NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS IS NOT THE ONLY NUMBER TO LOOK AT
When choosing a social influencer for your brand, there are many things to consider: reputation, number of followers, type of influencer, and of course price tag. However an important factor that is sometimes overlooked is the influencer's social engagement. The number of followers doesn't mean much if those followers don't look at or interact with the content.
Hollywood Branded looks at why social media engagement is an important measure when looking for the perfection digital influencer for your brand.
Beyonce's New Athleisure Line Rules In Engagement
Queen B, it seems, can do no wrong. Her new clothing line, Ivy Park, has only recently launched and has become the most popular kid on the block according to Mashable.
While her brand is certainly not the most followed brand on Instagram, it is achieving unprecedented success in an equally important measurement: engagement.
With only 41 posts but close to 162,000 followers, Beyonce's Ivy Park Instagram profile has an engagement rate average of 22% - which is huge when you consider that most brands and accounts on Instagram have around a 1% engagement rate. This means a lot for her brand - people are not only looking at it, but liking, commenting, and sharing with their friends.
What Is Social Media Engagement And How Is It Calculated?
A social media account's engagement is the percentage of its followers that interact with the material and content posted - be it liking, sharing, commenting, tagging friends or even clicking directly through to the account's main web page where products, content, or merchandise can be purchased.
This engagement is what turns eyeballs into consumers, and that is exactly what a brand should be looking for when selecting a celebrity or social influencer. And with an account that has high numbers and good engagement, you've hit the jackpot as a brand marketer.
Why Is This Number So Important?
Social media engagement is a very important piece of information because it's a pretty telling factor for whether what an influencer posts directly affects their followers or not... and whether these followers pay close attention to posts - especially branded ones.
Another important thing that a social media account's engagement tells you is that their followers are real people. Many social influencers have purchased followers to increase their numbers. Take a look at our blog where we discuss 5 ways how to tell if an influencer has purchased fake followers. While this does help their account look good and can help attract organic followers, these purchased followers are often bots or computer-generated.
These purchased "followers" do not interact with accounts as they are not real people. This is important to consider because you are paying to have your brand be seen by real consumers who will hopefully then be influenced to buy your product or at the least be more aware of your brand.
Are You Ready To Choose A Social Media Influencer For Your Brand?
Are you interested in learning more on how your brand can work with social media influencers? Download our infographic that provides case studies, rates and strategies for success when creating a social media influencer program.
