purchasing decisions, 33 percent of consumers say they trust social media influencers more than any other source. Figures like these explain why many companies are continuing to increase their investments in influencer marketing tactics and campaigns.

Companies that use influencer marketing to reach customers have a tremendous opportunity. But with so many social media influencers in the space and a multitude of companies vying for a partnership, how can a brand best start a conversation? Below, we offer a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Create brand goals

Before contacting an influencer, it's important for a brand to define the goals of its marketing campaign. Paid influencer campaigns can be designed to achieve a variety of different results, including increased sales, greater brand awareness, and a larger following.

Furthermore, some campaigns can help brands build long-term relationships or brand ambassador programs with influencers. While influencer marketing has been hugely successful for many brands, launching a poorly planned campaign is unlikely to yield positive results. To be successful, it's essential to set clear goals and know what message you want to send.

Step 2: Research niches

Selecting the right influencers is crucial for fruitful partnerships and successful outreach efforts. However, with a wide range of categories covered by a multitude of attractive online personalities across the world's most popular social media platforms, a brand should consider several key questions before prematurely contacting influencers:

1. Which category (travel, lifestyle, fashion, fitness, product reviews, environmental protection, games, food, cooking, etc.) is best suited to promote your brand, product, or service?
2. Which audience or target group is being addressed?
3. Is the campaign best run on a blog, Instagram, YouTubeShould it be targeted at Snapchat, Facebook, or Twitter? Or would it be best optimized with a cross-platform strategy?
4. Would it be better to collaborate with a celebrity, a macro- and micro-influencer, or a combination of the three?
5. Is this company reputable? What is their engagement rate? Do they have a proven track record of successful campaigns? Do they use fake followers or other deceptive tactics?

How to find the right ones

Manually browsing social media platforms is a popular method for finding influencers. Depending on the network, using keywords and/or hashtags, combined with filtering by the number of followers/subscribers, can be a useful way to discover potential influencer partners.

However, as the influencer marketing industry has become increasingly powerful and competitive, companies sometimes find it difficult to connect with their preferred influencers. Several software tools are available to help you find the right online personality to collaborate with.

However, some services charge fees, and companies still have to sift through thousands of options. If you're looking for the right influencer for your brand, you should leverage the expertise of a marketing agency that maintains strong relationships with the world's biggest influencers.

Step 3: Get informed

Before you cold-mail an influencer, follow them on their various social media channels and blogs. Find out how they comment on and share their posts, and what their relationship with their audience is like. Show familiarity with what they post and interest in what they do. This will make it easier to start a conversation with them.

Step 4: Contact

Many influencers are busy professionals who receive a lot of offers and requests. When contacting an influencer, your pitch should be clear, honest, and concise. Ask about their goals and what you're looking for in a business relationship.

Look for ways your brand could support them on their journey. Businesses shouldn't ask influencers to promote goods or services for free. Successful influencers will lose interest if you try to get them to post for free, trade products, or if you negotiate too aggressively.

If an influencer is too expensive, look for smaller, more affordable ones who are interested in working with your brand. Remember to communicate your enthusiasm for your brand, product, or service, and the potential for a relationship. You want to be part of interesting projects and exciting collaborations.

Step 5: Partnering with an influencer marketing agency

The influencer marketing sector is becoming increasingly crowded and demanding, and many of the top influencers are too busy to respond to all individual requests.

Some smaller to medium-sized influencers register on platforms to offer available campaigns, while larger or more established influencers work with talent managers and/or multi-channel networks to leverage their sponsorship opportunities.

One way to avoid all these difficulties is to collaborate with a trusted marketing agency.AgencyMarketing agencies have relationships with celebrities, macro and micro influencers, as well as with the people and companies they manage.

In addition to connecting brands with companies that have a proven track record of high conversion rates, agencies can help brands define their goals and key performance indicators (KPIs), design campaigns, handle paperwork and agreements, negotiate fees, and interpret post-campaign data. From the initial stages to the final analysis, qualified agencies can help brands run better marketing campaigns.