According to Influencer Marketing Hub’s 2024 Benchmark Report, about 60% of respondents plan to increase their influencer marketing budget. Influencers can bring awareness, engagement, trust, and much more to brands when used right. However, choosing an influencer is not simple; there are a lot of things to consider.
Unfortunately, there have been plenty of collaborations and partnerships that have not done well because brands made mistakes along the way – simple mistakes that could have been avoided if the right questions were asked.
So, which questions should be answered when deciding on an influencer?
DO YOUR VALUES ALIGN?
An influencer and brand having similar values is crucial. This helps to avoid many of those differences in opinions that may be hard to overlook. When values align, it is not only easier to work with each other, but it will be more entertaining and feel right.
Something to consider might be to peruse your brand’s followers or posts that your brand has been tagged in. Your brand may already have natural influencers that follow and support your brand. Typically, these natural influencers have congruent values and are loyal customers of your brand, making the collaboration that much more simple.
IS THEIR AUDIENCE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE?
Does the influencer’s audience match the target audience of your brand or product? You want to reach as many people as possible, but you want those people to be relevant to your brand. If your brand or product is marketed towards seniors and you choose a Gen-Z influencer, this partnership will not be fruitful.
A common mistake that brands make is choosing an influencer that matches their target audience without looking into the influencer’s audience. Their followers may be in a completely different demographic than the influencer, which can hinder your campaign’s potential. Assure their followers match your target audience when reviewing prospective influencers.
DOES THEIR CONTENT MESH WITH YOUR IDEA(S)?
People follow influencers for a reason. Whether that reason is to find new recipes, see product reviews, hear funny stories, learn trendy dances, etc., consumers follow influencers for who they are and the content they produce. Your ideas must fit into their style – not the other way around.
People will believe the genuine word of an influencer over many brands, or even family and friends, due to the trust built between influencers and their followers. As long as the content you want the influencer to create is authentic, the partnership has a strong possibility to be successful.
QUENCH’S CONCEPT
Obviously, these three questions are not the only questions that should be answered, but they are a great place to start. However, each influencer is unique with their own personality and set of ideas, so treat them as such. It is case-by-case; there is no cookie-cutter method to choosing an influencer.
Finding the right influencer is an important and intricate process. They can be very beneficial for a brand’s awareness, engagement, trust, and more when utilized correctly, so take your time and consult those who work with influencers often.
If we’ve learned one thing about social media, it’s that it is an ever-evolving platform. So, you must stay on top of trends and up-to-date with what is new to stay relevant. Influencers are big right now – take advantage of the opportunity.
