How To Run An Influencer Marketing Campaign
If you're looking to start an influencer marketing campaign for your brand, there are a few things you need to know first. While I typically cover influencer-related news in my blog, I wrote about four misconceptions when it comes to influencer marketing.
This blog post will give you a crash course in all things influencer marketing. We'll cover everything from how to set up your campaign to working with influencers effectively. By the end of this blog, you should have a good understanding of how to run an influencer marketing campaign that makes an impact.
Identifying The Right Type of Influencer To Work With
There are pros and cons to working with different-sized influencers, and identifying the right type of influencer (based on their audience size) is a crucial step. Partnering with micro, mid-tier, and macro influencers can each be used to drive awareness at the ground level while reaching an actively-engaged audience.
The main advantage of working with a nano influencer is that their audiences trust them deeply and are highly dedicated. However, the downside of working with a nano influencer is that they may need more experience or time to work with more established businesses.
Mid-tier influencers have the potential to create similar results as larger influencers. Still, they tend to charge less for their services to create content that genuinely connects with their audience. Additionally, mid-tier influencers often have more reach than large influencers, meaning their content can immediately impact your business if relevant and engaging.
Finally, macro-influencers have the most reach and can impact your business immediately if their content is relevant and engaging. However, it's important to remember that these individuals may lose connection to their audience over time as they grow larger.
How To Create Quality Content With An Influencer
Once you've identified your potential influencers based on your overall objectives and budget, you'll need to consider how that sponsored content comes to life. Creating quality content can be daunting on its own, and when you add more cooks to the kitchen, including your client or an influencer, it can take things to another level. To make everyone's lives easier, start with this goal in mind: Create quality influencer content, and lean on your influencer to establish a connection with their audience.
It is also essential to ask for specific content requests in return for collaboration. For example, an influencer may request that you provide feedback on their latest deliverables. This can be done by setting the expectation of high-quality content and a collaborative partnership when reviewing their work. If you are willing to compromise on creative control, both parties can walk away with what ends up being a positive collaboration.
As you work with your influencers, it is essential to be respectful and courteous. Always ensure your feedback is prescriptive and constructive. Take the time to understand their perspective; they know their audience better than anyone. It can be challenging to provide quality content when you are feeling rushed or frustrated, but taking the time to build a good relationship will pay off in the long run.
To ensure your content is high quality, come prepared with content ideas that are relevant and interesting to your influencer and their audience. It will help the overall process if you proofread your influencer's work extensively before having your influencer publish their content. This will help you avoid common mistakes such as typos and grammar errors. But also to ensure your brand is being talked about the right way.
Ways To Work With Influencers More Effectively
Influencers can be a powerful marketing tool for businesses looking to reach new audiences. However, working with an influencer has its challenges. It is important to always be respectful when working with an influencer and to agree on a timeline and compensation upfront. Nobody likes to work for free, so I advise my client to set that expectation going in. If we can secure partnerships with products or something else of value, that's just icing on the cake.
When working with an influencer, it is important to keep the following in mind:
The first step is to identify the influencer's target audience. Once you understand their audience, you can determine their suitability for your brand. I firmly believe in having my clients' brands or their products show up authentically by doing so in-feed. It is also important to consider what type of tone you want your campaign to take.
For example, some influencers prefer light-hearted campaigns, while others are more serious, depending on the category. For example, an influencer partnering with a candy company will have a different approach to an influencer partnering with a healthcare company.
Once you have identified your influencer's target audience and determined their tone, the next step is to ideate around a campaign that aligns with that influencer and their overall approach to content. Finally, always be prepared to pay well for high-quality content. The amount paid will depend on how much effort was put into creating it and whether or not it has already been published elsewhere.
By keeping these tips in mind, businesses can ensure success when working with an influencer.
UTM Code For Influencer Campaign Tracking
Tracking the results and impact over time is important to determine if your influencer partnerships are moving the needle for your business and to get that external validation that it is the right strategy. If you want to help track the results of your influencer campaign, look to use UTM codes to track performance accurately. This will allow you to keep track of all activity related to your campaign, including impressions, clicks, and leads. Additionally, it will help you measure the success of your influencer marketing efforts against the goal you set out to achieve.
There are a few different UTM codes that you can use to track your influencer marketing campaign. The most common is the "utm_source" UTM code. This code tells Google which website created the impression. For example, using "utm_source=facebook" will tell Google that Facebook generated the impression.
Another type of UTM code is the "utm_medium" UTM code. This tells Google what kind of content was responsible for generating the impression. For example, using "utm_medium=social" will tell Google that the impression was generated from a social media post from your brand's channels.
Finally, there is the "utm_campaign" UTM code. This tells Google which influencer campaign generated the impression. For example, if you have an "#influencermarketing" campaign and create an impression with "utm_campaign= Influencer Marketing Campaign," this will be recorded as an influencer marketing activity on your reporting dashboard.
In Summary
Working with influencers can be a great way to promote your brand and reach new audiences. However, it is important to keep a few things in mind when working with them. In order to create quality content, you need to establish a positive relationship with your influencers as partners. Be sure to respect their time, set clear expectations upfront, and be willing to compromise on creative control.
If you need help with influencer marketing, be sure to stay up to date with your favorite digital marketing blogs or go straight to the pros like those at Popular Pays, Tagger, and Linqia, so that you can continue to improve your campaigns. I’ve worked with each of these companies in previous roles in my career and have seen success with each.
Want more social media news worth using? You can read more of my latest social media updates and more deep dives on specific topics on my blog if you’re new to my website.
