With traditional marketing channels rendering ineffective due to the pandemic, brands are turning towards influencers.
Influencer marketing isn’t new. It has made a big noise over the past few years. (In fact, by 2021, the influencer marketing industry was expected to be worth a whopping $13.8 billion.) However, owing to the current crisis, it now has more attention than ever with influencers touting a strong foothold in their respective niches and brands recognizing this as an opportunity to reach out to their target audience via trusted individuals.
But here’s a thing: While covid-19 has brought influencer marketing to the very center of marketers’ attention, it has also changed the rules of the game. So before you rush to reach out to influencers for brand promotion, you must attend to the newer dynamics and trends.
Here are three tips to follow if you’re opting for influencer marketing:
1. Take hands of nano-influencer
A couple of years back, many brands moved from mainstream celebrities to micro-influencers. Today, they are moving to nano-influencers.
Nano-influencers have followers in thousands, and their community is very engaging.
So, while you’re reaching out to fewer people through the influencer, you’re reaching out to a highly engaged and very targeted audience who are more likely to convert.
Besides, nano-influencers are also more affordable.
So, look for influencers who have a small but engaged community of followers; influencers who are more relevant to your niche or product.
2. Aim for long-term engagement
Influencer marketing was never a “hit and run” model. If you want better conversion, your engagement with the influencer should be long-term and consistent. It shouldn’t be them promoting your product/brand once and moving forward.
A long-term engagement will enable your brand to a more consistent exposure. It would also allow you to build brand trust and create a strong base of fans who know you (via the influencer), trust you, and advocate your offerings.
3. Don’t focus on immediate sales
One of the biggest pain points of influencer marketing is the audience disliking sales pitches from their favorite influencers.
Address this pain point by ensuring your influencer doesn’t make sales pitches for you. In the majority of the cases, this will fail to drive you sufficient conversion.
Instead of sales, your KPIs should be brand engagement, as well as social media following.
Instead of pitching your products from the front and prompting the audience to purchase those products, the influencer can simply put forth that they use your products, leaving an impression on the audience. Subsequent exposure of your products in this “organic” way will automatically bring you better and sustained conversion.
Remember, “sales” doesn’t work; “recommendation” does. So, ensure the influence recommends your products and not sell them.
Need help?
These are three important tips you must follow if you’re planning to try influencer marketing in 2021.
For help, get in touch with a digital marketing agency in India.
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