Integrate, Collaborate, Create!
Do you often find yourself scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed when an annoying sponsored ad pops up? Are you more likely to like the post and click on the ‘buy now’ button, or do you just skip over it? In that same feed, you see a friend or your favorite animal account raving about that same product and how much they love it. Now, which post caught your attention? If you are like me, then it’s most likely the second post — and we’re not alone!
A study by McKinsey & Company found that “marketing-induced consumer-to-consumer word of mouth generates more than twice the sales of paid advertising.” Cue, social influencers!
You can find social influencers on any social platform; they may have a million followers or only 500. What they all have in common is an engaged community and a shared platform for a cause. Working with social influencers is a great way to promote your product, cause, or event. And finding them might be easier than you think.
Social Influencers love to collaborate with each other, companies, photographers, and charitable causes they connect with personally. When looking for a social influencer to work with you want to make sure their content is relevant to your business or organization. If you are looking to promote a photo shoot fundraiser for an animal shelter, a cooking Vlogger might not be the best match for you. Unless they post recipes on how to make pupcakes, then go for it.
Do you know someone on Facebook who has a ton of followers and always has lots of comments and likes on their posts? A coworker who blogs and is part of a blog networking group? Has someone who has an animal Instagram account with 10,000 followers liked one of your photos, used your hashtag, or shared your post? Have you photographed an animal that has since been adopted and started an account on social media? These are all great opportunities to reach out and build relationships with social influencers.
TIPS FOR REACHING OUT:
Does the account you’re reaching out to have a presence on more than one social network, or have an email readily available? Write to them on each of their networks. Sometimes instant messages, comments, or tags are unintentionally missed, but a direct email is a sure way to help you cut through the bustle and stand out in the crowd.
Give it a little time. Social influencers can get dozens of emails, messages, and tags a day. Most of the people behind these accounts have a day job and aren’t always available to respond right away. Be sincere and don’t be afraid to ask!
Once you have a social influencer, who is ready to collaborate with you, be precise and clear about the message or product you are trying to share but let them write it in their words. There is a reason why social influencers have high engagement on their social networks because they know their audience well and tend to be very relatable. If working with an organization don’t be afraid to gift them with your branded apparel or logoed product. You may see your brand pop up again in one of their posts at a later date. No product to hand out? No worries, just be sure to say a simple, thank you. If they believe in a cause, more often than not they are happy to help for a shout out!
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