At Step In Communication we have enjoyed working with influencers for a decade. Seeing the industry grow and change is part of the process as is helping our clients navigate it. Here are some of the most common questions we are asked.
Q. How can partnering with influencers benefit my business/organization?
A. Influencers can help increase brand awareness, reach a targeted audience, and drive engagement. They bring a unique perspective, authenticity and an audience who trusts their recommendations and opinions.
Q. How do I choose the right influencer for my brand?
A. A lot of consideration goes into this process such as your target audience, your campaign goals, the influencer’s niche, audience demographics, engagement rates, and values aligning with your brand. We are proud of our tried and true process to help match the right influencer to our client’s brand.
Q. What social media platforms are most effective for influencer marketing?
A. The effectiveness depends on your target audience and which channels your brand is currently active on. Instagram, TikTok and blogs are the most popular choices for our clients. Getting the right mix is important.
Q. How much should I budget for an influencer marketing campaign?
A. Budgets vary widely. Factors include the influencer’s reach, engagement, the complexity and time period of the campaign as well as other benefits to the influencer such as travel, accommodations, exclusive experiences, etc.
What is the advantage of using smaller influencers? Read about the advantages of partnering with influencers of 5000 or less.
Q. What types of collaborations can influencers offer?
A. Influencers can provide sponsored posts, product reviews, giveaways, takeovers, or even long-term partnerships.
Q. How do I ensure the authenticity of an influencer’s followers?
A. Taking time to vet influencers thoroughly is an important part of our process. We look for influencers with an engaged audience, analyze comments, and then we use tools and manually to check for fake followers.
Q. What metrics should I track to measure the success of an influencer campaign?
A. Key metrics include content produced, reach, engagement, clicks and saves.
Q. Should I work with micro-influencers or macro-influencers?
A. It depends on your goals. Micro-influencers often have a more engaged audience, while macro-influencers reach a broader audience. Here at Step In we specialize in micro-influencers and our clients have seen great results by working with them.
Q. How do I approach influencers for collaboration?
A. Step In will handle this part for our clients if desired as part of help to manage a campaign. It is always important to personalize your outreach, make sure your offer matches with the influencers niche, interests and strengths. Then you should clearly communicate expectations and offer fair compensation and benefits.
Q. What legal considerations should I be aware of when working with influencers?
A. Ensure compliance with advertising regulations, disclosure requirements, and have a clear contract outlining terms and deliverables. If this sounds overwhelming we can help!
Q. How can I protect my brand’s reputation when working with influencers?
A. This is where your influencer vetting gives you a head start. Choose influencers with a positive image, set clear guidelines, and regularly monitor content to ensure alignment with your brand values. You can also request to see content such as a blog post before it goes live. Making sure you have provided the influencer with detailed information and resources about the brand/collaboration topic will help set them up for success.
Q. Can I direct what the influencer says about my brand/product/destination/organization?
A.You can, but it is highly discouraged. Giving an influencer content themes and topics is helpful in getting the campaign you want but the influencer is the expert on their audience and you never want to take away their personality and style. Vetting influencers for similar values and interests will help make sure they cover your brand well. They are professionals so give them guidelines and let them do their job!
Q. What is the ideal length for an influencer campaign?
A. Campaign lengths vary, but it’s essential to consider your goals and the time needed to build genuine connections with the audience. You also want to give the influencer ample time to do their best work.
Q. How much time does it take to plan an influencer campaign?
A. Planning time can vary widely depending on the campaign. Are they reviewing a product or experiencing a weekend at your destination? We recommend at the minimum 6 weeks planning time so you can have ample time to research, approach the influencer, agree on a plan, contract and deliver their materials, resources and itineraries. Also recognize that influencers’ schedules can book far in advance, especially for holidays. They also publish on a different schedule, rolling out products and promotions well in advance.
Can you prove that influencer campaigns are worth it? One destination we worked with demonstrated increased levels of tourism spending as a result of their influencer campaign.
What other questions do you have about influencers? Anything we missed? Let us know!