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If you haven’t heard of a social media influencer, you must have been living under a rock for the last few years.
Social media influencers are people who have a really high following on social media and wield influence over their followers. The social proof that they can add by advocating your brand can be gold dust. A business would contact these people and arrange for the influencer to post a picture wearing their product, just stand next to the product, or engage with it in some way. If it works it can be a game-changer.
The business will usually ask the influencer to post a particular caption to go along side the image to make sure it seems like the influencer is using the product, which then leads their followers to believe their favourite Instagram role model uses this product and is associated with it. It’s a powerful sales tool which leads to footfall to your website as hundreds of followers Google the product and check it out, so they can be just like their role model. 
It’s a fantastic way to increase the awareness of the product you’re selling, sky rocket the engagement to your social media accounts and gain traffic to your website leading to many sales!
First thing you’ll have to do is find an influencer that would have an interest in your product (the big players have with between 100 thousand – 3M followers), and contact that influencer through their agent (most of them have agents now).
Discuss your brand, your budget and what your goal is. Once these are agreed, then discuss what image you want them to post, the pose you want them to do, where the product needs to be placed and the caption to go with it. Negotiation and compromise will be necessary when collaborating as you have to produce thoughtful content and all posts have to ensure the influencer stays ‘on brand’.
Influencer marketing for small businesses
Small businesses can get a bite of the cherry too, you don’t have to chase the Kim Kardashian’s of this world. This is where an agency such as Daneswood can help. We can search the influencers out there in the social stratosphere and find the ones who might already like you or would be happy to align themselves to your product. This can be bloggers with large email subscribers and not just Instagram followers. It doesn’t just have to be product sales led either, perhaps you need an influencer to encourage reviews of your product, enter a competition or just raise brand awareness.
Perhaps you already have a person of influence who buys product from you online, but while it gives everyone in the office a nice buzz, you don’t know how to go about approaching them and coming up with an endorsement idea. We can research and find out if they have an agent and what the protocol is to submit endorsement ideas. We can advise on creative ways to have your product presented, do the negotiations on your behalf and put together promotions that aren’t too obviously ‘salesy’ and advertorial led. Presenting products socially via influencers takes time, money and a real understanding of the nuances of social media buying drives. We can help with that.
For all areas of digital marketing, call Luke Stone to discuss your ideas on 01392 248 365 or luke@daneswood.co.uk