Is your brand using influencer marketing? Influencer marketing relies on key leaders, or celebrities, in your niche to deliver your brand’s message to an audience.
Working with a celebrity to promote your brand might not be new, but it’s taking on a new form in the digital age. “Influencers” aren’t limited to A-list actors on the red carpet, or hotshot athletes that play in a big game every Sunday. Now, “influencers” are digital stars, people with large followings online.
Teaming up with an influencer to create an online word-of-mouth campaign can be a marketing coup, especially considering that 84 percent of consumers trust recommendations from their friends, and 70 percent trust opinions from branded websites, according to Nielsen Research.
So, what’s the best way to create a campaign with an influencer? Birchbox, a company that sends monthly samples of beauty products to its members, has some creative ideas that you can learn from.
Here’s how the brand uses influencers to promote its brand on Instagram:
Partnering with an influencer
Birchbox teamed up with Emily Schuman, a beauty and lifestyle blogger that runs Cupcakes and Cashmere. The partnership involved five Instagram photos promoting the products inside one of Birchbox’s monthly kits. Here’s one of the posts:
The simple partnership resulted in 18,000 likes and reached more than 550,000 consumers.
Tips to make this work for your brand
Find the right influencer
You’re looking for someone who’s a good representative for your brand. Find an influencer with a solid reputation who aligns with your brand’s mission. Research the influencer before initiating a partnership.
Look for a quality following
You’re not just looking for an influencer with a large number of followers; they need to be the right kind of followers. The influencer’s audience should consist of the same audience you’re trying to reach.
Make it simple
The Birchbox partnership called for five Instagram posts. Simple. Whatever campaign you plan, make sure it’s easy to implement on both ends.
Letting an influencer (temporarily) takeover
Birchbox also incorporates influencers in another novel way. The brand allows well-known beauty experts to takeover their Instagram account for a day. Christina Zilber, founder of Jouer Cosmetics, took over on Mother’s Day. She hosted a giveaway that resulted in more than a thousand user-generated posts.
Tips to make this work for your brand
Do your homework
If you’re going to turn over the reins to someone outside of your company, you’ll want to vet this person. Do some homework online and talk with a potential influencer on the phone before moving forward with a “takeover.”
Have a plan in place
Just because an influencer takes over your account for a day doesn’t mean there isn’t a detailed plan in place. Write out the plan for the influencer to follow, and consider having it signed as a contract for added protection.
Monitor the day
While the influencer is in charge, keep an eye on the posts. If properly planned, you’ll already know what the messages will say, but you still want to keep an eye on your feed to ensure everything is running smoothly.
