In this post, we’re going to focus on the specific details of your involvement with an influencer. You already know how influencers can work, and how by posting just one photo of them using your product, how you can get massive sales overnight. But, you need to set some ‘requirements’ for your influencer that are pretty general and the same across the board.
Here are some things that your influencer needs to include when they are posting photos of your product:
The first one is a no brainer. They need to include your Instagram handle so that viewers can find you on Instagram and learn more about your business.
Second, the influencer needs to include a direct link to where the viewer can purchase your product. Website links can sometimes be really lengthy. Bitly.com can be a great resource when taking a very large website address and shortening into a small one, for free. All in all, make sure that each post the influencer makes about your product that they are using the correct links so their viewers can then find you and the product.
Another big thing to consider are hashtags. This is a massive part of using any social media platform. Hashtags are crossed used on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Before you even contact your influencer or strike up a deal, you need to have this type of information already thought out. From your Instagram handle, link to your website or product, and the hashtags that are going to be used so you can start trending on social media and capture an even bigger audience.
When deciding on what hashtags to use, which are like keywords that will link back to your posts, use unique words. Don’t worry about figuring out the most popular hashtags on Instagram and trying to copycat someone else. The popular hashtags are always changing. Instead, you want to create a unique hashtag that can gain popularity by both your business and the influencer using them.
Use hashtag words that are going to represent your brand and target audience. If you’ve written a book and want to get the word out there that your book exists, have an influencer use a hashtag like #bestthrillernovelever. Now, everyone who is searching to read a new thriller novel is going to be able to find your book easier and see that a pretty important influencer has recommended it. Get creative and stay unique when it comes to using hashtags.
Once you have all the writing down and your influencer knows their ‘requirements’, you’re going to want to create a long-lasting relationship with this influencer. Comment on their photos, invite others to see their photos, and stay connected with that influencer in a very organic way. Create conversations on Instagram and continue to encourage that influencer. Note how I didn’t say anything about dropping your links in their comments or hounding them to continue to post photos of your products. It’s all about building a genuine relationship with these influencers so they continue to choose you over and over again. You have to be able to offer them something first before they’ll be to offer you something in return.
When you have the ball rolling and are working with several micro-influencers to promote your business, one of the things you’ll try to do is track the results of this advertising campaign. However, it’s a very hard thing to do. You won’t be sure which internet clicks are coming from your influencers and from your organic status on social media. Granted, if your only marketing campaign is currently using one or two influencers, it will be easy to determine.
But no business is ever just using one type of marketing. Therefore, it is always hard to determine just how much of your sales are coming from influencers. No matter how many influencers you decide to go with or what product you are trying to sell, remember to keep things real and genuine. Yes, we all know that the bottom line is to make loads of cash. But remember… a photo is worth a thousand words! It can be a picture of a beautiful diamond ring, but if that brand has a horrible reputation, then it’s not going to get sold.
Build relationships with your influencers, show them how down to earth you are and they will do all the hard work for you. You’ll be surprised how many people are happy to help someone they can relate to and showcase their product that they are actually passionate about. It’s all about remaining real in order to capture your target audience.