Influencer marketing means nothing without the most important part, social media influencers!
In order to get started in influencer marketing, you need to find the right kind of social media influencer for your brand. There’s a bunch of different websites and tools that can help you out in this area.
Before you start looking for influencers, you want to decide what kind of audience you want to market to. Once you decide who your target audience is, dive into what their values and interests are. This way, you’ll be able to narrow down your search to only looking for influencers for your desired audience.
Here are some tools to help you find the perfect social media influencer!
1. Buzzsumo
Buzzsumo, sadly, is not free but this platform gives you a 7-day free trial. It allows you to find, follow, reach out, and even analyze influencer data.
Its search engine allows you to look for influencers according to location and topic. It’s important to have an influencer who is in the same region as you so that they’re able to attend events and connect with consumers.
2. Followerwonk
Followerwonk allows you to find influencers on Twitter. You can find influencers by searching for profiles or keywords that align with your brand.
When you find an influencer on Followerwonk, you can find how many followers they have, their tweets, who they are following, and much more.
This platform is beneficial for brands that are interested in building a following on Twitter specifically. It’s free too!
3. SmarterQueue
SmarterQueue gives users a free 30-day trial and is a really versatile platform. It not only allows you to discover influencers but helps you schedule your upcoming posts for your social media platforms.
When you search keywords, SmarterQueue will find the latest conversations with that keyword from influencers. This is a great way to find out if there are people already talking about your brand.
4. Google
When in doubt, use the most known search engine. Search “beauty influencers,” or “fitness influencers.” Whichever kind of influencer you want your brand to have, search it!
Now that you’ve found your social media influencer, how do you build a relationship with them?
Having a comfortable relationship with your influencer is so important for your brand because they’re the ones who are the face of your brand.
Building a relationship can mean all sorts of different things – engaging with your influencer, connecting for a long-term partnership, or just making them feel comfortable as an employer for your brand.
Here are some tips on how to initially engage with a prospective influencer and build a relationship with them:
1. Reach Out Respectively
When you find an influencer that you’d like to hire for your brand, reach out in a way that is comfortable for both parties.
Do NOT like every single one of their posts or retweet all of their tweets. This can come off extremely aggressive and can even be concerning for the influencer because they have no idea who you are.
If you direct message them on a social media platform, give them plenty of time to respond. You don’t want to seem anxious or desperate for an influencer, that could turn them off to your brand as a whole!
2. Message Their Most Active Platform
Find a place that your influencer is most comfortable. For example, if they tend to post the most on Instagram, direct message them through that social media platform. If they use Twitter, message them through that platform.
This way, they’ll be more likely to not only respond to your message but to take you seriously because they know that you’re aware of what social media platform they use the most.
3. Show Off Your Brand’s Voice
Try and make a connection from one human to another. Not from one salesperson to a prospective employee. Talk about their interests and their hobbies and explain why you think that they would be a perfect fit for your brand.
Since they’re a potential employee, tell them all the things that they’re doing right with their social media. If they do a great job connecting with their audience, let them know that’s why you want them to be a part of your brand.
4. Trust Them!
Influencers are influencers for a reason. They know who their audience is better than anyone, so don’t try and dictate how they post about your brand.
Let them do their thing, and your brand will definitely benefit from an influencer who knows how to run her platform.
5. Give Them Creative Freedom
Let them use their social media platform to focus on your story and tell them about YOUR brand’s products or services.
Some social media influencers will use this to their advantage: for example, if your brand is a type of skincare line, your influencer will most likely talk about the issues they had with their skin previous to knowing about your product.
Allow them to tell their own stories and talk about your brand how they please, even if it means they talk about the downsides of your product.
Having social media influencers market your brand will do wonders for if you leave it in their hands. Once you find and build a relationship with them, you will see your brand moving leaps and bounds towards the top!
Additional blogs you might like:
- What Is Influencer Marketing And How Can Marketers Use It Effectively?
- How To Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Discover And Engage Your Target Audience
- How To Build Loyal And Lasting Client Relationships
- How To Use Visual Storytelling To Attract New Customers: A Budget-Friendly Guide
Carly Hancock is a blogging and social media intern at LadyBossBlogger.com She’s currently in her senior year at Minnesota State University, Mankato studying Communication Studies and English Literature. She will graduate in the spring of 2019 and is looking forward to a having a future in writing or social media. She enjoys learning new things about beauty products and fashion, and Instagram is her favorite social network!
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