In 2022, the influencer market is projected to expand to a $16.4 billion industry. It seems like more consumers are turning to social media every day and unknowingly are being influenced to buy from trusted people on the platforms. 60% of marketers shared that influencer content out-performs branded posts. Continue reading to learn how to evaluate influencers to benefit your product and their following.
Establish Goals and Budget
Before beginning your search, you want to first figure out what you are trying to achieve and how to be successful given the limitations of your budget. There are different levels of influencers spanning from smaller to larger (nano, micro, mid-tier, macro, and mega). They each provide their own benefits and can help expand your audience. In 2022 it is believed that nano and micro-influencers will be more relevant and have a bigger impact on the market, due to their higher engagement rates. Nevertheless, think about what influencers will work best for your campaign.
Look at Their Followers
Like any other campaign, you want to first establish your target audience. When looking at an influencer, look to see who their followers are and what audience they attract. Can they organically use your product well and convince your audience to buy? Will their network engage and share it with their individual networks? The idea is to reach your audience and expand product awareness in an organic way to increase your sales.
Track Their Organic Use and Engagement
It is important to know if the influencers you are seeking are being authentic and really connecting to their audience. Look at their likes, number of followers, comments, and shares. Some creators will use fake followers to boost their own popularity. As stated previously, the goal is to reach your audience through their following, meaning there needs to be a true and organic following to be reached. Working with a fake influencer can be very damaging and set your business back. It is crucial that you look at their engagement rates as fake influencers, will have a lower rate. Besides, you ideally want to work with an influencer that keeps their following engaged and interested.
Do They Align With Your Brand?
An influencer partnership needs to work like any other relationship. The influencers that you contact should align with your brand, so they can speak on the product organically. Research what they value and care about. Values are important to your brand’s image; the influencers image, their followers, and your customers. A 2016 TapInfluence survey found that 42% of influencers said that alignment with a brand’s core values was their top motivating factor in partnering, whereas only 11% said compensation was their motivation. Now that it is 2022, we can only imagine that this statistic has increased not just for influencers, but for brands, and customers as well.
To have the most successful influencer partnership experience, the influencers you choose should love your product. If they are truly passionate about your brand, they will want to help you succeed and that will be conveyed in their work.
Contact us to see how our team can connect your brand with the right influencers.