BROADENING YOUR HORIZONS: DISCOVERING BRAND INFLUENCERS BEYOND INSTAGRAM
BY HEIDI MCIVOR ALLEN
WHAT IS INFLUENCER MARKETING?
Influencer marketing is a strategy where businesses collaborate with individuals boasting substantial and engaged social media followings. The objective is to enhance brand visibility and connect with new audiences.
This type of marketing truly shines when brands align with the perfect influencers for their campaign, meaning they’ve identified influencers whose followers match their target audience.
WHY FINDING THE RIGHT INFLUENCERS IS ESSENTIAL
The primary advantage of collaborating with influencers is their ability to connect you with your ideal audience.
Imagine you run a boutique coffee shop and are eager to attract coffee enthusiasts residing in the heart of Seattle.
Teaming up with a local coffee guru on social media, who has a considerable following, can be your ticket to reaching precisely that group of people.
In addition to effectively reaching your target audience, selecting the right influencers offers several other advantages, such as:
Boosting Your Credibility
Expanding Brand Awareness
Driving Sales
However, not every influencer is an ideal fit for your brand.
To illustrate, take a look at a collaboration with a global celebrity like Kim Kardashian, which might not align with the goals of a small coffee shop.
While she commands a vast following, her fees are likely to be exorbitant and her content primarily revolves around makeup, fashion, and the Kardashian family, rather than coffee delicacies.
In essence, her followers may not constitute your target demographic.
Here are some other considerations to keep in mind when partnering with influencers:
Inauthentic Followers and Bots
Excessive Sponsored Content
PRO TIP:
TYPES OF INFLUENCERS
1. NANO INFLUENCERS
Nano influencers often have a follower count ranging from 1,000 to 5,000. What sets them apart is their high level of engagement with their audience, regularly responding to nearly every comment. Their followers usually form a close-knit, niche-focused community that values their recommendations and trusts their expertise.
For example, Tanin Kayvan is a travel and adventure TikTok nano influencer.
With around 5,000 followers, Tanin is in a great position to partner with brands in the travel industry.
- Your aim is to reach a highly specialized and niche market.
- You operate with a limited budget (nano influencers normally charge between $0 to $1,000 per post).
- You are interested in targeting a particular location or region where a nano influencer maintains an active and engaged audience.
2. MICRO-INFLUENCERS
Micro-influencers commonly boast a follower count ranging from 5,000 to 30,000. Their focus primarily revolves around one or two specific topics, earning them recognition as experts in their respective niches.
Take Petar Klovar, for instance, who is not only a freediving world record holder, but also an accomplished freediver and instructor.
With 15,000 followers interested in this sport, Petar could be a great fit for companies that produce freediving gear.
- You seek to partner with specialists in a specific niche.
- You prefer influencers with a larger audience than nano influencers while maintaining a high level of audience engagement.
- You are in search of a cost-effective option (on average, micro-influencers charge between $500 and $2,000 per post).
3. MID-SIZED INFLUENCERS
Mid-sized influencers hold a follower count ranging from 30,000 to 200,000. These influencers have a track record of online presence, boasting a well-established reputation and a dedicated audience.
Compared to smaller influencers, those in the mid-sized category often possess extensive experience collaborating with various brands. This knowledge can facilitate smoother partnerships and collaborations.
Case in point, Alanah Pierce is a mid-sized gaming influencer on Twitch.
With almost 175,000 followers, Alanah is in a great position to partner with companies in the gaming industry.
- You aim to extend your reach to a broader audience.
- You prefer collaborating with influencers who have a history of working with larger brands.
- You seek a balanced cost for your campaign while ensuring a significant reach (mid-sized influencers often charge between $1,000 and $4,000 per post).
3. MID-SIZED INFLUENCERS
Mid-sized influencers hold a follower count ranging from 30,000 to 200,000. These influencers have a track record of online presence, boasting a well-established reputation and a dedicated audience.
Compared to smaller influencers, those in the mid-sized category often possess extensive experience collaborating with various brands. This knowledge can facilitate smoother partnerships and collaborations.
Case in point, Alanah Pierce is a mid-sized gaming influencer on Twitch.
With almost 175,000 followers, Alanah is in a great position to partner with companies in the gaming industry.
- You aim to extend your reach to a broader audience.
- You prefer collaborating with influencers who have a history of working with larger brands.
- You seek a balanced cost for your campaign while ensuring a significant reach (mid-sized influencers often charge between $1,000 and $4,000 per post).
5. MEGA-INFLUENCERS
Mega-influencers typically command a follower count exceeding 500,000. This category comprises celebrities, including actors, singers, and sports figures. Mega-influencers generally operate with substantial teams dedicated to managing their brand collaborations and content creation.
Graham Stephan, for example, is a mega YouTube influencer who covers topics like personal finance and real estate.
Graham repeatedly collaborates with companies in the personal finance niche and real estate niche on YouTube.
- You possess significant experience in influencer marketing and have a clear understanding of what resonates with your brand.
- You aim for a vast, worldwide reach to expand your brand's global presence.
- You seek an endorsement from a specific influencer or celebrity who aligns with your brand's values and goals.
- You are prepared to allocate both time and resources into your influencer marketing campaign, bearing in mind that mega influencer rates usually start at $3,000, but can vary significantly based on individual circumstances.
HOW TO FIND INFLUENCERS ON INSTAGRAM, YOUTUBE, AND OTHER PLATFORMS
1. Use Influencer Discovery Tools
2. Use Branded Hashtags to Find Relevant Creators
3. Search Through Industry Relevant Hashtags
4. Search Through Google
5. Monitor Brand Mentions
6. Do Keyword Research
7. Follow Bloggers, Podcasters, and Other Creators
KICKSTART YOUR FIRST INFLUENCER CAMPAIGN WITH MCIVOR MARKETING
Once you’ve pinpointed the ideal influencers for your upcoming project, it’s time to strategize your next campaign.
Reach out to the selected influencers and kickstart your collaboration. McIvor Marketing is happy to help you with all of the things in order to find the BEST influencer for your brand! Contact us to get started today!
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