Influencing has become a very saturated market in so many eyes, but the beautiful part of this is that the days of commercials and yellow pages is about to be of the past. There is enough for everyone as brands are now making it the “norm” in a budget to have marketing dollars just for influencers. This is a rapidly growing industry with no sight of slowing down on the horizon. If you think the pandemic has put a halt to things think again! Brand partnerships are at a unique peak with more people shopping online and budgets for brands increasing.
The industry is HUGE: influencer marketing is projected to become a $15 BILLION business by the year 2022, (Ya all this is in just two years!) Crazy right?! Brands are more poised than ever to throw their cash at the next Kim Kardashian. Yet amid the influx of capital, companies are becoming increasingly cautious about selecting influencer talent, according to Karen Doolittle, social media director at an advertising firm in Los Angeles.
So what does it take to become successful in this industry? How do you not fall in with the wannabe Kim Kardashians and STAND OUT. How do you become positioned as desirable to work with? These Simple Tips are definitely a great start.
- Be Relatable – Story telling is a huge part of influencing. You want a connection. The biggest mistake I made when starting out was trying to appeal to everyone. By doing this, I appealed to no one. Find your target audience and keep it real. 2020 if anything is the year of TRUTH. People want to hear your struggles, they want to see your life, not just the glitz & glam – get honest about your life and who you are. (Your target audience will naturally come out over time.)
- Create Beautiful Photos – Let’s be real, we want to stop the scroll. Light, Bright, Airy, Moody – it can be anything but keep it consistent. You can do this with presets or editing in photoshop. Companies want to know when they hire you that they can rely on you for quality content to share and advertise on their own page!
- Build Connections- Get plugged in with influencer pods and groups. Make friendships, connect on what works and what does not. Engagement is everything. Brands more and more on looking at your engagement numbers vs. the amount of followers you have.
- Always Respond – Respond to all comments on pictures and engage back – people will respond with people who are responsive.
- Collaborate Openly – Do not be shy about wanting to work with people – the worst that can happen is a no which can be a beautiful lesson in building your brand.
- Be Consistent – Find your ideal time to post and do it daily.
- Look at the facts – Watch the analytics and date, see whats working and whats not. Find out who your target audience is, what do they like to see, whats thriving and whats flopping. Numbers are everything.
It’s also imperative for brands to leverage all the tools available. LIKEtoKNOW.it is a game changer for brands looking to promote products via an influencer’s Instagram following. As an influencer you apply to be on this app through Reward Style. As influencer marketing moves forward – it’s going to be about creating a greater sense of “trust and credibility” between brands and consumers.