Social media has become an indispensable part of our lives. People are spending more time than ever on their favorite social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn and others.
With increased user activity on social channels, marketers are trying new ways to reach audiences on social media.
One of the easiest ways to do that is by using social media advertisements. However, people are no longer responsive to brands that blatantly promote their products without actually offering value.
So social ads alone aren’t enough to reach new prospects. That’s why influencer activation is becoming increasingly popular, with more brands using influencers to gain attention and trust.
What is Influencer Activation?
Influencer activation is a marketing initiative that leverages the power of social media influencers to endorse the products or services offered by a business.
Influencers are real people who have a loyal following of niche audiences. A recommendation from an influencer is a great way to build brand trust, engagement, and sales.
How to Start Doing Influencer Activation
Influencer activation helps you gain more exposure as a brand. Follow the below tips to start doing influencer activation:
- Define and document the type of influencers that your business should hire and why.
- Define your audience personas and select the right influencers who match the personas of your target audience. You can search for influencers on the world’s largest influencer marketing community, influence.co using your defined criteria.
- Set clear terms and conditions in your agreement.
- Your business values must match the ideals of the influencer.
- Understand that every influencer is different. Avoid unrealistic goals.
- Use proper tracking tools to measure the ROI from influencer activation campaigns.
Advantages of Influencer Activation
Influencer activation sets your brand in motion and helps to build authentic relationships with your prospects as well as existing customers. The advantages of influencer activation are:
1. Builds Authenticity, Trust, and Value
Influencer activation is one of the quickest ways to build brand awareness.
People trust the words of influencers more than ads. They take recommendations from influencers seriously. Influencers can also help to build positive sentiments about your brand and add more value to your business.
When you connect with influencers, you are actually connecting with their communities.
2. Generates Leads
With influencer activation, you reach niche audiences who are already looking for a service or product similar to yours. All you need is a positive recommendation from an influencer and people will start taking your brand more seriously. This will then result in an increase in the number of leads.
3. Increases Engagement
Brand publicity is not just about direct leads. You also need to improve overall engagement because engagement helps people to remember your brand. A business that stays in the minds of their customer sells more.
When influencers create and share content on your brand’s behalf, then people start to respond to it. Better engagement leads to more sharing and it expands the overall reach of your business.
4. Retains Your Customer Base
Always remember that your competitors are not sitting idle. They are always thinking of new and improved strategies to take your customers away. Working with relevant influencers helps ensure that you retain your existing customer base.
When people see that the person they follow is associated with your brand, they may feel less inclined to leave your for your competition.
5. Saves Money
Influencer activation is not as expensive as you might think. The best part of influencer marketing is that you can reach a niche audience at a fraction of the cost of regular social advertising.
Even smaller businesses or startups on a fixed budget can start working with micro-influencers. They normally charge less as compared to macro-influencers.
6. Fosters Innovation
Every influencer thinks differently. When you start working with one, you are actually fostering innovation. The influencer works with your content or sales team to produce innovative content and presents it before a niche audience.
Innovation is a great way to differentiate your business from your competitors and influencer activation does that for you.
7. Boosts SEO
Influencer marketing boosts your SEO efforts. Search engines take into account the popularity of a business while ranking sites. If your business is popular on social media,then it is an indirect signal to the search engines that your business is trusted by the people.
What’s Next?
Now that you understand the concept of influencer activation, start using the power of influencers in an innovative manner to reach your target audience.
Influencers not only attract customers but also help to convert them. They can help drive consumers further down your sales funnel.
They can also help you build long-lasting relationships with your customers. So, what are you waiting for? Get started and find influencers, collaborate with them, and reach your business goals now.
Shane Barker is a digital marketing consultant who specializes in influencer marketing, content marketing, and SEO. He is the co-founder of Attrock, a digital marketing agency. He has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, influencers with digital products, and a number of A-List celebrities.
