Influencer marketing is everywhere now. 89% of marketers report that the ROI from influencer marketing is better than other marketing channels.
While brands now understand better how powerful influencer marketing can be, most still don’t know how to find, contact, or even work with influencers.
In this article, we will explore everything about influencer marketing agencies and, most importantly, how they can help scale your results and maximize ROI.
What is an influencer marketing agency?
An influencer marketing agency is a company with a team of influencer marketing professionals. They help brands find and contact influencers and manage influencer marketing campaigns tailored to their needs and specific goals.
As experts in influencer marketing, they know everything from the latest trends to the best practices. They can also help brands manage all the tasks and chores involved in running campaigns.
In other words, you can see them as masterminds in the creator economy.
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So, what do influencer marketing agencies actually do?
Influencer marketing agencies offer various services to help brands create successful influencer campaigns. They can help
find, identify, and select influencers who align with the brand’s target audience and goals.
create engaging campaigns with clear objectives
manage influencer relationships
measure campaign effectiveness to make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.
By handling the logistics of influencer campaigns, influencer marketing agencies allow brands to focus on other aspects of their business while still benefiting from the impact of influencer marketing.
Sounds great, right? If this is exactly what you are looking for, why not book a call with us now so we can discuss more about achieving your business goal. (Don’t worry it’s free)
Next, we will go deeper into the services of influencer marketing agencies.
Find, identify and select influencers
One of the primary services that influencer marketing agencies offer is identifying and selecting the right influencers to collaborate with.
This involves analyzing the influencer’s audience, engagement rates, and overall reach to ensure they align with the brand’s target audience and goals.
By working with the right influencers, brands can ensure their campaigns reach the right audience and drive meaningful results.
Create influencer marketing campaigns
Influencer marketing agencies also work with brands to create engaging and effective influencer marketing campaigns. This involvesdeveloping a strategy, communicating with influencers, determining the proper content format, and setting clear objectives for the campaign.
By taking a strategic approach to influencer marketing, these agencies help brands create impactful, memorable campaigns that drive results.
Manage influencer relationships
Once the influencers are selected, the agency manages the communication and relationship between the influencer and the brand.
You may wonder how complicated it can be to negotiate with an influencer. Well, the negotiation usually includes the following tasks such as
negotiating contracts
setting deadlines
ensuring the content aligns with the brand’s messaging.
taking care of the logistics of influencer campaigns
tracking and analyzing the performance
We’ve only listed a few overly simplified ones. Influencer marketing agencies can handle all of these hassles so that brands can focus more on other things.
Measure campaign effectiveness
Finally, influencer marketing agencies track and analyze the performance of influencer campaigns to determine their effectiveness and make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.
What are the most common metrics to track? The answer may vary depending on every brand’s business goals. Engagement rates, impressions, and conversions are all possible metrics. If you are not clear about what you should track, don’t worry we are here to help you out.
Plus, agencies can optimize campaigns in real-time to ensure maximum impact by monitoring and analyzing campaign performance.
In the next section, we will discuss why you should consider working with an agency.
Why work with an influencer marketing agency?
Working with an influencer marketing agency can be very beneficial. If brands want to execute successful, high-performing influencer marketing campaigns, agencies can provide access to expertise, efficiently use time and resources, and maximize ROI.
Expertise
Influencer marketing agencies’ experts know the industry well. They are the best players in the game.
They all have extensive experience identifying the right influencers to create effective campaigns and measure their success.
By leveraging their expertise, agencies can tackle specific needs better and more efficiently than inexperienced marketers.
Use time and resources efficiently
Most people don’t know that running an influencer marketing campaign can be very time-consuming. Talk with us today and we will start from there
Increased ROI
Influencer marketing agencies can help brands maximize their ROI by creating effective campaigns. Like, they just can.
The agencies have worked with many influencers before, and they can always identify the most effective strategies for reaching the target audience, negotiating fair rates with influencers, and measuring campaign success to ensure maximum impact.
Simply said, they know what they are doing and they respect your time and money.
Next, we will introduce some factors to consider when choosing the right influencer marketing agency.
How to choose an influencer marketing agency
While partnering with the right influencer marketing agency can make all the difference in the success of your campaigns.
Key factors are also important to consider, such as industry experience, reputation, service offered, and your budget.
Factors to consider
Industry experience
Some influencer marketing agencies specialize in a particular industry, such as gaming, fitness, or fashion. Before working with them, ensure their expertise or specialization aligns with your campaign.
If the agency is not as industry-specific, you can still ask them for previous case studies or works related to your area of interest as a prove of their expertise.
Reputation
A strong reputation is a good indicator of an agency’s ability to deliver results.
So, how do we know if an agency has a good reputation? Look for agencies with a track record of success and positive reviews from past clients. You can ask them directly if they have any, check social media for mentions, or check their websites for case studies that will showcase their results and introduce you to their working method.
Services offered
Some influencer marketing agencies may specialize in different services, from influencer identification and outreach to campaign strategy and measurement. Choosing an agency that offers all the services you need to execute your campaign successfully is crucial.
Budget
Influencer marketing agency fees may vary widely. Mostly depending on the scope of services offered and the agency’s level of expertise. Some agencies even charge consultation fees once you meet with them, even before the first campaigns roll out. (But feel free to talk with us – no base cost)
Choosing an agency that fits your budget while still delivering the quality of work you need is essential. This is why, here are 10 questions you should ask an agency before working with them.
Questions to ask when evaluating agencies
When evaluating influencer marketing agencies, here are some questions to ask:
1. What is your experience working within our industry? 2. Can you provide case studies from past clients? 3. What services do you offer? 4. What is your pricing structure? 5. What is your approach to influencer selection and outreach? 6. How do you measure the success of influencer campaigns? 7. How do you ensure that campaigns align with our brand values and messaging? 8. How do you manage influencer relationships and ensure they meet campaign requirements?
By asking these questions and considering the factors outlined above, you can make an informed decision about which influencer marketing agency is the best fit for your brand’s needs and goals.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing agencies can be the angular stone of a successful influencer marketing campaign, especially for those companies that prefer a more hands-off approach.
Partnering with an agency offers benefits such as access to expertise, efficient use of time and resources, and increased ROI. Choosing the right agency is crucial to the success of your campaigns. Factors worth considering include industry experience, reputation, client references, services offered, and budget.
By asking the right questions, brands can find an agency that meets their needs and delivers results. If brands are looking to connect with their target audience more efficiently, Influencer marketing is valuable in all aspects and should be included in your marketing strategy now.
Not every brand can afford to pay one of the Kardashians six figures for a single social media post.
In the current influencer marketing landscape, if you want to keep the costs down while having better reach and engagement, micro-influencers are here to stay.
In this article, we are going to explore micro-influencers, what they are better than others, why they are effective, how to work with them in a campaign, and the most common mistakes you should avoid based on our own experience. Here we go.
Althoguh…if you want to jump straight into action, feel free to contact us and start your next campaign right away.
Understanding Micro-Influencers
First, we need to define what micro-influencers are and what makes them different from other influencers.
What Are Micro-Influencers?
The most common way to split influencers is based on their follower count.
1 M+: Mega influencers or Celebrities
100K to 1M: Macro influences
10K to 100K: Micro-influencers
1K to 10K: Nano-influencers
Micro-influencers have a pretty sizable following but are still manageable for a more individualized and authentic approach and connection.
Their content is deeply connected to their niche and also reflected in the highly segmented audience.
Why micro-influencers are so important?
Micro-influencers are the lifeblood of influencer marketing. While campaigns that feature large accounts may catch more general attention, micro-influencers carry on most of the work and bring the results home.
With their audience between 10K and 100K, they are in a sweet spot regarding their connection with the audience: their message can reach a large enough pool of people for marketing campaigns, meanwhile it still remains authentic to the viewers.
To put this into data, we pulled out some insight from our influencer database to find out exactly where micro influencers excel and by how much.
What we discovered
The content creators between 10k and 100k subscribers are posting regularly: almost 3 times a week on YouTube, 1 time a week on TikTok, +50% from the 1K to 10K bracket, and 1.2 times per week on Instagram.
This data shows how they are dedicated to keeping their audience aware and engaged.
Their audience is enjoying this dedication and it shows with high engagement rates: on TikTok, a micro-influencer can expect upward of 8.5%, breaking any industry standard that would see a 5% as an excellent result.
YouTubers of the same size only reach a 3.6% engagement rate on average. Although it may seem disappointing but it also is related to how the data are calculated. For both platforms, the number of interactions on each post (like, dislike, share, comments) is divided by the number of views each piece of content receives.
The average micro-TikToker has just a bit more than 130K views, while the average YouTuber in the same subscriber bracket is looking to pass 11 million views. 100 times more views.
This comparison should also highlight how certain platforms can generate much more loyal and dedicated audiences than others.
The Power of Authenticity
Micro-influencers offer a great compromise between authenticity, content quality, and professionalism.
Their content is well curated and not too polished, it make their audience feel their interest and passion authentically, which is hard to see in the ones with bigger influencers.
This middle-ground situation provides the audience with good enjoyable content while still preserving a more authentic and connected experience.
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As a marketer, you may wonder: why not just partner with a larger influencer and get more traffic on the sponsored content? There is a myriad of reasons, here are the four main ones:
Niche Relevance
Many micro-influencers are “stuck” in the tier because the content they make is specialized and aimed towards a few particular interests.
They grow to be experts in their field and are highly regarded by the community around them but in many cases, the particular community they are part of is not large enough to make them grow over the micro-influencer level.
For marketers designing a campaign, this is extremely helpful since it allows them to target very detailed and segmented audiences.
High Engagement
Micro-influencers grow deep and organic connections with their audience. As a result, the audience is very involved and reactive to the influencer’s content.
Similarly, since the content is centered around a specific topic, many audience members keep endorsements and recommendations coming from micro-influencers in high regard.
Cost-Effectiveness
When considering their trusted nature, high engagement rates, and segmented reach micro-influencers offer a much more cost-effective approach to influencer marketing than larger influencers.
Enhanced Credibility
Micro-influencers base their success on being at the forefront of their field and bringing valuable information to their audience.
Therefore, their audience trusts them and feels they are a reliable source of information. Comparatively larger influencers and celebrities’ area of expertise is less defined leading to them being seen as less reliable on specialized issues.
Implementing a Successful Micro-Influencer Campaign
Micro-influencers are amazing and all. But how can they be used in a marketing campaign?
Identifying the Right Influencers
First of all, it is important to find the influencers that match your campaign. Both form a content and values standpoint.
But even more important is to have a good workflow that allows us to identify indicators of a potential partnership and to find creators at scale.
CreatorDB gives you the tools to find the right influencers and easily compare them, understand their strengths, and contact them.
Leverage the tools and expertise of CreatorDB’s influencer database, to streamline influencer identification and campaign creation. Book a free consultation to learn how to boost your ROI with influencers.
Crafting a Compelling Campaign
Once the influencers have been chosen it is important to create a campaign that plays both the brand and the influencers’ strengths.
Follow these three guidelines to ace it:
Establishing Clear Objectives
It’s important to have in mind what is the campaign goal before starting to find influencers and discussing deliverables.
This way it is possible to already have an idea of what kind of qualities are preferable in the influencers to partner with, and which kind of platforms are preferable.
Leveraging Storytelling for Impact
Connect the creator’s story with the brand. This way the campaign will have more chances to resonate with the audience and leave a lasting impression.
Let the creator help in this phase, they are knowledgeable on how to create content for their audience.
Creative Freedom Yields Authenticity
Allow the creators to express themselves, and give their touch to the campaign. This way the campaign will feel more connected with the greater and play along the authenticity bond that the audience is already having with the micro-influencer.
Tracking and Measuring Results
While the campaign is running, make sure to have the goals with measurable metrics and keep track of those.
Tracking the ongoing campaign allows you to know when it needs adjustments or optimization. This way is possible to take action before being fully committed to a suboptimal strategy.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Micro-Influencer Marketing
While there are plenty of upsides to using micro-influencers, there are also some risks that brands should be aware of to prevent them from becoming problems.
Overlooking Authenticity and Audience Relevance
Not all that shines is gold. It’s important to evaluate the sentiment around a creator, while most creators have audiences that truly enjoy their content and are dedicated to them, a few people built a following on what is called hate-watching.
By taking into consideration the sentiment around a creator’s posts, it is possible to understand if the audience is on board or just enjoying a trashcan fire.
Similarly, it is important to look at the audience’s interests and what they like to understand if they are a good fit for the brand.
The audience’s interest in the campaign is paramount to its success.
Lack of Clear Communication and Expectation Setting
Many micro-influencers are not well prepared to deal with brands or may lack the experience of being part of a large marketing campaign. This can lead to difficulties in having clear communication or understanding of what is expected from them.
It’s helpful for creators to establish an approval process and a framework for them to build their content.
Ignoring Guidelines and Disclosure Requirements
Countries are rapidly implementing regulations for influencer marketing, especially around the disclosure of sponsored posts.
Some of these rules may be new and not yet known to the micro-influencers involved in the campaign. It’s important to make sure to bring them up to speed.
Influencer marketing has become an increasingly popular strategy for businesses looking to reach new audiences and increase brand awareness. But for many, it still is a black and nebulous box in which they don’t see any advantage.
At its core influencer marketing can be seen as an offshoot of celebrity endorsement. Like the former, it piggybacks off the popularity and social proof of public figures by associating a product with them and therefore making it desirable to the audience.
Contrary to celebrity endorsement, influencer marketing does not have to rely on widely known personalities to be effective but can target niche communities to activate very specific audiences.
What can influencers do for you?
So if it relies on little-known people how can it be effective?
Well, in the current social media landscape hundreds of thousands if not millions of people have turned themselves into content creators. Content creators, also called influencers, use their online platform to talk about what they enjoy: movies, books, sports, or even 15th-century typography
Thanks to the wide reach of social media platforms creators can reach similarly-minded people and build communities around their persona and passions.
In turn, companies can partner with influencers relevant to their product and have access to a highly relevant audience thanks to them.
These kinds of partnerships allow companies to focus their marketing efforts on only relevant prospects and deliver out-of-the-ordinary ROI without the need to rely on external data or guessing keywords.
What makes influencers different?
Influencers are like snowflakes: no two are the same. As we saw above they cover many different topics and that’s one of the most evident differences between creators.
But, not the only one: different platforms lend themselves to different types of content: Instagram and TikTok promote short-form video content, LinkedIn and Facebook also integrate written content and YouTube is amazing for long-form videos.
Different content formats attract slightly different audiences even if the topic of the content is the same. The following size is arguably the most hyped metric when it comes to influencers. And that’s for a reason: is easy to look at and makes a case for large influencers to be highly valuable for a marketing push since they can bring your product in front of a very large audience. It is also important to realize that audiences interface very differently between small influencers and large ones: followers develop a parasocial relationship with the influencers they follow. This means that they start to consider such influencers almost at the same level as close friends, even if they never interacted 1 to 1. These relationships are generally stronger with smaller creators since the interactions are felt more authentic and genuine than with larger influencers.
Reach VS Relevancy
Of course, partnering with smaller influencers also means that fewer people are going to see your message.
Once a content category that is relevant to your product is identified the next step is to do a balancing work between reach, provided by large accounts, and relevancy, provided by smaller accounts. This is a spectrum with most influencers finding themselves somewhere in the middle, therefore many of them provide a good deal.
But certain campaigns are more focused on brand recognition or awareness and they will skew their influencer selection towards a more ample reach. While those marketers who are looking to boost sales are going to prefer smaller creators who are more deeply connected with their audience.
Why is it important to have good-fitting influencers
As we have seen not all influencers are the same. In a sea as vast as social media finding the right ones for your company can be a daunting task.
Concurrently enrolling influencers that fit your company image is one of the most important parts of an influencer marketing campaign.
So how can you make sure to find and enroll the right influencers? It’s all a matter of influencer discovery.
But before that, we need to have a clear understanding of what makes an influencer a good fit.
What makes good-fitting influencers
Influencers can cover different topics, have vastly different following sizes, and use different content formats. But how does this translate to fitting or not a company image?
First to consider is the topic the influencer covers: certain companies and products can draw a direct line to specific content niches.
For example, a car accessories brand will find good fits by contacting creators who created content about cars and car customization.
But other products may not have such direct connections: mobile games and online services often cater to a vast audience not enclosed in a content category.
For these cases is important to think about use cases and how they can relate to different content niches.
In our experience, Notion is a great example: their software can be used in an infinite number of ways for an infinite number of purposes.
To highlight it they didn’t provide a unified ad copy but they required creators to come up with their way of using the software to introduce it to their audience and make it more relatable to their needs.
As we saw different following sizes can lead to a different relationship with the audience, that is one factor that is going to have a profound impact on a campaign’s effectiveness.
Campaigns that aim to bring a brand name to a large audience but don’t care about immediate conversions will prefer to partner with large influencers in their niche. Other the other hand, when conversions are the main focus, smaller creators are better suited. Each creator also has its tone and way of presenting themselves that needs to be taken into consideration and assessed if fits the brand image.
How to evaluate influencer performances for any content verticals
While the following size is the most flashy indicator of how successful a content creator is, it’s not the only one. Growth rate, engagement rate, and community sentiment are even more important to take into consideration before signing a collaboration. In the end, you don’t want to risk handing money to someone who bought a lot of fake followers but has no actual viewers. Growth and engagement rates can be calculated manually and the sentiment can be gauged by looking at the comment section. But when it comes to doing it for tens or hundreds of different profiles is a very time-consuming process. This is where software like CreatorDB comes in handy: we provide all the above-mentioned metrics in one place making it easy to filter for the desired qualities and compare different influencers on their performances.
You can head over to our SaaS and start a free trial to practice and see how simple is going to be.
Simplify your evaluation process with CreatorDB
Analyzing influencer metrics is crucial to finding the right influencer for your brand collaboration. It’s essential to look beyond the number of followers an influencer has and consider other key metrics that can help you determine the influencer’s value to your brand.
Learn everything you need to know about all the metrics that matter in our Analytics 101.
One important metric to consider is the engagement rate. An influencer’s engagement rate indicates how active their followers are and how likely they are to engage with your brand.
Look for influencers with high engagement rates, as they are more likely to drive engagement and conversions for your brand.
Another key metric to consider is audience demographics. It’s crucial to ensure that an influencer’s followers match your target audience, as this will increase the likelihood of them being interested in your product or service.
Look for influencers whose followers align with your target audience regarding age, gender, location, and interests.
Finally, consider the influencer’s overall brand fit and whether their values and messaging align with your brand. By reviewing their content, previous collaborations, and general online presence, you can evaluate how good of a fit they are.
By using CreatorDB you can easily find each creator’s metrics and compare them in the blink of an eye. CreatorDB’s profiles are structured to give you all you need:
First, you will see the creator’s overview with information about the content creator’s YouTube channel.
Creator Overview
Along with this first introduction, you can find an overview of the main analytics for the content creator and other social media.
Key statistics for each platform
Further down, you can see an overview of the creator, especially focused on followers and their growth. The CreatrDB score lets you easily understand how valuable a creator can be for your campaign.
Follower growth metrics and CreatorDB score
Further down you can find a breakdown of the content the creator has published recently and the time that it usually is posted at.
Content breakdown and time of publishing
You can go into details for each social media platform.
How to find influencers for free
Now you know what makes influencers different, and how these differences can help your campaign achieve its goals. It’s time to go over the most important part: finding influencers that fit your criteria.
Social media platforms offer search functions that can be leveraged to find influencers for free. All you need is just create an account and a lot of patience.
Since each platform is different there are advantages and disadvantages to using each native tool. In the next section, we will go over how to get the best results out of Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok search capabilities.
Influencer discovery on Instagram (2 Ways)
1st way, native search
One of the best ways to discover profiles on Instagram is to go to the search tab and type in a hashtag related to the type of content you are interested in. We recommend using the mobile app otherwise Instagram will limit your results to 28. Then you can manually check each post and the profile who posted it, write down the handle following count, and other relevant information. Create a spreadsheet with all this data and use it to evaluate each profile to find the best fitting for you.
2nd way, Google search
If you don’t want to use the mobile client, your best option is to leverage Google search to find content posted on Instagram. By starting your search with the operator “site:instagram.com” you are going to limit the results to only pages coming from Instagram. You can follow it with hashtags related to your topic of interest and then manually note down the profiles and the information relevant to your campaign to find good-fitting influencers.
Influencer discovery on YouTube
Even if is not evident, YouTube uses hashtags and allows users to search content by them. So to find content creators relevant to your campaign you can head over to the search tab on YouTube and type in any relevant hashtag to obtain a list of videos that include the hashtags in their description. Once again, you can manually take notes of the channels and the important information about them to more easily compare and evaluate them. N.B. YouTube is heavily pushing Shorts and they will be heavily featured in every search.
Influencer discovery on TikTok
Unlike the previous services, TikTok does not offer a search based on hashtags. Clicking on a hashtag will lead you to a page showing all content tagged with that hashtag, but searching for a hashtag will not and results that have the term only in the caption or that the system considers relevant will still be present in your results.
You can get rid of this problem by finding one reel featuring your desired hashtag and clicking on it.
Once you see content relevant to your campaign, you can start taking notes about the creators and their analytics to evaluate their performances and discover the best-fitting ones.
Discover influencers on other platforms
Researching niche platforms and organic communities is another effective way to find influencers for your brand. Niche platforms and communities focus on specific interests, hobbies, or topics. These communities can be valuable for finding influencers with a dedicated following within a particular niche.
For example, if you’re looking for influencers in the fitness industry, research fitness communities outside social media like BodyBuilding.com. These communities have members passionate about fitness and follow influencers who share their interests.
Within these communities, you can find users that have grown their reputation over the years and may be happy to sponsor your products.
While not influencers in the strict sense of the word, prominent forum members are, to some extent, the grandfathers of modern influencers and can help your marketing campaign, especially if you are targeting a more insular and less mainstream community.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
As we just saw there are free ways to perform influencer discovery effectively and collect all the information relevant to plan which influencer to enroll in a campaign but they can be very time-consuming.
In this case, many companies have opted for influencer discovery tools to make easier the whole process and save an incredible amount of time.
Find the most fitting influencers with CreatorDB (tutorial)
Once you have your account open the app and click on Discover:
On the top of the screen, you will find the search console with all the filters you can apply.
Search Menu
Our database covers YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Let’s say we need to find YouTube channels that talk about baking, in the United States, and have more than 10.000 subscribers.
Select the YouTube tab and then select the corresponding filters.
Search Console
Then hit search, and you will have a list of all the YouTube channels fitting the criteria.
Search Results
But how this is going the help us compare them? By clicking the Edit column and selecting the metrics you want to compare.
Doing so is going to allow us to decide which to include and sort the list by those metrics making it easier to highlight the creators that fit our search.
Hovering over the profile picture will allow you to add the creator to a list and keep track of who is promising for your campaign.
Add to group
How to get in contact with influencers with CreatorDB
Once you identified the content creators you are interested in, it can be complicated to get in contact with them: their DMs can be already flooded and they can not easily figure out their email address. On CreatorDB, we provide contact information for many of the influencers listed in our database.
Once you established the creators you want to contact, open their profile and look just under the introduction on the left, you can find a button to view the creator’s email.
N.B. not all creators have an available email address.
View emails
When pitching the partnership, grab their attention and clarify that you know who they are and value their work. Personalized emails are highly recommended. Introduce your product and make clear why they are a good fit for it.
Contextualize it in the campaign they will be part of.
If you want to improve your game when contacting influencers, read our 5-step guide.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
The mistakes to avoid when you are looking for influencers
1. Solely focus on the number of followers
When searching for influencers, one common mistake is solely focusing on the influencer’s number of followers. While it may seem like a high follower count equates to a high level of influence, this isn’t always the case.
It’s important to remember that, tactics such as buying followers or growing followers’ numbers with bots, and are cheaper than growing other metrics calculated over time.
Instead of solely focusing on follower count, it’s important to consider other metrics more indicative of an influencer’s value to your brand. Engagement rate, for example, is a more accurate measure of an influencer’s ability to drive engagement and conversions.
Additionally, it’s essential to consider the influencer’s overall brand fit and whether their values and messaging align with your brand.
Focusing solely on follower count can lead to collaborations with influencers who may not be the best fit for your brand, resulting in a disconnect between your brand and the influencer’s audience.
By considering a range of metrics and evaluating the influencer’s overall brand fit, you can ensure that your collaborations are more effective and meaningful for both your brand and the influencer.
2. Ignore engagement rates
When evaluating an influencer, it’s important to consider their engagement rate. Engagement rate refers to the percentage of an influencer’s followers actively engaging with their content through likes, comments, shares, and other interactions.
High engagement rates indicate an influencer’s ability to connect with and influence their audience. Low engagement rates indicate that an influencer’s audience is disengaged or not highly interested in their content.
Engagement rates are a more accurate measure of an influencer’s value to your brand when compared to follower count. An influencer with a smaller but highly engaged following may be more valuable to your brand than an influencer with a large but disengaged following. High engagement rates can lead to increased visibility for your brand, as well as higher levels of engagement and conversions.
It’s essential to keep in mind that engagement rates can vary widely depending on the influencer’s niche, industry, and audience demographics.
For example, an influencer with a highly engaged audience of niche enthusiasts may have a lower overall engagement rate than an influencer with a larger but less engaged audience in a more general niche.
By analyzing engagement rates alongside other metrics, such as audience demographics and brand fit, you can ensure that you find the right influencer for your brand’s specific needs and goals.
3. Forget about authenticity
Authenticity is a crucial factor to consider when evaluating potential influencers for your brand. Consumers are becoming more and more savvy regarding influencer marketing and can quickly spot when an influencer’s content is inauthentic or insincere. By working with authentic influencers who genuinely believe in and support your brand, you can create a more genuine and meaningful connection with your target audience.
For example, suppose your brand is committed to sustainability and environmentalism. Working with influencers who share those values can help reinforce your brand’s message and create a more authentic connection with your audience. In addition to sharing your values, look for influencers who have a genuine interest in and affinity for your brand and products.
Another way to ensure authenticity is to watch out for fake influencers.
Unfortunately, influencer marketing has also led to fake influencers who use fake followers, likes, and comments to appear more influential than they actually are. To avoid being duped by counterfeit influencers, look for red flags such as sudden spikes in followers or engagement, a lack of engagement from their followers, or a mismatch between their engagement and follower count.
By prioritizing authenticity in your search for influencers, you can create a more genuine and effective influencer marketing campaign that resonates with your target audience.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
Valentine’s Day is the day set to celebrate love and couples. For cynical marketers, it’s the perfect day to push roses and chocolate. But while these products are deeply connected with the day they are not the only products that can benefit from a targeted campaign in late January, or early February.
First of all, it’s important to recognize that Valentine’s Day is not the only holiday in the period, and even if much newer Galentine’s Day is building a stable following and is a perfect opportunity to improve the sales of self-care and women-targeted products.
Furthermore, understanding the feel of both holidays and crafting any campaign to match it. Luckily the feeling of both campaigns is very similar: they are aimed at showing love and appreciation to the people we have around may they be a romantic partner or a group of friends.
What is Galentines Day?
Born out of NBC’s sitcom Parks and Recreation, Galentine’s Day takes place on the 13th of February and is all about ladies celebrating ladies.
Courtesy of NBC
Galentine’s Day was first introduced in S2 Episode 16, aired on the 11th of February 2010. From there the concept picked up steam and never stopped. Even after the series ended, many of the female cast members came together to celebrate it yearly. And they are not the only ones: Michelle Obama and Lizzo among many other celebrities celebrate the holiday. Galentines is all about women’s friendship and empowerment and can be the perfect time to make a thoughtful gift to the women in your life.
Why should your brand have Valentine’s or Galentine’s Day marketing?
Q1 is a notoriously slow period for consumer sales, coming up right after the holidays, it has to face a smaller purchase power from many customers. Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day has the potential to mitigate this dry period by highlighting how is possible to celebrate your loved ones without breaking the bank (Sorry De Beers this article isn’t for you). In many cases, as you can see in our examples 2 and 4, a campaign before Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day can highlight different aspects of your offering and show unexpected uses.
Why influencer marketing is the optimal choice for Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day?
Influencer marketing is especially effective for these holidays since both dates are about connections, warmth, and the affirmation we give and receive. Influencers are seen as a close confidant, and their suggestions are taken to heart by many, especially when it comes to micro-influencers.
By employing influencer marketing during the Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day period, your campaign will have an authentic and personal feel that other channels are not able to reach.
To help you create the perfect campaign around Valentine’s Day we have rounded up 4 of the best examples of influencer marketing campaigns for you to take inspiration from.
Skims Valentine’s Day marketing
Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand Skims celebrates Valentine’s Day with a special store featuring a collection for the day dedicated to love. With a range of products from lingerie to comfy loungewear for him and her, Skims wants to appeal to a broad and differentiated audience. To do so, they enrolled many micro-influencers on TikTok, each with a different style, body, and age. Each influencer presents a single piece of clothing that fits their unique persona. The campaign is wide enough to reach both partnered people, with more risque designs, and single women, with more comfortable fits.
Dove has a long tradition of running Valentine’s Day or better Galentine’s Day marketing campaigns. As a leading personal care brand, Dove is in the perfect position to constitute a thoughtful gift to remind the people next to you to take a moment to relax and focus on themselves.
Dove shows their commitment to making everyone feel special by providing the influencers in its campaigns with cute boxes containing all that is needed to have a self-care experience. This campaign has been so successful in highlighting Dove’s potential as a gift or treat around Valentine’s Day that it has been repeated over multiple years.
Whether you and your girls are spending Valentines Day in or having a night out, Dove has got you covered! The @dove Exfoliating Body Polish will leave your skin feeling soooo smooth and will easily make your day 10x better this v-day season!! Can’t wait to gift these to my girlfriends 🕊️💗💐 #giftedbydove#dovepolishgalentine#dovebodypolish
TouchNote is a British online platform that allows you to design and print personalized gift cards. Valentine’s Day is a perfect moment for their offering, and they maximize their impact. They partner with influencers and show how their cards can be used in many different ways: from playful to loving and all the shades in between. By employing a wide array of different influencers, it’s possible for them to reach different niches and have a very varied message while being consistent about their core offering.
Rite Aid is a drugstore chain that along with pharmaceuticals offers also personal care products, sweets, and stationery. Due to their varied offerings, they are perfectly positioned to be the one-stop shop to make a thoughtful gift for your Valentine or Galentine. In their influencer marketing campaign, they partnered with small local influencers and had them head to a nearby Rite Aid, then compose a gift bag for their significant other or their gals.
In one instance, they even pushed a step further and contacted a recent single influencer to show how Valentine’s Day would have been a great opportunity for self-care even if not part of a couple.
What does a Valentine/Galentine’s Day marketing campaign need?
No matter if you are targeting couples or groups of friends, the password is always authenticity. Both celebrations are aimed at showing how much we care about the people around us and how special they feel to us, and nobody feels special with a generic gift.
A campaign targeting this particular period should aim to highlight customization and personalization options if those are available. Otherwise, you may use the Skims route and focus on the unicity and fit of your product.
For best results, micro-influencers are going to be once again a winning choice: they allow marketers to reach audiences based on much more strict criteria than larger content creators. Furthermore, they are seen as more authentic and trustworthy therefore more likely to have an impact on purchase decisions, especially during holidays that call for a personalized touch.
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In today’s fast-paced world, traditional advertising methods are less effective than they once were. Consumers are bombarded with overwhelming ads daily, making it difficult for businesses to stand out. That’s where influencer marketing comes in.
In this article, we will explore the key factors to consider when selecting the right influencer for your next campaign. By the end of this article, you’ll better understand how to choose the right influencer to help you achieve your campaign goals and reach your target audience effectively.
Define your campaign goals and target audience
Decide what results your campaign aims to bring and how is going to achieve them, also consider narrowing down the audience you are interested in reaching.
Before choosing an influencer, you must have clear your campaign goals and target audience.
What do you want to achieve with your campaign? Do you want to increase brand awareness, drive sales, or promote a new product/service? Defining your campaign goals is always the first step to preparing a clear and effective campaign, even in influencer marketing.
Once you have defined your campaign goals, it’s essential to understand your target audience.
Who are they? What are their interests, values, and demographics?
Understanding your target audience will help you choose an influencer whose followers match your target audience. For example, if you’re targeting Gen Zers, you should partner with an influencer with a predominant Gen Z following.
Having clear your campaign goals and target audience will help choose the right influencer. Target audience is critical since each creator has a different audience. Recognizing whose creators have access to the audience you are looking for will be a game changer for any campaign. If you don’t know how to identify creators’ unique demographics, tools like CreatorDB can help you. With CreatorDB, you get access to each creator’s demographics, which allows you to search for specific criteria to find who fits your requests quickly.
Look for influencers who align with your brand values
The influencer you partner with should not only be related to your industry but also be compatible with your brand values and mission in order to create better and more fitting content.
Once you have defined your campaign goals and target audience, looking for influencers who align with your brand values is the next step. The influencers you choose will represent your brand, so the more your and their values overlap less this will look like only a commercial partnership.
Start by identifying influencers in your niche or industry. Look for influencers who have previously discussed your brand and share similar values. For example, if you’re a sustainable fashion brand, you may want to partner with an influencer passionate about sustainable living.
Being able to find influencers that align with your brand’s values is going to evolve into more genuine content. You will have to dive into each potential partner’s previous content to identify how they have engaged with similar topics or products and if they would fit your brand well.
CreatorDB and its content search allow you to do exactly that: set relevant hashtags as filters and let our database find all the pieces of content that mention them.
CreatorDB offers a detailed Content Search.
Once you individuated promising creators you can look them up in the main database to find if they are a true match.
Avoid influencers previously working for your direct competitors. However, individuating previous partnerships can take a lot of work to do manually. You can use the CreatorDB platform to individuate the sponsored content of each creator and know who they worked with.
Choosing an influencer who aligns with your brand values and can genuinely promote your product or service will help ensure their audience will resonate with your brand. It will also help you build a long-term relationship with the influencer, which can lead to future collaborations.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
Before partnering with an influencer, analyzing their reach and engagement on social media is essential. The influencer’s reach is the number of people who see their content, while their engagement is the number of people who interact with it, such as likes, comments, and shares.
To learn more about which metrics to look at, read our Analytics 101.
Reach and engagement are often negatively correlated: large influencers have higher reach due to their sizable following, but their content gets interactions from a small percentage of their followers. Small content creators have a limited reach but often have highly engaged audiences. Depending on your goal, choose one or the other.
CreatorDB offers you an easy way to glance at all the creator’s platforms in the general section of each profile.
If you need a deeper look you can go to the tab for the specific platform and see it in more detail.
Determine the influencer’s authenticity and credibility
Influencer marketing builds on the idea of trust. Consumers trust influencers to provide them with honest opinions and recommendations. Therefore, when choosing the right influencer it is crucial to choose one that is authentic and credible in its audience’s eyes.
Research the influencer’s content to ensure it aligns with their brand and values. Look for influencers who are transparent about sponsored content and disclose their partnerships. This transparency builds trust with their audience and shows they are authentic and credible.
Choosing an authentic and credible influencer will help you build trust with their audience and, in turn, build trust with your audience. It will also ensure you partner with influencers who can give your brand a positive image and reputation.
Consider the cost and logistics
Take into account rates for posts, expenses that you may incur if you want to ship them a product, and how distance and timeline affect the whole partnership.
Influencers can charge different rates for sponsored content, depending on their following, engagement rate, and type of content. When considering the cost, ensure that it aligns with your budget and that the partnership is worth the investment.
It’s also essential to consider the logistics of partnering with an influencer. Here are some simple questions to help you clarify:
Ensure you and the influencer are on the same page regarding logistics and expectations.
Lastly, ensure that you have a contract that outlines the partnership’s details, including compensation, deliverables, and timelines. This contract will protect you and the influencer and ensure both parties understand the expectations.
Consideration of the cost and logistics of partnering with an influencer will help ensure that the partnership runs smoothly and that the campaign is successful. It will also help you maximize your investment and ensure you get the most value from the partnership.
Conclusion
Choosing the right influencer for your next campaign can be challenging, but it’s essential for the success of your marketing efforts. By defining your campaign goals and target audience, looking for influencers who align with your brand values, analyzing their reach and engagement, determining their authenticity and credibility, and considering the cost and logistics, you can choose an influencer who will help you reach your marketing objectives effectively.
Remember that the success of your influencer marketing campaign is not solely based on the number of followers an influencer has but on the quality of their content and engagement with their audience. By following these steps, you can ensure that you partner with an influencer who is a good fit for your brand and can help you achieve your marketing goals.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
Taipei, Taiwan – CreatorDB, a leading influencer data platform featuring an agency with a global mindset, is set to share its expertise in connecting Eastern and Western markets through influencer marketing at this year’s Web Summit. Specializing in bridging the gap between diverse cultures, CreatorDB’s in-house multilingual influencer marketing agency offers businesses the tools they need to reach a global audience.
CreatorDB has established itself as a bond between East and West, offering tools and strategies that enable businesses to engage with a global audience effectively. The company’s team of experts facilitates connections between brands and a wide range of influencers, fostering communication and understanding across different cultures.
In addition to showcasing its agency services, CreatorDB will also introduce its influencer API — a vital component of its offering. This tool allows businesses to incorporate a rich database of influencer insights into their existing workflows, ensuring a more streamlined and effective influencer marketing process.
CreatorDB’s presence at the Web Summit is a statement of their commitment to breaking down barriers in international business. They are not just about finding an influencer; they’re about finding the right voice to speak to customers on both sides of the world.
About CreatorDB
CreatorDB is a leading influencer data platform with an in-house agency, connecting brands and agencies with influencers who align with their values and goals. The company’s innovative platform enables users to search and filter through a database of over 4 million creators globally, making finding the right influencer for any campaign easier than ever. For more information on CreatorDB and its services, visit https://www.creatordb.app/
In today’s digital age, businesses are constantly seeking effective marketing strategies to gain an edge over their competitors. One such strategy that has gained significant attention is social proof marketing.
Social proof, a concept deeply rooted in human psychology, has the power to influence consumer behavior and drive conversions.
In this article, we will delve into the psychology behind social proof marketing, exploring its various forms and how businesses can leverage its power to attract and retain customers.
How Social Proof Works?
Definition and Importance
Social proof refers to the psychological phenomenon where individuals rely on the actions and decisions of others to determine their own behavior.
It is a powerful tool in marketing as it taps into the innate human desire to conform and seek validation from their peers.
By showcasing social proof, businesses can establish trust, credibility, and influence over their target audience.
Evolutionary Roots
The concept of social proof can be traced back to our evolutionary history.
In primitive societies, conforming to the behaviors of the group was crucial for survival. Individuals who deviated from the group’s actions risked isolation and potential danger.
As a result, our brains have developed a deep-rooted inclination to follow the crowd, which manifests in modern-day consumer behavior.
What are the Types of Social Proof?
Expert Social Proof
Expert social proof involves leveraging the authority and expertise of credible individuals or organizations to influence consumer decisions.
This form of social proof is commonly seen in endorsements by industry experts, professionals, or renowned organizations, providing validation and credibility to a product or service.
Yakult has a long history of partnering with health and fitness experts to promote its probiotic drink:
Celebrity Social Proof
Celebrity social proof relies on the influence and popularity of well-known personalities to endorse products or services.
By associating their brand with a recognizable figure, businesses can tap into the emotional connection that fans have with their favorite celebrities, increasing trust and generating interest.
For the release of a new event in World of Tanks Blitz, Wargaming partnered with Joanna Jędrzejczyk, 5 times UFC Strawweight Champion, to promote the event:
Influencer Social Proof
Influencersocial proof stands in the middle between expert and celebrity social proof.
While in a sense influencers are celebrities themselves more often than not they are catering to smaller audiences that follow them because of the nature of the content they produce.
By associating with the right influencers a brand can show to understand and value the input from the community around their products.
Surfshark is a great example of influencer social proof. It showcases some of the most striking quotes about its product on its front page:
User Social Proof
User social proof involves leveraging the experiences and opinions of existing customers to influence potential buyers.
Positive user feedback can build trust and credibility, while negative feedback can raise concerns or prompt improvements.
For example, Derila uses various social proof strategies in its marketing like influencers, media appearances, and experts’ opinions. But heavily features the reviews it gets from its clients on its front page to show authenticity and trustworthiness:
Wisdom of the Crowds
The wisdom of the crowds is based on the belief that a large group’s collective opinion or behavior can be a reliable indicator of what is popular or desirable.
This form of social proof is often seen in social media metrics such as the number of followers, likes, shares, or comments.
The more significant the numbers, the greater the perceived value or quality of a product or service.
But this is not the only way, Fraîcheur built impressive media coverage, and is not afraid to show it, making rapidly evident how many voices vouch for their product:
The Psychology of Social Proof Explained
Cognitive Bias: Informational Social Influence
Informational social influence occurs when individuals conform to the actions or decisions of others because they believe that others possess more knowledge or information.
This cognitive bias often leads to the assumption that “if many people are doing it, it must be the right thing to do.”
Businesses can leverage this bias by showcasing the popularity or widespread adoption of their offerings.
Emotional Impact: Normative Social Influence
Normative social influence taps into the human need for acceptance and belongingness.
When individuals observe others engaging in certain behaviors or making particular choices, they often feel compelled to conform to fit in.
By highlighting how a product or service aligns with social norms or trends, businesses can trigger the emotional desire to be part of a larger community.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
Displaying authentic testimonials and positive reviews from satisfied customers can be a persuasive form of social proof.
By sharing real-life experiences, businesses can showcase the benefits and quality of their offerings, easing potential customers’ concerns and building trust.
Influencer Collaborations
Partnering with influencers who have a strong following in a specific niche can significantly impact consumer behavior.
When influencers endorse a product or service, their audience perceives it as a recommendation from a trusted source, leading to increased interest and potential conversions.
User-Generated Content
Encouraging customers to create and share content related to a brand or product can amplify social proof.
User-generated content showcases genuine experiences and creates a sense of community around the brand, strengthening brand loyalty and attracting new customers.
Social Media Engagement
Active engagement on social media platforms allows businesses to showcase real-time interactions with customers.
Responding to comments, addressing concerns, and sharing user-generated content can create a positive perception and generate social proof by demonstrating that others find value in the brand’s offerings.
Expert Endorsements
Identify influential experts or industry leaders in your field and seek their endorsements. This can be done through collaborations, guest blog posts, or interviews.
Expert opinions provide a valuable stamp of approval and can significantly enhance your brand’s reputation and credibility.
How Does Social Proof Impact on Consumer Behavior?
Building Trust and Credibility
Social proof plays a vital role in building trust and credibility among potential customers.
When they see others actively engaging with your brand and expressing satisfaction, it alleviates doubts and reduces perceived risks. Trust is a critical factor in the decision-making process, and social proof provides the necessary reassurance to potential customers.
Influencing Purchase Decisions
The power of social proof lies in its ability to influence consumer behavior.
When individuals observe others purchasing or recommending a product, they feel compelled to follow suit due to the fear of missing out (FOMO) or the desire for social acceptance.
By strategically showcasing social proof, businesses can influence potential customers’ purchase decisions and drive sales.
Enhancing Perceived Value
Social proof marketing can enhance the perceived value of your products or services.
When potential customers witness others positively engaging with your offerings, it creates a sense of desirability and exclusivity.
By associating your brand with satisfied customers, influencers, or industry experts, you elevate its perceived value, making it more attractive to consumers.
Examples of Successful Social Proof Campaigns
BYDFi and Customer Reviews
BYDFi effectively utilized customer reviews on third-party platforms to establish credibility and trust.
By promoting reviews of their platform they were able to create a solid track record that new users investigating the platform could easily find.
Surfshark collaborated with influencers to showcase their product’s unique features and benefits.
Through genuine and authentic content, they were able to reach a highly engaged audience and generate social proof, leading to increased product adoption and brand recognition.
How to Overcome Challenges in Social Proof Marketing
Authenticity and Trust
Maintaining authenticity is crucial in social proof marketing.
Businesses must ensure that the social proof they showcase is genuine and reflects real customer experiences.
Faking or manipulating social proof can lead to a loss of trust and credibility, ultimately damaging the brand’s reputation.
Balancing Quantity and Quality
While social proof relies on numbers and metrics, businesses must strike a balance between quantity and quality.
Displaying an overwhelming amount of social proof without considering its relevance or impact may dilute its effectiveness.
It is essential to curate and showcase the most compelling forms of social proof to drive meaningful engagement.
Mitigating Negative Social Proof
Negative social proof, such as publicized customer complaints or low ratings, can undermine a brand’s reputation.
Addressing and resolving negative feedback promptly and transparently is crucial to mitigate its impact.
By actively engaging with customers and demonstrating a commitment to improvement, businesses can turn negative experiences into positive ones.
What are the Future Trends in Social Proof Marketing?
Artificial Intelligence and Personalization
Advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) allow for personalized social proof experiences.
AI-powered algorithms can analyze user behavior and preferences to provide tailored recommendations and social proof content, enhancing the overall customer experience and driving conversions.
Gamification and Interactive Experiences
Incorporating gamification elements and interactive experiences can boost engagement and social proof.
By creating interactive quizzes, challenges, or contests, businesses can encourage customer participation and generate user-generated content, fostering a sense of community and authenticity.
Conclusion
Social proof marketing taps into the fundamental aspects of human psychology to influence consumer behavior.
By understanding the psychology behind social proof and leveraging its various forms, businesses can build trust, and credibility generating interest in their products or services.
Authentic testimonials, influencer collaborations, user-generated content, and social media engagement are powerful tools that can drive conversions and foster long-term customer relationships.
FAQs
1. Does social proof marketing work for all industries?
Social proof marketing can be effective across various industries, but its impact may vary depending on the target audience and the nature of the products or services.
It is essential to understand your target market and tailor your social proof strategies accordingly.
2. Is it better to have a few influential testimonials or many testimonials from regular customers?
Both influential testimonials and testimonials from regular customers can be valuable forms of social proof.
The choice depends on your target audience and the message you want to convey.
Influential testimonials can provide immediate credibility, while regular customer testimonials showcase widespread satisfaction.
3. How can I ensure the authenticity of user-generated content?
To ensure the authenticity of user-generated content, encourage customers to provide honest feedback and experiences.
Implement moderation processes to filter out any irrelevant or inappropriate content.
Engage with customers and respond to their content to show genuine appreciation for their contributions.
4. Can negative social proof be turned into a positive?
Yes, negative social proof can be turned into a positive if handled effectively.
Address negative feedback promptly, empathize with customers’ concerns, and take visible actions to resolve the issues.
By demonstrating your commitment to improvement and customer satisfaction, you can turn negative experiences into positive ones.
5. How can businesses stay ahead with social proof marketing in the future?
To stay ahead with social proof marketing, businesses should keep an eye on emerging trends and technologies.
Incorporating personalization through AI-driven recommendations and creating interactive experiences can help businesses stand out and provide unique social proof experiences for their customers.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
You have decided to start an influencer marketing campaign but don’t know any influencers. No problem. We will walk you through how to contact influencers.
From identifying the right ones to deciding which is the best channel to contact them on and how to establish solid and long-lasting relationships with them.
Keeping a good rapport with the content creators you have worked with will help you carve out your name in the niche you choose to pursue and establish your company as a reliable and integral part of the sector.
Why influencer marketing
Influencer marketing is optimal when you want to connect with a specific audience or believe that a human touch could help your promotion. Influencers have amassed a substantial following on their social media platforms, and people look up to them. Often even develop parasocial relationships.
When an influencer promotes a product, many of their followers will associate their trust with the influencer with the product, something that is less immediate with other marketing avenues.
Furthermore, we are bombarded by ads, and many try to escape them as much as possible. Sponsored influencer content blends with their typically produced content making it more accepted and less invasive for the audience.
The only influencer marketing platform that gives the full picture.
Identifying influencers that fit your requirements and brand values is the first step in the process and can be done manually or through influencers’ platforms.
Over 165 million content creators have joined the creator economy in the last two years.
They cover any imaginable niche and segment of the audience, making it possible for you to target highly detailed segments. But, identifying the right one in this sea of creators will be challenging. You can decide to go two ways: manually or with the help of software tools.
If you choose to go manually, you need to identify pertinent hashtags or keywords and search who is posting related content. After you have collected a good amount of possible creators, you will need to extrapolate the fitting analytics for your campaign, like the number of followers, engagement rate, community sentiment, and any others you feel are relevant for each of them.
Organize them on your own. And make comparisons to decide with whom to partner in your campaign. You may want to identify more content creators than the one you want for your final campaign since some may not be interested, not reply, or just refuse to work with you.
To simplify the process, you can use third-party services, like CreatorDB, to do the heavy lifting. Through CreatorDB, you can search a database of over 3 million influencers for 130+ data points. We also offer a built-in niche system that allows you to identify and access over 9000 segments to have granular control over who will receive your message. Furthermore, CreatorDB directly allows access to simple and advanced analytics, making it easy for you to evaluate your picks and select only the best creators for your influencer marketing campaign. CreatorDB also lets you quickly find who a creator worked before and when: this way, you can easily avoid creators currently working with competitors or over-saturating their audiences with ads.
Decide where to contact influencers
Going through emails or agencies strikes as more professional but smaller creators may not have set up a business email or be represented by any agency making it necessary to contact them through the various social media platforms’ direct messaging functions.
Once you select a certain number of creators with whom you would like to collaborate, it is time to consider contacting them. Depending on the social media you are looking at, you may have or not a way to directly communicate inside the platform. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok (but only if the creator follows you back) have direct messaging systems that potentially put you in contact with the creator. Using these services may seem straightforward and tempting, but you have to consider that content creators receive many messages: from fans, other companies, spam, and so on. So the larger the creator’s following, the more unlikely they will see your message if you use such ways.
Concurrently, the larger the creator, the more likely they will be under management from some agency or have some people in place to manage their collaborations. You can generally reach these people through an email address listed in the creator’s information or in their link in the bio.
For platforms like YouTube, where there is no way to communicate with them in the platform, you will have to rely on the business email or try to contact them through other social media they may have.
Once again CreatorDB can help: you can filter your results for only creators that provide an email and access those emails directly, leaving you only to compose and ship emails. Overall is preferable to use the email address when it is provided. It would make your offer look professional and stand out from the tons of messages a creator would receive daily.
Contacting influencers with your pitch
Compose your message in a way that feels personal, and attention-grabbing while also introducing your brand, the idea you have for the campaign, and the influencer’s part in it.
Imagine yourself in the creator’s shoes: you want to collaborate with brands that will positively impact your community and share your same goals and values (or at least are not opposed). So try to tailor your offer to the creator’s style and personality: explain what your company and their message have in common and how they could combine.
Overall any successful email pitch should be composed of the following:
An attention-grabbing subject line.
Applies only to emails. You want to be direct and enticing at the same time. Mention your brand name, and that is for a collaboration/partnership/promotion. Avoid spammy wording and symbols: no dollar signs or fire emojis everywhere. That would make you look unprofessional and likely to be treated just as spam.
A personalized first paragraph.
Make it about them and what you appreciate about their platforms and messaging. Creators are more likely to respond and collaborate with companies that understand their vision and support it. Explain how your campaign perfectly matches their platform and why you chose them.
Introduce your company and product.
Explain your brand, its vision, and how a collaboration between the brand and the creator would be a double win. It is crucial to introduce yourself well if your brand is launching or is relatively unknown in the creator space. You could tweak the intro to focus on the product if the product is going to be the center of the campaign or if your brand is already widely known.
Explain the campaign and their role.
Here comes the meat and potatoes of your pitch. It doesn’t have to be a super detailed explanation, but it gives the general idea of what is to come: talking about what kind of content you expect, how long the campaign is going to run, and the campaign goals. If the influencer replies positively to this first contact, you will go further in detail with them and figure out all the nuts and bolts.
Combine the pitch with a seeding campaign
You can use the first contact with an influencer as a way to kick-start a product seeding campaign. Since sending a product to a creator is likely to need a physical address is necessary to first find out if the creator is available for this kind of campaign. In order to receive a positive answer is always better to explain why they would be a great matchup with the brand.
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You can get other useful tips on how to convince a creator to partner with you here
By this time, you should already have in mind how you are expecting the influencer content to be structured, but in case you are still undecided, these are the most common ways of including sponsored content:
Testimonials
Especially suited for products that don’t have a significant strike factor at first sight or may need prolonged use. Software, dieting products, services, and similar can benefit from having an influencer bring to the audience their experience with them and how it compares to other similar products.
Unboxing
Very beneficial if your product is going to come through the mail. The audience would have a first-hand experience of what to expect through the influencer content. Also, leave a lot of space for the influencer reactions and spin on it.
Ads
Old but gold. Classic way to endorse a product less sophisticated than other approaches but evergreen. They are often done as a 30 to 60-second sponsored video in which the content creator reads a previously composed message about the product sponsored. For extra effectiveness is possible to allow the creators to give their personal spin on the ad.
Reviews
Reviews are the perfect way to make your promotional material feel authentic and genuine. You will have an influencer try out your product and give feedback on its performance. It may sound counterproductive, but you also want to have some negative feedback. If it is all negative, you may have to rethink your product, but the presence of minor issues or things that could be smoothed would make the review look even more genuine and less like a paid promotion.
Learn why you shouldn’t try to push for an affiliate program when it comes to content creators.
Negotiation
Be ready to discuss details and KPIs with the creators, set boundaries, and listen to their ideas about the creative direction they could bring to the campaign.
If the creator replies with interest to your email, this is the time you two will start discussing the details of the collaboration: timeline, rewards, and expected KPIs. Even before contacting the creators themselves, you should have an idea of what the partnership will bring to you regarding the essential KPIs for your campaign but be sure to discuss them with the creators and listen to their side of the story. They know their audience better than you.
Be clear with the creator about the timeline for the content publishing, what boundaries need to be respected, and how the product needs to be shown and discussed. Depending on the influencer experience size and preferences, they may want to be paid or accept product gifts as compensation.
Be sure to hear them about their creative ideas and compensation choices, and be accommodating when possible. If you want to work with influencer marketing for an extended period establishing positive relations with content creators is essential.
FAQs
1. How can a brand effectively track and manage communications with multiple influencers to ensure consistent follow-ups and relationship building?
Brands can use CRM tools or influencer marketing platforms to organize and monitor communications with influencers, ensuring no follow-up is missed and relationships are nurtured effectively.
2. What are the common pitfalls or mistakes brands make when reaching out to influencers for the first time, and how can they be avoided?
Common mistakes include not personalizing outreach messages, lacking clarity about the collaboration, or not researching the influencer’s content and audience alignment, which can be avoided with thorough preparation and customization.
3. How do influencers typically prefer to be compensated for their collaborations, and how can brands navigate negotiations to meet both parties’ expectations?
Influencers’ preferences for compensation vary, including monetary payment, free products, or revenue sharing. Open and transparent negotiations, respecting the influencer’s value and audience, help in reaching agreeable terms.
Conclusion
After all that we discussed in this article, you should be ready to start finding potential influencers for collaboration and sending out messages to get them on your team.
While contacting them, and being clear when doing so, is very important is not the only step that matters: being able to craft an effective campaign, track the analytics that matter and know what to do with influencers’ generated content after the campaign are also important steps.
To help you in your influencer marketing journey we at CreatorBD offer tools for you to craft your own campaigns and managed solutions to let you take a laid-back approach while reaping all the benefits.
Taipei, Taiwan -CreatorDB is excited to announce its participation in the renowned GamesCom Asia 2023, where it plans to showcase its revolutionary influencer marketing solutions tailored for the gaming industry. This participation underscores CreatorDB’s commitment to innovating and expanding its reach, offering global brands and gamers impactful collaboration opportunities.
The GamesCom Asia event will provide attendees with a firsthand look at CreatorDB’s offerings, honed by an international client service agency. Their services facilitate dynamic collaborations between influencers and brands across the globe, a testament to the company’s continued evolution. Partnerships with notable gaming entities like Zooba and Wargaming highlight their expertise and adaptability.
CreatorDB is on a trajectory of growth and expansion. Beyond GamesCom Asia 2023, the company is slated to join more on-site events in the subsequent months, showcasing its versatile influencer marketing solutions that cater to businesses of every scale and domain.
CreatorDB’s team, a blend of professional expertise and genuine gaming enthusiasts, develops insights and strategies that resonate profoundly within the gaming community. Their approach is marked by authenticity, ensuring strategies that are not only informed but also deeply connected to the gaming ethos.
About CreatorDB
CreatorDB is a leading platform of influencer marketing data, connecting brands and agencies with influencers who align with their values and goals. The company’s innovative platform enables users to search and filter through a database of over 3 million creators globally, making finding the right influencer for any campaign easier than ever. For more information on CreatorDB and its services, visit https://www.creatordb.app/
Taipei, Taiwan – CreatorDB, a leading influencer marketing platform, has taken a significant step forward with the launch of its Data Engineering Department. This move not only showcases the company’s drive to blend the latest in AI and research with its platform but reflects its dedication to innovation and progress.
The department will focus on utilizing cutting-edge AI technologies to refine and elevate how brands and influencers connect. Incorporating tools such as NLP/LLM means CreatorDB can offer even more authentic and efficient connections. In addition, the Department plans to work closely with internal team members to ensure all departments benefit from the advancements in data engineering.
Dominic Cope, with nearly two decades of professional experience in Taiwan, assumes the role of Director of Data Engineering. Cope’s diverse career journey started in a marketing and design firm, leading him to an IoT platform and services startup where he served as the Director of Operations. He progressed through multiple Director-level positions at Gogoro, overseeing diverse projects from FinTech innovations to global expansion initiatives. Now, he brings his extensive experience and visionary approach to CreatorDB, immersing himself in the intricate realm of data engineering.
As an expert in AI and Machine Learning, Francisco Martos Triguero will join as the Head Machine Learning Engineer and report to Cope. Together, they chart an ambitious course for CreatorDB. The dynamic duo aims to spearhead initiatives such as patent developments, enhance the quality and consistency of the data in the database, and synergistically work with the other departments to improve CreatorDB’s offering and effectiveness to bring unparalleled value to clients.