What is an influencer? The term influencer refers to someone who has the power to influence the perception of others. In marketing terms, it's someone who has the power to persuade or influence audiences to get them to engage with your campaign. And, as such, it's become such a powerful marketing tool, and often forms the make-up of most marketing activity. As a result, The Content Marketing Institute has updated its Influencer Marketing guide with new tips, powerful techniques, and great advice to help content marketers improve their strategies for influencer marketing. So, what can we take from this?

Research

To make a case for why your campaign should use an influencer, it's important to gain insights into why they're relevant and how their history as an influencer has impacted previous campaigns.

Identify who's right for your campaign

This ties in with my previous point: make sure you do your research to see which influencers may be relevant to your campaign. You may have collated 20 influencers who are relevant to the campaign; however, you must be wary of your brief's specifications. In most cases, brands have certain requirements for influencers i.e. the engagement rate on their Instagram account, how many followers they have on social media, etc. It's important to follow that list to save you time and effort by contacting the right people. 

Maintain a good relationship with your influencer

Keep your communication channels clear. When reaching out to influencers, be approachable and structured. Give them a clear brief on what they're required to do for the campaign, information around payment methods, hard deadlines, etc. The last thing you need is an annoyed influencer who pulls out of a campaign last minute because of a miscommunication.

Keep it organised

Sometimes a campaign requires not only one, but many, influencers. To keep on track, I always use a spreadsheet with clear categories i.e. name, email, project status, date of last contact, and payment terms, etc. This will help you keep on top of things and avoid any confusion on your side.

There you have it! Hopefully these tips will give you the inspiration and guidance you need for your next influencer campaign.