Q&A: How Do Influencers Get Paid?

A social media influencer’s job is to consistently create high-quality content and actively engage with their audience. Whether their job is a side gig to make extra cash or a full-time career, influencers are able to monetize their influence. The extent to which influencers are compensated varies tremendously depending on the industry, the specific goals of the marketing campaign, and variables such as logistics (when and where they post content) and scale (how often they post content).

This Q & A session should help small business owners understand the considerations.

What are the variables that determine an influencer’s compensation?

• The number of followers/fans the influencer has
• The amount of their engagement

Engagement rate is a metric that evaluates the average number of social media interactions per follower. What counts as an interaction depends on the platform; it typically refers to likes, comments, and reactions. It is calculated as the total number of interactions to an influencer’s content divided by their total number of followers, multiplied by 100%. The engagement rate demonstrates how well content performs. Businesses should decide to what extent they expect an influencer to actively engage with followers, for example with two-sided conversations and with commentary that invites reactions.

• The fit of a particular ad placement/social media post with their following
  • Is the influencer a good match with your business/brand?
  • Does the influencer’s audience align with your target customers?

• The amount of effort entailed
  • Are they creating the content or just posting your content?

• The location of the promotion
  • On their social media account only, or will you cross-promote?
• The duration of the partnership
  • Depending on the agreed-upon length of a partnership and the volume of content, the rate per deliverable could decrease

• How usage rights are involved
  • Authorizing content for use on social media follows standard usage rights
  • Distribution beyond social channels requires further negotiation
  • Will there be an expectation of exclusivity, or will the influencer work with other businesses?

What types of influencer agreements are common?

There are different forms of agreements/arrangements. The most common type is based on sponsored social media posts. An influencer makes a post about a certain product or service and a business will pay for the promotion. Terms of this agreement include: the number of posts wanted; the type of posts wanted. The most popular posts are reviews, informational, and simply featuring and tagging the business/product/service.

A “brand ambassador” arrangement is typically an extended contract for a specific period of time, instead of a one-off partnership. The influencer acts as a representative of the business. The business provides free products/services in exchange for promoting them on social media. In addition to the exchange, businesses may elect to pay: a set fee for each piece of content created; or a percentage of or fixed amount for every conversion.

In an “affiliate marketing” arrangement, the business provides the influencer with a unique link or code to embed within their social media post that they will direct their followers to use. The link/code is able to track the influencer’s conversions, for which a commission is paid: as a percentage or fixed amount. One brand with a popular affiliate program pays a 5% commission for every conversion.

Which social media platforms are best for advertising?

The three powerhouses are currently Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. As the most entertaining channel, TikTok is quickly gaining ground. Instagram has been the dominant and user-friendly “favorite” social media channel due to its ever-expanding functionality and user base. YouTube is impactful as the largest video provider and the most likely channel to lead to a purchase. Facebook has massive reach across all demographics and notably, those groups with the higher income levels. The key considerations for businesses selecting a platform – or selecting an influencer based on the influencer’s preferred platform – are:

• How well does the channel’s demographic audience match your target audience?
• What is the channel’s preferred content format?

How are influencers paid?

Influencer payment is almost always one of the agreed-upon forms below.

• Cash
• Gifted products/services/experiences
• Discounts/coupons
• Publicity/exposure

Alternatively, businesses may send unsolicited products/incentives to influencers before making an agreement in the hope that they will post proactively. Transactions can take place directly between the business and influencers, or simply and securely through an influencer marketing platform, such as REACH-Influencers.

How is an influencer’s price determined?

Influencers often set their own rates, but businesses also have a set budget they generally want to stay within. It is also common for a business to hire an intermediary to make connections with influencers. REACH-Influencers provides a collection of campaigns for influencers to choose from with set pricing from the business. Regardless of how the price is set, it is important that all parties involved agree on the terms and what is expected of them. The two most common methods of determining pricing are to calculate based on the influencer’s number of:

• followers ($x per every 1,000 followers)
• engagements, such as clicks, likes or comments ($x per every 1,000 engagements)

Specific averages are as follows:

• Instagram: $10 per post for every 1,000 followers; $250-$750 per 1,000 engagements
• YouTube: $20 per video per 1,000 subscribers; $50 to $100 for every 1,000 video views
• Facebook: $25 per post per every 1,000 followers
• TikTok: $5 – $25 per post per 1,000 followers

Is it true that some influencers work for no charge?

Yes, you can be matched with an influencer who is the perfect nexus, someone with a strong following who loves your business or is just starting out and wants to prove themselves. Many would be willing to promote it in exchange for products, discounts, or something else. Of course, most influencers are going to do their best work when there a special incentive (exclusive or early access to new products) or financial compensation. And yes, it is possible to leverage an influencer’s work indirectly, by recycling existing content. Your business could potentially re-post, re-tweet, or re-share content from your own social media.

Your business may ultimately benefit from a combination of strategies – and even a combination of influencers. Just as their pay varies, so do influencers’ followings, savviness, and suitability with each of the channels. Fortunately for small businesses, an extensive advertising budget is not necessary. One reference point in the survey conducted by Bloglovin’. It found that 60% of the 100 influencer campaigns surveyed had a budget of less than $10,000.

What other factors should your business consider?

• What is the potential return on investment (ROI)?
  Businesses should consider what they hope to gain through their influencer campaign. Will the call-to-action that you provide to the influencer bring you the return that you want?
• Once you know the ROI, how does that compare to other marketing efforts?
  According to a 2019 survey of marketers by Mediakix, 89% say ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.
• What metrics can the influencer provide to prove their value? Influencers are able to provide results from previous influencer marketing campaigns. This information is available through an influencer’s personal (blog) site and through social media site analytics that track:
  • How many views, likes, comments did their posts generate?
  • How many daily engaged followers do they have?
  • What are the demographics of their followers?

With so many formats in which a business can work with an influencer and with so many options for compensating them, influencer marketing could be the easiest – yet most valuable – marketing move your business can make.

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

Your Best Post-Pandemic Marketing Plan

2020 was like a tsunami that has permanently changed the business landscape. While a lucky few may have weathered the storm unscathed, many were lost, and most of the survivors have had to learn to adjust. The pause on face-to-face interactions and live events caused a spike in social and digital consumption. This created a new normal where e-commerce replaced the majority of in-person shopping.

The world has become even more virtual, and online marketing has actually helped small businesses by leveling the playing field. Traditional limitations have included those on budgets, manpower, and marketing know-how. As consumers have been driven online to transactions, this is also where they are searching for trusted sources of guidance. The value for small businesses lies in building stronger relationships with their target audiences, those who care the most about what they offer. Influencer marketing presents a unique opportunity for small businesses to reach ideal customers through a low-risk, high-return, and more localized campaign – and at an affordable price.

As we continue to navigate the effects of the pandemic tsunami, your small business may be adrift in a sea of information about how to promote your products and services. Influencer marketing can be a life raft of new marketing options for your post-pandemic marketing plan.

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is an established form of social media marketing in which businesses collaborate with online influencers to market products or services. It fuses the concept of celebrity endorsement with a modern content-driven marketing campaign. Influencer marketing thereby leverages the reach, authenticity, and personality of individuals – online influencers – who have already amassed their own following in a specific niche with a specific target audience.

While online influencers can be celebrities, being famous is not a prerequisite. Online influencers are really niched “content creators.” They can market to a business’ ideal audience across different channels, such as social media, blogs, columns, digital and print ads, and television.

The key to understanding influencer marketing is to understand the definition of an influencer. First, an influencer must have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, expert level of knowledge, position, or strong relationship with his or her audience. They should be genuinely influential. Second, an influencer must have a following in a distinct niche, with whom they actively engage. They need to be the go-to person to provide an answer to a question. Their voice establishes the connection between a business and the influencer’s audience.

Why is influencer marketing beneficial to small businesses?

As traditional advertising becomes less effective in attracting leads and customers, influencer marketing is quickly gaining popularity. It’s all about connections. Influencer marketing works by using proven tactics like word-of-mouth marketing and social proof. It takes these textbook concepts and accelerates them through social media, creating a shortcut so that small businesses no longer need to expend time, money, and effort to market from the ground up.

Customers trust their peers, friends, and the people they admire more than the companies selling the very products and services they buy and use. Confronted with overwhelming options on the market, consumers use social media to lean on favorite and trusted sources (i.e., influencers) for advice on their purchases. By connecting with the right influencer, businesses gain immediate access to, and cachet with, their followers.

Post-pandemic the affordability of influencer marketing over other traditional strategies makes it accessible to businesses of all sizes. And as a bonus, when you partner with an influencer, you’re employing a real person who is, in effect, their own small business. Many influencers are even willing to collaborate in exchange for products, services, coupons/discounts, or cross-promotions. By investing in these relationships and services, you are helping to sustain your local economy.

How can my small business get started with influencer marketing?

1) Compile a list of influencers who would be ideal within your industry

2) Identify those influencers who most align with your business and its values

Influencers carefully curate content that they create for businesses to ensure that their products and services relate to and click with their audiences. The secret is authenticity. It is a genuine sense of excitement about the subject that makes sponsored content authentic. No fancy production values, backdrops, or hair and makeup crew needed – just knowledge and enthusiasm about the subject itself. Standard sponsored posts that stand the test of time allow an influencer to promote a business in their own uniquely informative and entertaining, but above all honest, way.

3) Partner with influencers

Invest in building relationships with small-scale influencers who can create worthy content to share and promote. “Micro” influencers, who are defined as having more than 1,000 followers, are the most common type. “Nano” influencers, with less than 1,000 followers, are the newest type. From a reach perspective, micro and nano influencers generate high engagement rates due to their loyal, super-engaged audiences. Their followers trust their curated and specialized content. At a lower price point, these influencers are attractive to both businesses that can afford to partner with multiple and diverse “content creators” as well as smaller businesses with more limited marketing budgets post-pandemic. It may seem counterintuitive that a business would seek out someone with a few hundred or a few thousand followers to promote it, but that unique micro or nano influencer might just deliver better results. Influencer marketing software platforms, such as REACH-Influencers, will be a helpful tool in making these connections.

4) Create the content along with your influencers

Once your small business has contracted with an influencer, your agreement will determine the extent to which they create content. The content varies depending on what you both agree on, including videos; infographics; typical posts and reviews about products and services; and engaging directly with followers. If the influencer is particular with the style of content that gets shown on their pages, they could offer to create them for you in a form of a direct/paid advertisement/paid amplification. Businesses benefit from local influencers who can work with them on location because this reduces or eliminates shipping and travel costs of goods and services that the influencer will use, and it increases the potential for hosting events together. Influencers’ offerings can also take the form of boosting existing content marketing, driving user-generated content (UGC), and even doing an account takeover on a given platform (like Instagram).

5) Use tools to track your campaign

When you contract with an influencer, you will want to set certain marketing goals for your campaign. Metrics will be used to track the influencer’s ability to deliver to the desired audience. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) ensure your campaign hits target numbers, reaches the right audience, and moves in the right direction. Common KPIs include conversions, audience growth, reach and awareness, engagement. KPIs are really whatever outcome you are hoping to achieve through your campaign.

Now that you “know the ropes,” it is time to “get underway”

Successfully navigating the business landscape with influencer marketing centers around consistently creating high-quality content and actively engaging with your audience. Customers rely on regular people and believe recommendations that are relatable and reliable. Working with influencers is a cost-effective and scalable way to gain reach by “tapping into ultra-authentic, human-centered interactions”. Having a close, personal focus is a current marketing trend that small businesses can effectively leverage. Using influencers to organically connect with their audience is the way to do that.

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

How to Build a Killer Instagram Profile

Instagram is the most important channel for social media influencer marketing. Anyone can create a profile on Instagram in a matter of minutes, but building a professional Instagram profile with a killer bio requires a greater commitment to detail. Your bio is where followers form a “first impression” and is invaluable. As an influencer with the gift of being able to craft creative content, you are already ahead of the game. Let’s review the ideal game plan by highlighting the “I”s in the Instagram playbook.

What is Your Objective: Introduce with Impact

A strong social media presence rests on a solid foundation. The goals are to attract and engage followers, establish and build your brand and that of your business partner/s, and win business with your influence. Social media users have short attention spans. You have only seconds to grab the attention of your desired audience and make a connection. Your all-important introduction should tell them who you are, what you are passionate about, and what products and/or solutions you offer within your niche market. And here’s the deal – do this in a way that reflects your incredible personality and impressive accomplishments.

What to Do: Focus on the “I”s – Information, Image, Introduction

Complete each section of your profile. Ensure that you provide the most appropriate info and correct amount of info so that a viewer will come away with the details that they need.

Add a fantastic photo for your profile image. This cannot be overstated. It should be clear and clearly represent you and who you are. For the best results, use this helpful guide to ensure that your photo is properly sized. Consider using this photo consistently across your channels.

How to Do It Step by Step: Items to Include

Username

This is your identity and how users will recognize you. It serves as your handle and forms your Instagram URL. Like your photo, you may consider using it consistently across channels.

Name

You can enter your real name, legal name, or your business name. Remember that your username and your name are the only items that a business looks for when it conducts searches. For this reason, you might use abbreviations of your name or your nick names to ensure users can find you. In addition, this is an ideal place to enter one or two industry-specific keywords to explain what you do. This section allows 30 characters.

Link to Your Site

Insert the URL to your business or your business partner in your bio. This is a premium position that you can offer to a business partner. Be cognizant that your business partner may want to link to their home page or a specific landing page that features their promoted products. You may change the URL as often as you like.

Bio

This is where you will really shine! In your bio, write a balanced intro that strikes the right chord. Be descriptive while injecting a shot of personality and staying within the 150 character limit. Describe yourself, your interests, your skills, and your values. Insert links to other channels and business partner websites. Keep search results in mind. The more optimized your bio is for search engines, the more traffic you can drive and the better your Instagram profile will be.

Here are some other ways to grab the attention of followers in your bio:

• Clickable Links and Hashtags — Inserting “#” or “@” in your bio will automatically create clickable links for seamless connection to hashtags or other profiles that complement your brand. Hashtagsare very engaging. You should add business-specific hashtags to encourage followers to use them in tagged posts. This will actually make it easier to gather user-generated content that you can use for marketing. Be careful – while bio hashtags are clickable, they do not appear in results when you search for them. Only include hashtags that are directly related to business.
• Emojis — Emojis, by definition, easily convey emotions. Usage within your bio is a popular way to make your profile eye-catching and show your personality. Again, be careful – they should be used sparingly and for emphasis, especially related to simplifying communications.
• Line Breaks and Spacing — Line breaks and spacing enhance visual appeal. Most readers prefer information that is presented in manageable chunks. Bulleted content may work well as an alternative.
• Instagram Stories and Highlights —These are posted permanently and prominently directly underneath your bio. They encourage followers to engage every time they visit. These are the examples that should showcase and share your unique offerings.

Category

Definitely specify a category in your profile so that viewers can understand what you have to offer. Selecting a category will free up character space in your bio. Note that this section only appears if you have a Professional Account.

Contact Details

If you have opted to create an Instagram professional profile, a contact button will allow users to reach you by email or phone. If you add your physical address, this will allow Instagram to show your address and directions on the user’s map, making it easier for them to find you. Using this function will also free up character space in your bio. Note that this section may only appear for mobile users.

Verified Badge

The tiny blue checkmark that appears next to some names on Instagram indicates that the profile is “verified” and is associated with the correct individual. The purpose is for well-known figures/businesses to eliminate the risk of scams and fake identities. In order toget verified by Instagram, you can request verification through the menu on the app and you must submit numerous documents to prove your identity. While the process can take weeks, it is highly recommended if you qualify.

Action Buttons or Links

Instagram users can be invited to take action without moving to a third-party site. You can ask them to purchase products, services, or tickets or sign up for more information directly from your Insta profile. This is another convenient tool because users prefer to transact and interact without going to another website, especially one they are not sure they can trust. A simple “Follow Me” call to action (CTA) can go a long way!

In summary, if your ideal Instagram bio is going to successfully identify you as someone who can influence and inspire, make sure you have put the “I”s in it. Introduce yourself, inform, and include your best images and items that describe you and your interests. Once you’ve built your killer Instagram profile, use these same creative skills to create your REACH Influencers profile to start working with businesses today!

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

In celebration of Derby Week in Kentucky, if social media channels were thoroughbreds in an influencer marketing horse race, the order of finish for the top five horses would be: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Blogs, and Twitter. Those “in the money” in the race would be Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook – by a nose over Blogs. Once considered “much the best,” (which means the winner by a lot), Instagram may now be in a closer contest with competitors gaining ground. Still, a few furlongs behind would be Twitter. And at the back of the pack would be LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitch, the dark horse TikTok, and Snapchat.

Sticking with our horse theme, these are the “stable” of products offered by each channel:

Instagram: Instagram Post, Instagram Story, Instagram Video, Instagram Reel, IGTV
YouTube: YouTube Video, YouTube Live
Facebook: Facebook Post, Facebook Video, Facebook Live
Blogs: Blog Post
Twitter: Twitter Post, Twitter Video
LinkedIn: LinkedIn Post, LinkedIn Video, LinkedIn Pulse
Twitch: Twitch Livestream
TikTok: TikTok Videos

In the post-race analysis, it is currently a “three-horse race.” Instagram is a powerful and dominant “favorite” influencer channel due to its ever-expanding functionality and user base. YouTube remains impactful, holding its “place” position as the largest video provider. Facebook fits the profile of a “show horse” – a consistent performer and the popular fan choice. From the perspective of an influencer considering the entire “field” of channels to use, it is beneficial to recall what will interest businesses most:

-How well does the channel’s demographic audience match the target audience?
-What is the channel’s preferred content format?
-Is the channel’s pricing within the budget?

Let’s study the channels and determine how to build a successful strategy that will put you and your business partner in the “winner’s circle.”

INSTAGRAM

Instagram is considered “aspirational, informative, and user-friendly.”

Audience: Instagram’s base is primarily Millennials and Gen Z, ages 18 to 34. Females favor Instagram, with 56.4% female users and 43.6% male users. Mid to high-income level users prefer it: 39% of the people earning $30,000 – $74,999, and 42% who earn more than $75,000 use Instagram.

Content: Instagram Posts allow influencers to showcase businesses and products with appealing photos and videos with a caption. Influencers can make their content more searchable and expand reach by using hashtags. IG Stories and IGTV let influencers share real-time content with their audience. The Instagram Shop feature enables influencers to easily tag businesses and products on their posts and then guides users to a check-out page. This enhanced shopping feature drives sales and brand awareness.

Pricing: One common method of determining price points is to calculate pricing based on the number of followers an influencer has. On average, Instagram influencers charge roughly $10 per post for every 1,000 followers. The method that takes results into consideration calculates pricing based on engagement (e.g., likes and comments). On average, influencers could charge $250-$750 per 1,000 engagements.

YOUTUBE

YouTube is generally considered the most likely influencer channel to lead to a purchase.

Audience: YouTube has mass appeal across demographics. Its most frequent users are in the 18 to 34 age group. Females and males view YouTube in an equal ratio. The content that they view reflects traditional interests. Male viewers prefer categories related to sports, gaming, and fitness. Female viewers follow cosmetics, skin/nail care, and weight loss categories.

Content: Because YouTube focuses on long-form video content, it is the ideal vehicle for influencers to promote businesses, share product tutorials, and review products and services in full detail. Influencers can also attach business website and product links within the video description. These features make YouTube especially effective in converting consumers into buyers.

Pricing: YouTube influencers can calculate their price based on either their follower count or the number of views from their videos. On average, YouTube influencers charge about $20 per video per 1,000 subscribers. For YouTube creators who charge according to the number of views, they typically charge $50 to $100 for every 1,000 video views.

FACEBOOK

Of course, Facebook is the originator of social media and has a massive reach with more than 2.7 billion active users.

Audience: Facebook users represent nearly all age demographics, and the most active group is in the age group of 25 to 39-year-olds. Younger audiences prefer Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, Snapchat, and Tiktok. Although Facebook’s users skew towards older age groups, these groups also have higher income levels. More than 70% of mid to high-income people on social media use Facebook.

Content: Facebook has improved its content options with Stories, Facebook Watch, Facebook Live for real-time content, and Facebook Groups for open discussion among interest groups. Influencers who partner with community-oriented businesses may find Facebook’s tools very accessible and a useful secondary influencer channel for amplification.

Pricing: Facebook influencers charge an average of $25 per post per every 1,000 followers.

BLOGS

Since you are reading this blog, you are probably not surprised that more than 70% of people online refer to blogs.

Audience: Blog readers tend to be older than other social media users with an average age of 41. Male readers seek out blogs more frequently than females.

Content: Blogs rely on a long-form storytelling format. Blogs exist to inform, educate, and persuade audiences. Influencers can effectively leverage this platform to write about their personal experiences with a business and its products and services. They often pen descriptive and utilitarian “how-to” articles. A major benefit of blogs is that they are archived in an organized fashion, which ensures that they are readily available and do not get lost in the shuffle of cluttered and changing formats. One of the common forms of collaboration with bloggers is sponsoring blog posts. Successful sponsorships build organic search traffic by driving traffic directly from the blog to the business website.

Pricing: Bloggers charge an average of $60 per blog. Factors in pricing include the length of the blog, the specificity of the topic, and any additional expenses incurred in researching the topic if it relates to first-hand knowledge or experience with the product or service. Although they are not flashy, there is inherent value in the relatively long shelf life of blog posts.

TWITTER

Technically Twitter is a “microblogging” system.

Audience: Millennials constitute the largest user group on Twitter. Male users gravitate to tweets much more than women; 65% of males use Twitter compared with only 35% of females.

Content: Twitter’s unique format of “tweets” allows users only 280 characters to make a post. It is quick and engaging, but limited. Twitter is therefore not ideal for influencers to provide rich context or wax effusively about products and services. Focused on real-time info related to news and events, it is best when promoting corporate events or industry news briefly and in combination with hashtags.

Pricing: Twitter influencers charge approximately $2 per post per 1,000 followers.

TikTok

TikTok has perhaps taken the reins as the most creative and entertaining channel.

Audience: TikTok took the world by storm as the fastest-growing social media platform with about 700 million users. TikTok’s audience base is roughly a pyramid. Its foundation group is made up of teens, followed by users in their 20s. Its smallest demographic is those 50 and over. Slightly more of TikTok’s users are male.

Content: TikTok is famous for its short-form videos that allow creators to add audio and visual effects. It is especially known for trending challenges. Rapidly jockeying for position, what has differentiated TikTok from the social media giants (Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter) is that its “secretive algorithm appears to prize engagement. The app serves videos that it determines the user is likely to watch for longer.” Therefore it gives all creators the feeling that they could be discovered next, even if it is a long shot. TikTok is currently set to introduce automated captions that will automatically add subtitles to posts. The intent is to make its products more accessible to users, especially in the deaf community, and less burdensome to creators.

Pricing: TikTok influencers charge from $5 – $25 per post per 1,000 followers.

Play of the Day Tip:

Just as audiences’ interests and preferences are constantly evolving, so is social media. As an influencer, you should understand the various channels in order to most effectively harness your horsepower. Be selective and innovative in connecting with followers/potential customers to avoid becoming a one-trick pony. Influencers who work with partners to choose the appropriate channel can inform, entertain, and win the trust of their target audience and in turn capture the “trifecta” – their hearts, minds, and business.

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

Influencer marketing has survived the wild ride of 2020 as an established and thriving advertising path. Whether you approach this road determined to build a lucrative career or content to sustain a fun side gig, you can understand how to not only navigate it but potentially become an IM star with the following steps:

• Select your niche
• Build a professional profile
• Grab the audience with content
• Finesse that content
• Collaborate
• Listen
• Diversify your channels

Select Your Niche

The easiest and most important step is to follow your passion. Become knowledgeable about a subject of genuine interest. Devote as much time as you possibly can to learning everything you possibly can about this niche and whatever makes it special. The goal is to become a trusted and go-to source of information to your audience and post content that has been crafted in your own signature style. Post regularly and frequently.

Build a Professional Profile

Create an attractive and engaging social media profile/s. Tell your personal story in a brief biography that conveys your passion and captures the attention of potential followers. This description is one of the first things that they will focus on and hopefully connect with immediately. If you choose to set up a business profile, this would give you the ability to run ads, promote your posts, gain insight into your audience, and most importantly – track your results. A serious professional influencer is also equipped with a media kit. It is a toolkit of reference information that is needed in dealing with business partners. Reliable and real-time data and statistics should be an integral part. Invest some time in finding a dashboard of metrics that is easy to access and manage. Your media toolkit may include:

• A brief bio that reflects your personality and interests
• A description of services that you can provide
• A pricing list for your services
• Examples of previous influencer marketing campaigns
• Testimonials
• Data/statistics that include audience insights, number of followers, and engagement and conversion rates from previous campaigns

Grab the Audience with Content

The most fun part of your job as an influencer is creating content and then posting that finished product. Your naturally high interest in your subject coupled with your high level of enthusiasm about representing it should organically translate into high engagement with your audience. To really hook your audience, you will want to establish a regular posting schedule. Commit to posting a few times a week or even a few times a day. Whichever schedule you select, make sure that it is realistic. There are platforms, such as Hootsuite, Buffer, Planoly, and Loomly, that allow creators to develop the content in advance and set dates and times for it to be posted automatically.

Finesse Your Content

Once your knowledge has poured out into a form and your content cake is baked, do not forget the icing on the cake – quality control. Ensure that your materials are polished with attention to:

• Correct spelling, grammar, and word choice
• Photos with punchy captions
• Photos taken in optimal lighting and resolution, edited with built-in filters and special tools, if available
• Overall look and feel
• Signature style

Hashtags are a must to improve your impact. They allow other users to discover your content and expand your reach. Selecting relevant hashtags within the search volumes of “10,000 to 1 million” would maximize the potential to appear in top posts. One AI-powered tool for hashtag selection is HashtagsForLikes. It can scan your profile and recommend hashtags. You can also enter a hashtag on the platform, and it will show performance.

Collaborate

Be a good partner. Collaborate – with businesses and with other influencers. Businesses appreciate the extra effort in planning and carrying out influencer marketing campaigns. Making additional posts beyond the minimum requested and providing feedback about how to improve the performance of the campaign demonstrate effort and interest in its overall success. Cultivating a positive relationship with a business will build goodwill. Repeat business, further recommendations, and increased popularity are all benefits of applying incremental initiative however possible. Likewise, make a concerted effort to maintain constructive relationships with other influencers. Take advantage of opportunities for group campaigns. By embracing collaboration, your reach and visibility will be enhanced.

Listen

Be a good listener. Distribute content to your audience and interact actively. “Talk to them, talk with them, and talk about them.” Go the extra mile, not just for business partners, but also with your audience by getting involved in discussions where you add value. Specific examples of ways to bond include:

• Acknowledge comments to your posts and reply to them quickly
• Return in kind by liking and commenting on followers’ posts
• Include a call-to-action in captions
• Post at times when you can statistically maximize engagement
• Host giveaways and contests
• Create polls in Instagram Stories
• Follow similar personalities and interact with them

There are no shortcuts here. Authentic connections and organic growth are ideal. Avoid self-promotion to irrelevant groups and paid followers. Followers that you pay for do not truly engage on your posts, and artificially high follower counts damage your credibility.

Diversify Your Channels

While you may have a favorite platform, it is wise to diversify your communication channels. Expect the unexpected (such as having an account go down or an entire platform disappears), and be ready to pivot. Explore backup plans for interacting with followers. Your research may even lead you to online communities in previously untapped sources. Remember to cover your bases in mainstream ways. Create and cultivate your own website or blog. Keep Facebook in mind. The number of Facebook groups has surged, and businesses are interested in advertising to these special interest groups. And Instagram Stories has obviously become incredibly popular and can be an ideal platform for gaining a following as well as added visibility through reciprocity. Use techniques like inserting hashtags, locations, an outbound link with a “swipe up” option, and tagging others.

In summary, the road to success with influencer marketing centers around consistently creating high-quality content and actively engaging with your audience. We have covered several of the best practices for making your presence stand out. Be willing to go the extra mile to differentiate yourself, and you will see results!

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

What Does Success Look Like in Influencer Marketing?

Businesses of all sizes consider influencer marketing an essential advertising channel. Some influencer marketing goals include: growing the audience; increasing reach and traffic; and driving engagement. Of course, the primary goal is generating sales and business growth. Before an influencer gets into the game to score points for their business partner, let’s learn what those businesses “CARE” about in terms of measuring success in influencer marketing. These are four key performance indicators (KPIs):

Conversions
Audience growth
Reach and awareness
Engagement

Conversions

The conversion rate is found by tracking sales before, during, and after the influencer marketing campaign and comparing any changes in sales that occurred while the campaign was running. Businesses may use advanced tracking techniques such as setting up affiliate links, UTM parameters, promo codes, landing pages, and link tracking for the campaign. This allows them to track the traffic sources of customers who converted during the campaign.

Conversions are not always related to sales, and other conversion rates may be monitored. When a prospect completes a desired action, that activity counts as a conversion. Examples are: clicking on a link; signing up for an online newsletter; downloading an item of interest; or requesting a coupon. Additional conversion rates might include: how many Facebook likes you add; new followers you gain; people signed up for emails, or people completed forms or registrations.

Audience Growth

Audience growth reflects the ability to capture a potential customer. A consumer needs to be influenced beyond merely clicking through a content creator’s blog or newsfeed to arrive at a company website. While this may register on the reach/traffic KPI, the consumer would need to be engaged to the point of following the business on Facebook or Twitter to receive updates and promotions for this to count as successful audience growth. It is about more than making a connection with the masses. It is about converting individuals into loyal fans.

Businesses track audience growth with social media site analytics. They monitor followers and emails to determine how many were gained during a campaign compared to pre-campaign numbers. Businesses also pay attention to the analysis of demographics because they must ensure that their influencers deliver their messages to reach the correct audience. For example, it is not enough to convince tweens to buy a certain sneaker. The parent who is shelling out for new kicks needs to be on board and ideally become the customer.

Reach and Awareness

Influencers are valuable to businesses because it is their voice that establishes the connection between their audience and the business’ products and services. Achieving this through the quality of their content. The connection through content controls access to a built-in audience. Such access can increase visibility and ultimately boost awareness and build new relationships.

Businesses want to measure reach, a metric that demonstrates the extent of their messages. They track how many people have been reached with a campaign, how many new prospects became aware of the business, and how well the campaign was reinforced with pre-existing prospects. Reach and awareness is often measured through influencer follower counts and traffic data.

Follower counts are tracked with “impression” data on a variety of posts (blog posts, social posts, videos) and content created specifically for a campaign. This information is available through an influencer’s personal (blog) site and social media site analytics, the business’ social media analytics, and Google Analytics by comparing new versus return visitors when the campaign is running.

Traffic data is the most reliable success indicator because it quantifies the traffic that flowed from the influencer’s link to the business’ website, thanks to the campaign. The same tools that are in use to track conversions can monitor influencer-driven traffic, such as promo codes and UTM parameters. Other metrics to assess include new visitors; referral sources; total page views; and time on site.

Engagement

Engagement is a significant KPI because it provides a deeper understanding of how well social media users receive a campaign. Ultimately engagement indicates how people receive a business, how strong a relationship is with an audience, how relevant the business is, and how loyal the customers will be. The following actions taken by an individual are all examples of engagements:

• Clicks
• Likes
• Comments
• Reactions
• Shares
• Mentions
• Votes
• Pins
• Video views
• Brand mentions
• The number of saved posts

There are two methods of measuring engagement. BuzzSumo is a specialized marketing tool that will actually track and measure engagement. It simply requires entering the URL of a specific blog or Facebook post. Similarly, Instagram allows influencers to make a screenshot of post insights.

Engagement percentage is measurable by manually dividing the number of engagements by the number of impressions, or by dividing the number of engagements by the number of followers. You can calculate cost per engagement (CPE) by dividing total ad spend by the number of engagements. Businesses target a lower CPE. Generally speaking, the higher the organic reach, the greater level of engagement and the more influencer return on investment (ROI).

Influencer marketing is a more sophisticated version of tried and true “word-of-mouth advertising” that builds on the quality of content in the modern age. By understanding the KPIs that businesses most CARE about, influencers can track progress and measure success in meeting the shared goals of influencer marketing campaigns.

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!

After a totally unpredictable and culturally profound year in 2020, businesses are analyzing the ways in which they reach consumers with a renewed focus on influencer marketing trends.

1. Micro and nano influencers will gobble up more of the marketing pie

Influencers will continue to develop expertise in their niches, making them even more sought after by businesses in those industries. From a reach perspective, micro and nano influencers generate high engagement rates due to their loyal, super-engaged audiences. Their followers trust their curated and specialized content. At a lower price point, these influencers are attractive to both businesses that can afford to partner with multiple and diverse “content creators” as well as smaller businesses with more limited budgets.

2. Influencers will value quality (content) over quantity (follower count)

Two words: creative worth. As influencers become more specialized, there will likely be a shift in how they are valued. Because so many influencers are true artists – you writers, performers, photographers, videographers, and chefs know who you are! – it’s not surprising that they’d want to be known for what they actually create. They place more value on their own creative worth and high-quality content than being considered social media celebrities.

3. Authenticity will remain literally key

Influencers carefully curate content that they create for businesses to ensure that the products and services click with their audiences. The secret sauce is authenticity. It is a genuine sense of excitement about the subject that makes sponsored content authentic. No fancy production values, backdrops, or hair and makeup crew needed – just knowledge and enthusiasm about the subject itself. Standard sponsored posts that stand the test of time allow an influencer to promote a business in their own uniquely informative and entertaining, but above all honest, way.

4. Short-form video will continue to soar

People of all ages love watching videos. They love escaping reality through light-hearted content. The pandemic highlighted a new reliance on apps for social entertainment. Short-form video is the style of brief, instantly-engaging video content. It has become ubiquitous across platforms. First, “disappearing content” options like Instagram Stories became popular. Then TikTok took off. Influencers were along for the ride – gaining followers on the platform and partnering with businesses to create sponsored posts and ads. More recently, Instagram expanded its short-form video functionality with the introduction of Reels.

Short-form videos are simple to produce and offer real-time entertainment and on-trend, time-sensitive messaging – all while appealing to our notoriously shortened attention spans. Authentic, relatable influencer marketing content is expected to expand beyond social media channels (pre-roll, digital ads, etc.) as short-form video continues to trend.

5. Influencers will demo new platforms

It may be easy to create content, but it may be hard to answer the question – where will content resonate best? In addition to the existing social media platforms, new and experimental forms of media will emerge. As platforms court influencers, they even employ technology such as AI and CGI techniques to advance them. And IGTV is poised for growth with the addition of live ads.

6. Social commerce will bring new sponsorship opportunities

The pandemic forced businesses to find even more creative ways of connecting with shoppers. Necessity is the mother of invention, and social commerce was born. Shoppable videos and shoppable posts have created a seamless user experience. Influencer marketers should look to partner with businesses ready to build shoppable content into their plans for integration between platforms and e-commerce solutions.

7. Paid amplification will play a supporting role

True, paid ads are typically not used together with influencer marketing campaigns. However, paid amplification (message promotion) is an influencer marketing trend becoming increasingly useful to reach large, niche audiences. Thanks to extremely granular ad targeting provided by social media platforms, businesses can ensure that their valuable influencer content gets seen despite tricky social media algorithms. This improves overall campaign impact

8. Diversity and inclusion will drive partnerships

2020 brought social justice issues to the forefront. Both representation and taking action on stated values matter to consumers. With an eye on diversity and inclusion, influencer campaigns will want to “accentuate the positive” as the old saying goes – promote audience connections by reflecting the best qualities among the vast array of human differences. Influencers themselves should anticipate that businesses need to represent diverse consumer segments.

9. Businesses will seek ongoing partnerships over one-time projects

Sales can take time. Even influencers with highly-engaged audiences may not be able to contribute immediately from a single post. Influencers should consider marketing campaigns that include several sponsored posts over a set period of time. In addition, joining an influencer marketing network can provide legitimacy.

10. Performance-based deals and metrics will increase

As businesses and influencers both seek the stability offered by long-term partnerships, it’s likely that performance-based influencer marketing will grow. Collaboration and planning will intensify. This means that influencers will need to convert expectations into a specific number of sales or clicks. Influencers should understand two important things: the guarantee they would be agreeing to in a contract; and the metrics that track their ability to deliver to the desired audience.

With a platform like Reach, you can easily manage and scale your influencer campaigns to get the most out of your budget and time. Sign up today or set up a demo to learn more!