Football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made it very clear what his preferred drink of choice was when he publicly denounced Coca Cola at his Euro 2020 press conference. His actions gained global attention and were linked by many media outlets to a $4 billion dent in the fizzy drink manufacturer’s market value. While it was later revealed that the drop in stock was almost certainly not connected with his gesture, the whole incident was nevertheless a huge blow to the brand’s image.
From a brand’s perspective, such incidents are proof that consumers are increasingly seeking authenticity in the products they patronise. This opens doors of opportunity for influencer partnerships and marketing — provided they get it right.
While tapping into influencers can help your brand receive positive exposure, it is important to find the ideal one for your brand. When influencer engagement is executed with care, brands can reach far beyond the scope of traditional marketing.
Many businesses run the risk of simply reaching out to ‘big’ influencers with no game plan or defined budget.
So, bear this in mind:
Here are some tips to get started with:
Know what you’re looking for before you start looking
Start with the end in mind: What is the grand scheme of your brand strategy? Where do influencers fit into your expansion plans? Knowing the playing field is key to knowing how to strategise and engage the right influencers. It is essential to look at this from a business perspective to understand what you want from influencer partnerships.
Find an influencer whose audience and messaging aligns with yours
Influencers come from a variety of backgrounds. They create content in different ways and engage different kinds of influence. Don’t get sidetracked with how many followers or how many deals with famous brands they have. Instead, consider who they speak to. What brands tend to forget is that far reach doesn’t necessarily equal favourable results and it makes more sense for brands to find niche influencers to partner with.
A Kardashian-led campaign might be great for a fashion brand, but will they be a great fit for a fintech company?
Look at their content
Does the influencer you want to work with believe in your brand’s values? Will they authentically represent your brand to their audiences? Be sure to check their social media content. This way, you will be able to determine whether they are a good fit for you and your target audience, and vice versa.
You found the perfect influencer. Now what?
There are a few final things you can do to ensure success. We will walk you through it!
Approach the influencers as people first
Oftentimes, brands inadvertently make a fundamental mistake when they engage with influencers for the first time by not treating them as people. , they reach out to them with a business proposition as the first point of contact. This shows that brands are simply treating influencers as an advertising platform. Influencer partnership is ultimately about human connection, relationships, and partnerships. It is about beginning a dialogue and finding how to work with an influencer beyond ad spend.
Building the relationship
Working with an influencer isn’t a one-time deal. As we like to put it: an influencer partnership is a marriage, not a one-night stand. Just as with all long-term relationships, it takes time to understand each other’s wants and needs and it takes time to understand what you need to give to turn an influencer into an advocate for your brand.
Engaging the influencer’s creativity
As a brand, it is natural to feel possessive over your message and how you’re portrayed. However, an often-overlooked element of influencer partnership is giving the influencer freedom to work their own magic on your brand’s message. For influencers to be as effective as they can with your message, you have to trust them to communicate with their audience.
To dive even further into how brands can best partner with influencers, we asked Siu Lim (we LOVE her), a full-time pilates instructor and content creator to unravel better ways for brands to partner with influencers and she told us that.
“I like it when a brand knows what they want, and approaches me with a vision on how we can work together. However, it would be best if they are flexible and trust me to communicate with my audience. If a brand doesn’t align with my beliefs, and if they are very rigid on how I create content, there’s a possibility that I will decline the offer.”
So yes, it is quite difficult to figure out who and how to work with when it comes to effective influencer engagements and partnerships. Knowing how to find the right influencers for your brand makes all the difference.
Ready to get your influencer partnership up and running, but you’re still unsure how to? Write to us at [email protected], we’ll help to identify the perfect influencer for your brand!