How to master your influencer marketing strategy

With years of experience in digital marketing and the rise of influencer marketing, we know the importance of these collaborations. Take a look at our top tips for getting started in influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is only on the up, rising from a worth of $1.7billion in 2016 to $21.1billion in 2023. Even through a global pandemic, this industry shows no signs of slowing down. Over 78% of brands now include influencer marketing as an integral part of their multi-channel strategy, and we think it’s about time the other 22% did too. 

So for those brands that are looking to add influencer marketing into their day-to-day marketing activity or strengthen their existing, we’ve put together a list of tips to ensure you’re doing so correctly. 

Set your goals

Before deciding the who and when for your influencer marketing strategy, you need to decide on the what and why. Why are you using influencers, and what do you aim to achieve? The goals you set should inform any strategic decision you make from the beginning, subsequently making it easier to plan your campaign and measure its success. 

Example goal: Increase brand awareness, reach or engagement.

Do you want to increase your brand's awareness, reach or engagement? If so, you should be measuring impressions, likes, comments and shares. These are all metrics that show the amount of people that have seen a piece of content, and engaged with it. All of which will lead to the growth of your brand. 

If this is your main goal, you should choose to work with influencers that are consistently interacting with their follower base and have consistent engagement rates to ensure that your brand and product reach as many people as possible.

Top tip: Don’t be afraid to ask an influencer for their social stats (although many influencers include this kind of information in their media kits) before agreeing on a collaboration with them. Alternatively, you can use a third-party tool like SocialBlade.

Example goal: Increase sales and generate revenue

If you’re looking to increase your sales and generate revenue through influencer marketing, then you will need to be able to calculate the cost per acquisition and determine the ROI of your campaign in order to measure its success. 

You can do this with affiliate links and codes. These track purchases made in response to your influencer’s content, and you can even customise these for each influencer you choose to work with. 

Be authentic

When it comes to developing influencer campaigns, it is essential to keep authenticity at the forefront, even in the very early stages of building your strategy. It’s really important to pick influencers that genuinely believe in your brand or product, and are well-trusted by their audience. 

Influencer briefings should also be flexible and geared towards the specific personalities and personal niches of the influencer. Don’t be afraid to hand over creative control, and allow them to create content that fits their established style, and rings true with their audience.

Remember that Influencer-generated content (IGC) is in fact so powerful that social campaigns that incorporate influencer-generated content can see a 50% lift in engagement. So let them do what they do best!

Don’t be fooled by fame

It’s super important to recognise that fame does not always equate to influence. Those with the biggest follower count may cast a wider net than those with smaller, but it’s best to focus on those influencers that are most relevant to your niche and have a follower base made up of your target audience.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that those influencers with millions of followers will generate the highest revenue for your brand. But in fact, it’s the micro influencers and nano influencers that tend to have the highest engagement rates and are more successful in reaching those audiences within your niche.

Here's a handy guide to show the different influencer types based on follower ranges:

Top tip: It is no secret that micro and nano influencers cost less than macro influencers, so try to utilise a range of different sizes to ensure you get the most out of your budget. 

Turn influencers into brand ambassadors

Manu Muraro, founder of Your Social Team has said that one-off influencer posts or stories aren’t enough to bring results to most brands, with it ‘taking 6 to 8 touches to make a sale.’ This means it’s vital to form deeper, long-term relationships with those influencers that have repeatedly performed well for you over time and turn them into a well-known and well-loved face for your brand.

Long-term partnerships will always appear more authentic from the consumer’s perspective. And with brand ambassadors often posting about the brand without being asked to and creating content off-the-bat, their genuine love for your brand will be reflected in that.  

Moreso, without the limitations of one-off contracts, the marketing opportunities with brand ambassadors are endless. From in-person meet ups, events and product range collaborations, the scope for more meaningful campaigns is ever-growing! 

Whether you’re looking to kickstart your social media campaign or refresh how you manage your marketing channels, we’re here to help. Take a look at all of our digital services here, or get in touch to find out more.