Whilst there have been numerous scandals from a few influencers in the UK, there’s no denying that they will continue to play an important role in the future of marketing strategies. As the number of influencers on the likes of Instagram and TikTok continues to grow, opportunities for marketers are also on the rise.
Companies across all industries (fashion, pharmaceuticals, sports, beauty…even the world of psychology and well-being), are investing in the opportunities of the digital world and incorporating influencers into their digital strategy. But it’s not quite as simple as sliding into someone’s DMs and offering a freebie.
Follow these four steps to make an effective influencer plan from scratch!
Step 1: What are your KPIs?
Lay the foundations of your campaign by asking a few essential questions:
• What do we want to achieve?
• Who are we targeting?
• What can we do to achieve our goals?
They might sound simple but taking the time to answer these questions before you start taking action will make a big difference. Identifying the fundamentals, like who the target audience will be or what the objectives are (brand awareness, drive product sales, website traffic, etc.) will allow you to make an informed decision on which influencers would best suit your campaign. After deciding on your campaign’s KPIs you can begin outlining a plan for your influencer campaign.
Step 2: Pay attention to the details
It’s tempting to quickly jump ahead, but every plan requires close attention to detail. Work out how much time and management you’ll need throughout the campaign. Read up on social media ad laws and make sure you understand them. Go over your KPIs one more time. Revise your budget again – influencers may be great ROI resources, but they can be expensive. Also, consider creating a campaign briefing and a publication calendar to clarify deadlines and post times for the influencer you have chosen. Setting up trackers and spreadsheets might not be fun now, but it will make your life a lot easier later on in the campaign.
Step 3: Slide into the DMs
First impressions count – especially if you’re approaching an influencer you’ve not worked with before. Whether you’re reaching out to their agency, or to an influencer directly, ensure your first engagement with the creator is confident, informative, and professional. Having a campaign plan, company information and a contract prepared will help make the proposal more professional and appealing. After all, influencers need to be aware of who they work with too.
Step 4: There’s always room to grow
Now, we have the ideas, we have the plan, we have the influencers and, according to the proposal, it’s time to get to work. This is where the campaign plan and calendar we mentioned above will come in handy. Constant monitoring of engagement and staying on top of deadlines will keep the campaign on track and make it much easier to assess at the end of the campaign.
When your campaign does finish, make sure your report is accurate and relevant. Remember those KPIs. What impact did the influencer have on your campaign? Think about what could be improved. There are always lessons to be learned for next time. Identify where improvements could be made and grow for your next campaign.
If you’d like to discuss what an influencer strategy might look like for your business, get in touch.
