Digital Influencers are the marketing strategy your company needs- but how exactly do you get one?
Influencers have revolutionized the way many businesses do marketing. In fact, modern marketing strategies are far different from those that were familiar just ten years ago. Today’s changing digital market doesn’t rely on catchy tunes or kitschy gimmicks- instead, we look toward the trusted advice of influencers to give a reliable account of why these products apply to us.
This can be seen perfectly when looking at influencers like Rui Duarte Catana (@ruiduaretcatana), a Portuguese family man that also knows a thing or two about health and fitness. Influencers like Rui Duarte Catana remind us that everyday people whose lives aren’t all that different from our own use these products and services every day. These social media accounts better relate to a wider berth of customers that would otherwise be nearly impossible to get the attention of by other means. So how exactly do you snag the magic of an influencer? Read on to find out.
Contents
Why Digital Influencers Are So Important
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Digital influencers play an important part in how goods and services are advertised in conventional markets. This is largely because younger consumers have a newfound distrust of traditional ad campaign styles, opting for a more authentic experience over one-way communication, or cheesy infomercials. This could be due to the growing adoption of all things digital, where spam campaigns, mass mailers, and pop-ups often get blocked as nuisances and distractions.
Many mainstream consumers are looking for something that is more relatable- something they are capable of interacting with. Particularly in formats that they can more tightly control. This is why celebrity endorsements are also going the way of the Dodo. Despite a better idea of our interests thanks to mass data collection and targeted ads- consumers still don’t want to be spoken to. Instead, they prefer to interact with their influences in real-time, which makes the integration with social media, and “just like you and I” Influencers by far one of the most efficient means of advertising.
Followers can watch their influencer of choice interact directly with products and services, and they can also see that it matches the niche the influencer resides in. Meaning that they don’t feel as if they are being pulled from their pastime, but instead, advertisements are being integrated into their own interests directly, which can be a near-boundless scope.
Finding the Digital Influencer You Need
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Rui Duarte Catana is a perfect example of how one influencer may reach many different audiences, as well as span a wide variety of business niches. He is also the perfect example of how an account can represent varied niches but still stay perfectly on-brand for themselves and their followers. Which is one of the many reasons the account has continued its growing success.
These types of influencers are exactly the kind you need to really get your product front and center for both legacy markets as well as novel clientele that would not normally interact with your products. While it seems unnecessary to spend money and time catering towards a clientele that won’t immediately use your brand- that’s because it is. However, fringe-client market exposure is a huge bonus of using these types of digital influencers or specifically searching for an influencer that is brand-specific, but follower varied.
This is because these types of clients are exceptional for “word-of-mouth” marketing. The “I don’t use it myself, but I saw it on Instagram the other day and it looks really nice” type of marketing. This word of mouth marketing is essentially free for business and just sort of comes with the territory of choosing the right digital influencer and making your marketing investment go even further.
Too Good to Turn Down
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If you think you’ve found the perfect account and influencer to represent your business – you’re going to want to get a move on. Contact the influencer as soon as possible, but make sure you’ve got a proposal that is just too good to turn down. Many high-level influencers are incredibly busy and will often not accept products that don’t represent their brand. So make sure that you know exactly why you’re hiring them, and represent that in your pitch.
Surely you will be paying them- but so will every other business that wants to get in on their digital fairy dust. Make sure that you have something more to offer your influencer than just money and a straight forward email. Most influencers will receive several hundred promotional requests per day, so you’ll need a solid strategy to stand out from the pack. This can include promotional items and perks or just having the product that dovetails seamlessly into their brand.
Another tried, and true strategy is to do a bit of research before you reach out to them. This means that you need to know more about any given influencer than just their number of followers. Pay close attention to engagement and any traffic on linked websites. It can also help to begin establishing a relationship with them through interaction on their posts, as well as through private messaging services. Show an interest in what they do, and you may be more recognizable to them when it comes to striking a collaboration deal.
The Art of the Deal
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Just because you don’t have a multi-billion dollar marketing budget doesn’t mean you can snag yourself a top engaging influencer at a price you can reasonably afford. Many influencers are excited to work with smaller brands- especially if those brands fit the influencer’s target audience. This target audience will be the key to figuring out each individual influencer’s motivational and post habits.
Many influencers pride themselves on sticking to products and affiliations that stick closely to their base motivations- such as health and wellness inspirations, our making the world a better place. Finding out what it is they are passionate about, and tailoring your marketing campaign to closely align with their passions and motivations mean you might be better able to get their services at a better price.
However, even with all of this in mind- the best way to reach out to an influencer is to reach out to them. Ensure that they are the best choice for your company and your brand, get a keen idea of how much traffic they see each day, how they interact with their followers and then interact with them. Comment, like, and share posts that are important to you. Get your company on their radar, then just chat with them and see where the conversation takes you.
