They’re largely responsible for Instagram’s popularity—which is about 100 million users deep in the U.S. alone. They can take an obscure brand to trendy and convince new audiences to trial. They lift sales and open new markets.
They’re influencers.
Influencers are people who promote products and services to their followers. Influencers exist on both small and large scales–from small startups using college students to reach campuses across the country, to multi-million-dollar companies such as Morphe using celebrities like James Charles.
Are Influencers Right for Your Brand?
Yes.
Influencers can be used for virtually anything. From fashion to food, travel to cosmetic procedures, the opportunity to use brand influencers is endless. Influencers are a simple way to reach a large audience on a single platform. Even better, they don’t have to be costly. Many brands choose not to pay their influencers at all, instead they offer them free products, discounts, and other special deals.
Finding Your Match
While many brands have found great success by using influencers, those who do the best are the companies that find influencers that are here to stay. So how do you find the right match for your brand?
Know your influencer and set expectations for them. Just like a brand, influencers have a specific target market. Check their pages to see not only who is following them but who they follow. This will help you determine what it is they care about, and whether their values match your brand’s. Define the types of posts you expect, frequency and time period.
Keep in mind that Instagram is full of bots. When choosing an influencer, make sure that they have a legitimate following full of potential consumers.
