If you are in the marketing space, you can understand the positive impact of an influencer endorsing a brand. More than 60% of online buyers trust an influencer’s recommendations. A report by Rakuten says 3 in 4 consumers spend up to $629 on influencer-inspired purchases.
Influencer marketing’s current estimated worth is $13.8 billion. And it’s expected to further increase. The thing is, people trust products and services vouched by their favorite artists, athletes, and actors.
That’s why social media marketing agencies in Dubai have incorporated influencer marketing in their marketing strategy. But you can’t simply ask any random influencer to promote your product. Certain qualities make an influencer stand out and thus, the products they promote are likely to get more recognition and sales.
In this article, I’m going to share A-Z information about influencer marketing, including the criteria to select an influencer for your campaigns, so you can reap maximum ROI out of them.
Who is a Social Media Influencer
A social media influencer is someone with a huge following on all social media platforms — most notably Facebook and Instagram. He/she can be an artist, an individual content creator, an athlete, writer, or anyone who can influence the decision of his/her followers.
What Qualities Should I Look for When Selecting an Influencer?
Selecting an influencer can be quite tricky, it’s like betting your money. If the endorsement doesn’t pay off, you don’t get the traffic you had expected, it will be a complete waste of money.
So, how can you avoid that? Let’s discuss some of the integral qualities of a social media influencer:
1.Relevancy
Before you ask your favorite social media influencer personality to endorse your business, do consider the connection between your industry and the influencer. Would it make any sense?
For example, if you are selling baby diapers, would it make any sense if a famous weightlifter promotes your product in one of his videos? You know the answer, they two belong to two different industries.
The thing is, you will never get relevant traffic through him because most of his followers would be males. And if you want to sell more baby products, you can expect more responses from mothers compared to fathers who are less concerned about what diapers their baby wears.
So the first thing to check is relevancy and connection between an influencer and your niche.
3. Followers & Engagement
Influencer marketing can result in a boom for your business — only if you choose the right influencers! That’s why it’s important to consider the number of followers a particular influencer has and the level of engagement on his/her social media.
An influencer should have at least 5k followers on social media, and the engagement level on each post should be impressive; not just the likes but comments as well. And the higher your budget is, the better collaboration opportunities you get.
Influencers with substantial followers are bound to charge a hefty amount, so adjust your budget accordingly.
3. Social Image
Another important thing to consider is the social image of the influencer you are about to collaborate with. Is he/she liked by the public, if yes, in what way? Today, not all people get fame because of their achievements, but we have meme stars and weirdos who do odd things to become famous.
Though meme marketing has become a trend itself, it’s not for everyone. And chances are you want to hire an influencer who has an influential persona, someone who inspires people rather than amuse them with clumsiness.
So do consider the social image of an influencer: why do people like him/her and if he/she is the right person to vouch for your business?
4. Content Quality
Influencers prepare their own content, be it visual or text. And the level of engagement comes down to the quality of content. Besides that, it’s important that you evaluate the overall quality of their posts because they will be taking care of the promo, and you don’t want an ordinary video or text to leave a bad first impression.
The video quality should be top-notch and the editing level should be professional so the endorsement can create a powerful impact. Even if you have convinced the influencer to use your script, video and sound quality will depend on the influencer’s equipment.
Consider the quality of all of their latest videos and posts and see if they can produce the kind of endorsement you’re looking for.
5. Response Time
A common gripe about modern-day influencers is their late response. The ones with followers in millions get several offers a day, thus you can’t expect an instant response from their end.
But at the same time, they do have assistants who take care of influencer marketing deals. And chances are you will be negotiating with their representatives and not with the influencers directly.
So consider their response time. Are they able to respond quickly or do they take a day or two to get back? Late response means you have got to be extra careful because those last-moment changes can’t be implemented in case of any change in your script or offer.
How to Find the Right Influencers for Your Brand?
It’s a time taking process. You have to spend several days hunting influencers before you have found the ones with an ideal persona for your business and the level of engagement you’re looking for.
Start from Facebook or Instagram. Check out the profiles of influencers in your niche ( use relevant hashtags to find posts relevant to your industry). Check out their content quality, the engagement level on their latest posts, and how long have they been active as an influencer.
You can also use YouTube to find influencers. For example, if you are looking for an influencer from the health and fitness niche, you can check YouTube channels in the fitness niche with thousands of subscribers.
Google is another useful tool to hunt influencers through blogs. Type topics related to your industry, you will find a few blogs covering those. Check out their monthly traffic and engagement and see if a particular blogger’s endorsement can send traffic to your website or store.
And if you want to find an influencer quickly, there are some paid tools available. They not only make your hunt easy but let you reach out to the influencer through the tool. But these tools can be costly and they keep their share when you crack a deal with an influencer through them.
Final Words
Influencer marketing brings an ideal opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to grow and expand their clientele. A new brand can even use those endorsements to boost brand awareness. But choosing the right influencer for your online store or business requires research.
Make sure the influencer you have chosen has followers and engagement you’re looking for, ready to work within your price, and his/her endorsement has the potential to earn you recognition and credibility.
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