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Social influencers are the celebrities of the younger generations. Much more accessible, these celebs appeal to today's youth and millennials through social media, sharing their experiences and coming off as very relatable. Even more so than 'true' celebrities, social influencer followers look to them for fashion cues, ideas, and good taste.
Getting involved with an influencer can be an incredibly smart marketing move for your brand, spreading knowledge of your product to a new audience. However, having a top-notch relationship with an influencer that loves working with you is what is going to take that endorsement to the next level. In this blog, Hollywood Branded provides you with 5 tips to make your brand appealing to top social influencers and get more consumer attention.
The perfect influencer for your brand will ideally be a natural, organic fit, but this doesn't just happen magically. It's important you do your best to appeal to the kind of influencer you want to get involved with. Follow their social media to get a feel for their style and spend time researching their followers and the kind of users they reach.
The truth is, there are many social influencers out there, and if you make them want to work with your brand, the price tag may go way down for you. Social media marketing always starts with you - influencers add the star-studded boost that puts you in the spotlight.
While bigger brands won't necessarily have to put in the extra work to get influencers from all walks of life to be aware of their brand or product, smaller brands have to come into the social media space assuming that no one knows about them.
Paid ads are always a surefire way to get tons of eyes on your brand, but that can get quite pricey quite fast. Interacting with influencers on their own posts is a free (and, honestly, super easy) way to gain some recognition and start a rapport with an influencer.
From commenting on their posts to re-sharing some of their relevant stories, photos, and blog posts, interacting with influencers who could be potential partners creates a sense of camaraderie while also helping your brand create a voice for itself. This more casual way of reaching out to influencers makes consumers (and influencers) feel like there's an actual person behind the brand - it makes everything posted feel much more genuine!
Once you get into a partnership with an influencer of your choice, you will likely be sending them products to promote. However, since this is expected, try throwing in some extra goodies to show your gratitude for the work they're doing! Whether it be an extra product from your line or something that just works well with your brand, giving some extra gifts to your influencer will not only keep them coming back for future partnerships, but it'll also help make their post seem more genuine!
It's often tough for influencers to make sponsored posts seem natural and genuine. However, including add-ons in your PR packages and creating a natural partnership filled with perks, as well as harboring a friendship between the brand and influencer, will give an authentic feel to every post throughout the partnership!
While in the end, your brand is your brand, and you have the final say in what goes on in your campaign, it is important to offer your influencers creative freedom. Often, influencers will want to give their input and ideas, and it's important they be heard. You are not looking for every campaign to be exactly the same - you want their imagination and spark to bring your brand to life.
When it's time to work with a social influencer, talk about their style, ask them questions about what works on their page, and talk about what works on yours. Bounce ideas off each other. Remember, in the age of social media, strict, rigid marketing plans are the way of the past. Keep an open mind to your influencer, and they will likely do the same to your brand.
When the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority let DJ Khaled take over their Snapchat, he simply put his own take on Snapchatting his visit to Las Vegas - and it paid off. The channel received 400,000 views and 25,000 new followers as a result. Letting an influencer do their thing can really pay off. They DO know what they are doing - sometimes more than the brand may.
Sure, a photo with the product in an influencer's hand with a link to your product page can be a straightforward way for an influencer to show off your brand; it's been done over and over again and will likely not turn many heads (or spur any thumbs to double-tap, shall we say).
Spend your time keeping up with what's popular on social media and offer ways for your influencer to integrate your product into current trends. Or - create your own trends! Work with your influencer to try something new and exciting.
Do you want to learn all there is to know about social influencers and their partnerships? Look no further than Hollywood Branded! Read some of our blogs on social media influencers below.
Are you interested in learning more about how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our insider's guide to social media influencers infographic that provides case studies, rates, and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.
Topics: Celebrity Partnership, Social Media Strategy, Influencer Marketing 101
Stacy Jones, Hollywood Branded's founder and CEO, has over twenty six years of leadership experience building global entertainment branding campaigns for top Fortune 500 companies and hundreds of brands. Her career started after receiving her BFA in Theater Production & Scenic Design from the University of Arizona. Acknowledged as an expert in the field, she has appeared on CNN and MSNBC; spoken at conferences around the globe from Germany to Beijing; and has been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Hollywood Reporter, Financial Times, The Economist, Brandweek, Advertising Age, Variety, B&C and Mediaweek amongst others. Originally from Texas, you will still hear her ya’ll as she gathers the team for strategy planning sessions. Like all true entrepreneurs, Stacy is an adventurer at her core – having sky dived, hang glided off bi-planes, swam with crocs while rafting the Zambezi in Africa, photographed grizzly bears in Alaska, trekked Mayan ruins in Belize, explored the ocean as an avid scuba diver, and who loves owning an advertising agency where she swims with a different type of Hollywood shark on a daily basis.
