Influencer marketing happens when companies connect with content creators to promote their content through social media. They can help increase your brand’s visibility and gain new followers or even boost sales.
However, there are times when brands get stuck in choosing creators and deciding which ones are suitable for their advertising campaign. In this article we’ll discuss what to look for when looking for content creators when making that choice.
Before you begin
Before you start looking for creators you must plan your marketing campaign. It is important to review the following aspects and outline them:
- The purpose of the campaign
- Your target audience
- Your budget
- The timeframe and any deadlines
- How will you track your performance
Doing your research now will provide you with an idea of what content creators seem like a good match and which ones aren’t. So make sure you take your time and plan it well.
What should you look for when looking at creators profiles
When you are evaluating creators for your collaborators, it is important to examine a range of factors and other aspects. Let’s look at a few of them.
Category
What is the category of creators? It is the subject they share content about on their social media – food, fashion, health, music, etc. It is important to locate a creator who has a category that is related to your brand.
If your company fits into a more specific niche, dig into it and find creators in the same space. If your company is an eco-friendly and cruelty-free makeup brand for example, look for creators who move in that same niche.
Follower count and its growth over time
How many followers a creator has isn’t definitive evidence of their success. The number of followers can impact a creator’s reach, as well as the cost they’ll charge for their services. But followers can also be easily bought. So it’s also crucial to examine the way they’ve grown their following over time.
Make use of influencer marketing software, or request their media kits to study the growth of their followers. Organic growth rate is constant even if it’s slow. If you notice sudden dips and spikes in your numbers, be on guard. This creator might have purchased fake followers.
Engagement rate
This indicates how much the audience enjoys content from creators. Engagement rate measures interactions with social media posts. The theory is the more people enjoy the content, the more often they’ll interact with it. And when followers are engaged with a creator’s content, they tend to be more interested in the brands the creator promotes.
If you are analyzing engagement rate, remember that it may differ based on several variables:
- Social network
- Follower count
- Content type
- Category
Thus, it is essential to evaluate the creator only against their direct peers. Do not make comparisons between TikTok creators and Twitch streamers, don’t compare dance creators with beauty creators, and so on.
Audience demographics and their authenticity
Always check the audience of a creator, too. Check to see if their audience lines up with your brand’s target audience.
Examine demographics such as gender, age, the location, language and interest. Check whether the followers are influential. Do they have a significant number of followers who look like they could be bots?
Voice, values, and POV
Examine the content the creators post. Does it reflect what your brand stands for?
It’s negative for the audience if creators and brands who do not have anything in common collaborate. Followers can discern this and afterward, it becomes clear that the only link between the two of you is that you’re paying the creator to promote your brand.
Create a collaboration that is as authentic as it can be by identifying creators who are aligned with the brand. Consider:
- Your brand’s mission and message
- Your values
- Aesthetic style
- Tone and brand voice
If you find creators who share similar values with your brand and who fit into your mission, the collaboration will come across organic and authentic.
Read Also: How to promote technology websites through Instagram
Conclusion
The process of identifying and analyzing creators doesn’t need to be difficult. For success, it is important to define your goals and campaign in advance. Know what to be looking for in creators to make well-informed and confident choices when selecting your collaborators.
