How to Find the Perfect Influencer for Your Brand?

In the lead-up to Christmas, you will expect to see marketers leaning into the industry market more. You’ll see a lot more “gifted” and “ad” posts showcasing the new must-have product. 68% of marketers plan on using influencers within their budget, with 77% claiming they’ll have a separate influencer budget. The influencer market seems for continued growth with the likes of TikTok and BeReal becoming ever more popular.

But how do I find the perfect influencer for my brand?

There are many factors to consider whilst choosing the correct influencer:

WHO?

Evaluate your brand's audience – By looking at your brand’s own customer base it allows you to match authentic and genuine users of your products. Brands often use “micro” influencers to help boost their engagement with authentic posts at a much cheaper rate than well-known influencers. A “micro” influencer could be an employee who perfectly represents your brand.

Consider using a range of influencers – You might want to use various amounts of influencers to help achieve the brand's go. One influencer might have a large audience which can boost your brand's reach, one may have high levels of engagement whilst another could be a trustworthy source as an expert to review your products.

CONTENT

When considering using an influencer you must consider the type of content you expect and the content the influencer can produce.

Be active in your field/ industry – What makes influencers so influential is their being immersed in their chosen industry. So, brands must do the same. They must understand what is happening in their field by following online communities.

Does the content align – It may be obvious, but brands must consider if the influencer's content aligns with what the brand is trying to portray. If not, it could end up a disaster (Kendal Jenner and Pepsi). The brand and influencer's branding (aesthetic) must feel like a natural fit and be considered an extension of the brand.

Consider their audience – Does the influencer your brand is considering have a large reach in the demographic you are wanting to target? A common mistake is to assume an influencer’s following. The Zen Agency would recommend looking at their data first to confirm their audience matches your goal.

Consider their content – One aspect you must consider is the influencer's content. Will the influencer's content be received well by your target audience? This can only be done by manually reviewing their content. We recommend going back 1-3 months and assessing influencers content to see if it’ll match your goal. Another factor to consider is the quality, content, and originality of the influencer. As mentioned previously, they are an extension of the brand, and you want them to positively represent the brand in every aspect.

DATA

Another important aspect to look at when choosing an influencer is their data. Influencer data can help predict if the collaboration will be a success or not.

Consider their metrics – We recommend looking at an influencer's past campaigns and seeing what their conversion and engagement rates are to help bring in a strong ROI. This will allow you to benchmark and quantify how successful you expect the collab to go. 

We recommend that brands ask the influencers for their previous endorsement data to make the correct assumptions and set realistic goals.

RESEARCH

As the influencer will be an extension of your brand, you must do your due diligence on the influencer. This will help avoid any scandals or controversies that could negatively affect your brand. Look back on the influencer's history online and offline to make sure they have a clean brand image.

At the Zen Agency, we recommend brands conduct a “trial” period with new influencers. This allows the brand to use the first few collabs to gauge how successful they feel this strategy will be. This trial period should be built into the contract and be agreed upon by both parties.

With the lead-up to Christmas, we expect brands to heavily invest in the influencer market. Using the correct influencer alongside the correct deals and promotions could help boost your company’s visibility and sales.

Will you invest in influencer marking this Christmas?

The Zen Agency are experts in all things social media marketing!

Are you interested in finding out more about influencer marketing and how it can be introduced to your digital marketing plan? Contact The Zen Agency directly at 0141 229 1333 to discuss your marketing strategy.