Instagram influencer marketing is one of the most recent marketing methods to emerge with social media. You may have heard of the term “influencer,” but it can be difficult to determine what they are and what they can do for your business.
Other social media platforms also have influencers, but Instagram is certainly one of the most popular because of the heavy focus on visual media. We will detail Instagram influencer marketing, what it can do for your business, and how you pursue it as a viable marketing method.
What is Instagram influencer marketing?
To understand influencer marketing, you must know what an influencer is. Influencers are people who have garnered a large social media following and respect from their followers. Typically, influencers are found within specific niches such as technology or cosmetics.
Influencer marketing is the process of using influencers to promote your product or services. As they speak highly of it, their followers will express interest by purchasing the services or products. As we have already said, influencers can be found all over social media, but Instagram has certainly carved out a place for influences to be successful.
Is Instagram influencer marketing effective?
According to Mediakix, 80% of marketers find influencer marketing is effective. In their 2019 influencer marketing survey, Mediakix found influencer marketing was primarily more effective or just as effective as other marketing methods. Only 5% believe influencer marketing was less effective than others.
In addition, of those surveyed, 89% said the return on investment was comparable to or better than other marketing channels. This means Instagram influencer marketing and other platforms are effective at building trust among influencer followers.
With this evidence, you can expect to gain more interest in your products and services with influencer marketing.
How to Start Influencer Marketing
In order to start an Instagram influencer marketing strategy, you need to do research first. Tackling influencer marketing as a whole should be limited to one platform first. Instagram is a great option, but we understand you may want to tackle Twitter or Facebook instead. The process is similar, regardless of which you choose.
Step 1: Research Influencers
First, you need to find an influencer within your own niche or industry. You can’t use a cosmetic influencer to promote your lawnmowers. We also recommend choosing the platform that best suits your industry. For example, beauty and fashion are more prominent on Instagram, while technology is found heavily on YouTube. Decide which platform is best suited for your industry and move from there.
Step 2: Set a Budget
Budgets play a part in any type of marketing strategy. Your budget will determine the influencer you can afford. Influencers with a hundred thousand followers will be more expensive than those with 5,000 followers. Micro-influencers may also be something you look into which have smaller amounts of followers but may have a specific niche you want to market to.
Step 3: Create a Goal
What is it you want to achieve with Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram influencer marketing? Set a goal for the marketing strategy so that you have a way to measure success. Typically, most businesses want to raise their sales and increase brand awareness with influencer marketing.
By knowing your goal, you can create messages or post ideas for your influencer. When you contact your influencer, you can speak to them about the types of messages you want them to send to their followers related to your business.
Step 4: Make Contact
You can contact an influencer in a few different ways, but it will vary on the influencer. Smaller influencers can typically be private messaged on the platform they are on. As for larger influencers, look around on their profile to find an email or website for business inquiries.
Step 5: Measure Your Success
Finally, start measuring your success. Analyze your influencers’ post success and see what you can do to make adjustments to improve where necessary—set dates for yourself to reach small stepstones for your marketing strategy. Evaluate accordingly, and continue to measure success.
Let Us Handle Instagram Influencer Marketing
ASAP Marketing can help you tackle Instagram influencer marketing and other platforms. Our social media marketing team works closely with clients to measure success and make adjustments throughout the campaign. Contact our team today at (832) 737-2752 for a free estimate.