Picture this: If Facebook were a country, then its users in India alone would make it the fourth most populous country in the world! Besides India’s 290 million, Facebook has 190 million users in the USA, 140 million in Indonesia, and 130 million in Brazil. Facebook also dominates the influencer marketing world.
Looking at the enormous numbers, can you imagine what could happen if your business were to be exposed to such a huge platform? After blogs, Facebook – even after its decade long existence – remains the most effective platform for influencer marketing.
For every $1 spent, businesses are making $6.50 through influencer marketing, according to a poll of marketing professionals conducted by Tomoson. The poll also found that using influencers is the fastest-growing online customer-acquisition channel, outpacing organic search and email marketing.
Figure 1: Poll of marketing professionals conducted by Tomoson. Source
Facebook Influencer Market
In today’s market, anyone armed with the powerful weapon of knowledge can become an influencer. It is no longer the forte of celebrities alone. So, you can find an influencer for anything between $1,000 and $1 million for a post. No matter what industry, influencer marketing is key.
For now, here’s a checklist for you when looking for a Facebook influencer.
Dos & Don’ts While Working With Influencers On Facebook
1. Choose the right influencer
Are you ready to pair with a social media influencer? Yes? Then let’s go and find you a perfect match!
There are two ways of going about it on Facebook – manually searching on the platform or using tools. If you do the manual search, you can identify a pool of Facebook users who are already engaging with your brand, either by sharing or commenting on your posts. After identifying the potential influencers, you’ll have to vet them. But this is a laborious job.
The other choice is to use tools to identify influencers. These tools search databases of social media influencers. Numerous free and paid tools are available to find Facebook influencers.
Do: Choose an influencer depending on your niche.
Generally, people think of followers as the sole indicator of success. Yes, reach is necessary if you need help to share your story, but influencers have much more to give to a brand. Influencers are gurus of their own field. They wield immeasurable power over social media.
So, choose the influencer who matches your needs and niche, and arm them with relevant context for your brand. They can then cast a spell over the target audience on their own. Having the basics clear, can make the process of connecting with the right influencers a lot easier.
Don’t: Ignore the micro-influencers.
No doubt, celebrities have a huge following, but micro-influencers target niche audiences. It entirely depends upon what kind of promotion you are looking for. But always remember that micro-influencers cover specific topics only. This attribute can be extremely helpful in promoting certain niche products.
On the other hand, celebrities can work with brands from fashion, beauty, food, or even the sports industry. They generate more buzz, but for better information, users look out for micro-influencers, who are experts and can describe the product benefits better.
2. Have a plan ready
The right person, with the right approach, can take your business’s reach to the next level. Now that you’ve found the one your brand resonates with, it’s time to plan your campaign. Get the goals of your campaign in order. Be specific. Instead of just saying “increase brand awareness”, you might set a goal to “get 10k impressions” on an influencer’s post. You can also enlist goals like:
- Social media engagement: In terms of gaining likes, shares, or comments on social media.
- Website traffic: In terms of the number of visitors the influencer’s post drives to your website.
- Conversions: In terms of sales or sign-ups,
Do: Carefully plan your campaign.
Think outside the box of traditional digital key performance indicators when dealing with influencers. Most of them will have a tough time matching your digital benchmarks. The human side of the campaign will be difficult to measure with such tight criteria. Identify your campaign goals before you begin and include considerations that focus on the influencer’s strong sides – like engaging the audience, creating content, and time spent with the brand.
Don’t: Start the process without specific goals.
If you don’t discuss the details of what you want from your campaign with your influencer, your message may get diluted. You’ll have to tell them the kind of content and response you expect, and quantify these in terms of numbers you are looking at, so that they can work in tandem with your goals.
3. Communication is the key
Good influencers get lots of offers, so keeping the initial dialogue polite and personal can go a long way in building rapport. Keeping the communication channels open, you must help them understand your brand while you try and gauge who they are, who their audience is.
After you get to know each other, clearly spell out the key talking points you want the influencer to cover, for example, specific promo codes to mention, giveaway instructions, or unique aspects of the product. Then let the influencer convey it to the audience in their style.
Do: Keep following up with the influencer.
Once the campaign is assigned, stay in the loop. You must know what content is being put out there and if it is what you want. By staying in touch in a friendly way, you can monitor your campaign well, without being too nosy.
Don’t: Be pushy.
At each step of the campaign, you should have direct access to the content. However, you must not sound pushy. You can give influencers specific instructions, but then let them decide how to use the information. If they find you rude, it might jeopardize your drive.
4. Communicate brand philosophy
Influencers are perceived as experts in their fields by their followers, who trust their reviews and recommendations. So, ensure that you shake hands with a person who understands your products and the philosophy of your brand well. A well-thought-out and executed campaign can yield great results in terms of sales.
Do: Familiarize the influencer with the brand.
Your job doesn’t end after handing over the campaign goal to the influencer. Now, you need to have a brainstorming session with your influencer to ensure that your brand story is being narrated exactly the way you want it. Most brands have an idea of what they want the influencers to say, but the key to creating trustworthy recommendations is letting the influencer tell your story in their own words and ways.
Don’t: Focus on the quantity of posts alone.
Using Facebook micro-influencers can lead to a phenomenally successful campaign if you set realistic targets, and then measure performance based on those goals. Don’t just measure success in the number of posts alone, go by how your story is being perceived out there by the targeted audience.
5. Creative freedom
Facebook influencers can post content in the form of — videos, Facebook Live, contests, or cross-promotions. You should let them decide which option they would like to use. But at the same time, you can share with them what you prefer.
Do: Give the influencer complete creative freedom.
Brands should let the influencers drive the narrative. This makes the story more authentic and interesting. Influencers know both the job and desires of their audience. Trust them and let them convey your message in their style, without hard selling it.
Don’t: Hinder authenticity.
Over time, all of us have realized that authenticity is the beauty of social media influencer campaigns. It’s quite different from the advertising industry. So let the influencer win the audience for you in their style. Don’t micromanage and hinder their authenticity.
At most, offer all the information, share ideas and then leave them to do their job. After all, that’s why you hired them: because they are the best at what they do. Ain’t it?
It takes a lot of effort on the influencer’s part to build a reputation among the masses. Don’t underestimate the power of social media, and the enormous sway that an individual can hold on Facebook. Think of how huge a response one person can get and that too, at a fraction of the price compared to traditional advertising. Your brand can soar with influencer marketing.
We’re not suggesting that traditional advertising is passé, but undoubtedly, if you follow the trends, you will agree that influencer marketing is the new king of content. Get onboard with AtisfyReach – the AI-driven platform that is redefining the influencer marketing space by offering solutions that automate the entire influencer marketing workflow. Find perfect influencer to promote your brand!
Register your interest today.
