You may be wondering exactly just what is a social influencer, and you’d be on the money if you’re wanting to keep up with the times. In today’s modern world that is always ‘online’ a social media influencer is a very much real, and sought after, job.
It can be quite tricky to define a social influencer or even influencer digital marketing, however that does not mean they’re not important. All the big brands around the world make use of the ‘influence’ that a social media influencer has over their audience.
With this being said, the definition of a social influencer can be defined by that person being a creator of online content who has a consistent large social media following. A social influencer generally shares top quality content related to a specific brand to inform and connect their audience to their sponsor. Sounds like a beneficial relationship – well you’ve got that right. A social influencer can generate a huge amount of social media engagement and effectively promote a brand. Social media influencers generally fit into two categories, which are a) a micro-influencer which is between 10,000 and 50,000 followers; and b) a macro-influencer who has an audience of between 500,000 and 1 million followers. Now that’s a whole lot of followers!
Social influencers are active on a number of social media platforms for example, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and blogs. Social influencers could even be set to become the next era of advertising.
It’s safe to say that to fully understand the full impact a social influencer can have on a brand’s reputation, brand awareness and ultimately sales, it’s a good idea to complete a social media marketing or a digital marketing course.
Why are social influencers so popular?
Simply put – everyone is online these days, so it makes sense for a brand to partner with a social media personality that has a massive social media following. These people could be bloggers, Instagrammers or YouTubers, it really doesn’t matter which social media platform they are active one, they will have gained a massive following – and with digital marketing it’s always about the numbers.
Collaborating with a social influencer is a great, often less expensive, way to boost your brand and create solid engagement with your product or service. An effective social influencer would have put in a lot of hard work and will be constantly creating top quality and inspiring content to reach the number of followers it takes to effectively promote a brand, so this is why they are extremely popular with advertisers.
Choosing the right influencer for your brand
It’s not a matter of simply liking a particular social influencer’s style or technique, it’s vitally important that you choose an influencer that has measurable persuasion over their audience and that fits in well with your industry.
Here are a few points to keep in mind when collaborating with social influencers:
- Research your influencer – Before you even consider approaching a social media influencer make sure you do your research. A good tip is to consider social influencers who have a different audience than you, as this will widen your reach.
- Reach out – Only when you have researched a social influencer and identified if they are right for your brand do you reach out to them. Start following that influencer to become familiar with their posts
- Compile detailed brief – Compile a detailed brief on exactly what work you want your social influencer to do. Be sure to include details about the concept behind your specific social media campaign. A social influencer needs as much information about your brand as possible as well as fully understanding your digital marketing objective.
- Brainstorm together –Remember to discuss ideas with your social influencer as they may have great concepts that you have not considered.
- Plan ahead – To make sure that your social influencer is not overwhelmed with your requirements, it’s important to plan ahead. Take time to understand the amount of work that they need to put into a social media post, consider their time restraints as well as your own.
- Leave creative wiggle room – It’s important not to dictate to your social influencer on their approach and style, as they would have no doubt built a distinctive style throughout their career as an effective social influencer. Be open to their creativity.
