Influencer marketing has quickly become a crucial way that brands and businesses reach potential consumers. But the idea of utilizing influencers is still relatively new and as such, many organizations don’t know much about how to best employ these influencers — or even where to start when it comes to engaging in influencer marketing practices. In this three-part series, we’ll provide you with a brief intro and some great advice as you get into the world of influencer marketing.

1. Do your research. You want to find influencers who are a good match for your business —  and that means doing a deep dive on social to figure out if an influencer is a good fit. Influencers will be less likely to agree to a partnership if they don’t want to push your product or business to their followers as that could cost them numbers. The more an influencer may actually use whatever service or good you’re producing, the more effective your collaborative efforts will be.

2. Engage from the get-go. Because influencers receive a lot of pitches and cold-call type messages, you want to introduce yourself and your business in an interesting and engaging way. Don’t just copy and paste the same message to multiple influencers but instead personalize it and show you actually know who you’re reaching out to and why you believe they’d be a good fit.

3. Give up control. Influencers know their followers best and have usually put a significant amount of thought and effort into building their following. The more creativity and freedom you allow them in how they promote your product, the more engaging their marketing will be. Of course, you should always have some idea of how and when they’re going to post about your business and you can feel free to make suggestions but the ultimate decision should lie with the influencer.

Stay tuned for next month’s installment for more tips on influencer marketing!

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