John asks us: "I get bombarded with influencers asking to collaboratively work to help promote my business, can they actually help and if so how do I know which ones will?"
Did you know influencer marketing is set to become a $15 billion industry by the end of this year! So in short yes they can help but getting the right influencer is key.
To answer this question we need to look at how the influencer arrived at your business to offer to promote. For instance TNZ or your RTO may have been the reason, they then would have vetted the influencer for you, have an idea on their follower base being right for your market and demographics, they would have also looked at the interactions their followers have with posts, stories and videos so you know these influencer are easy to say yes too. However it is always good to still have a peak at their work and be sure they are trite for your brand and product.
Here's a fun fact and a reason why influencers can help; there are now 3.97million social media users in NZ - 82% of the population and 56% of these social media users spend more than an hour a day on social media.
If an influencer has emailed direct to your business, then you need to vet them for yourself, get them to send their media kit, a professional influencer will have this and then check out their channels to see if this all fits with your brand and product. Ask around if they are in the region for awhile are they working with others in your region, this will also ultimately support yours and their campaigns.
Get them creating content you want and can actually use. It’s not just about them sharing a post on their facebook page to get likes that will sell beds for you, or 4wd tours etc they need to hand over content you too can share, reuse and or whatever you require with it for your company's interest.
Video content is key, influencers that can help with this can be of great value. Get them to post videos as well as supply videos you can use down the line. You can also ask for specific shots either in video and/or photos - again ensure you have agreed to have both supplied. Being really specific will help you to achieve whatever you want out of the influencer contract.
And finally, be sure to engage even if you aren’t keen to collaborate, they are in the game of influencing, so communicate, don’t ignore. Check out their statistics and data to ensure they fit your demographic and consumers. Look at their content and engagement. There is equal value in this. Make a plan of what you want to achieve, agree to this and a deadline and then lock them in.
Another tip, feel free if you are unsure they will do a good job. You take a credit card like you would for a usual booking with the understanding that if they don’t deliver they will have to pay!
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