Tips: Influencer Marketing

Thanks to Black Box, I got to familiarize myself with the concept of influencer marketing. If you would have asked me what an influencer was back in September and why he/she is relevant, I would have stared back at you blankly. But after having engulfed myself into the world of influencer marketing for a few months, I can say with certainty that I see this being the new “in” trend, so hop on the wagon before everyone starts doing it…

So first, what is an influencer? According to dictionary.com, an influencer is “a person who has the power to influence many people, as through social media or traditional media.” Getting these influencers to post anything that you are trying to promote, whether it be a new song, video, a new product or anything in between, can amplify the reach of your message. Their followers l o v e them and trust their recommendations therefore, by using influencers to get your message out, it’s as if you’re using word of mouth marketing by telling your friends, but instead of telling 10-20 people, you’re telling hundreds of thousands, even millions (all depending on who you decide to target).

Here are some tips when starting your research & reaching out to influencers:

• Start an Excel file where you can house all of the influencer’s information – Valuable information to gather includes their name, social media handle(s), number of followers on each platform and most importantly, an email address. The goal is to create equal value exchanges, so having their number of followers can help you come up with an enticing offer.
• Do not cookie cutter your email – Personalize your email; show them that you actually took the time to scroll through their Instagram profile or watch some of their published YouTube videos.
• Tailor your ask/offer for each influencer – Depending on the influencer, and the platform, a certain request to them may be more appropriate than another, as may be an offer on your end.
• Get creative – Oftentimes, influencers will ask for monetary compensation in order for them to promote your song/video/product, but, if you have a large social reach yourself, why not do a “post for post” i.e. you post about them on your socials, and they post about you on theirs. It’s a win-win.
• Be open-minded, but don’t get taken advantage of – Hear them out. Perhaps the opportunity won’t be fitting for right now, but you never know, it may be at some point. Having already established a connection with them, it will be easier for you to reach out down the line.

When first starting off, it can be intimidating to start your database of influencers, but just like everything, after some time, you get used to it and it becomes easier. It’s certainly hard work and very time consuming, but trust me, when you see a collaboration come to life, it’s a pretty awesome feeling!

So hop on the bandwagon now before influencer marketing becomes the norm…