Do you want to run an influencer marketing campaign? That’s great! This strategy is a worthwhile option for all brands. Influencer marketing can help you increase brand awareness, drive sales and boost traffic to your website or grow your audience.
However, it’s not always simple to set up. A lot of planning goes into influencer strategies, just like any other marketing campaign. And of course you must decide which network is going to be your campaign’s home base. Are you interested in working with YouTubers? Are you interested in working with Twitter influencers, or TikTok Influencers?
We are here to help you decide which network is right for your influencer marketing campaign.
1. Think about your goal
The first thing you need to do is focus on your goals and determine which network will help you get there. All networks can be used to help you reach certain goals, such as branding and web traffic. The best choice here just depends on the place that your target audience spends their time. (See point 2 below).
On the other hand, if you want to increase sales, it is important that you consider which platforms provide the best shopping experience for your customers. Instagram Shopping, for instance, allows people to shop seamlessly through the app.
2. Identify your target audience and where they are online
Next, think about who your target audience is. Think about their ages, genders, locations, and languages. What interests them? If you don’t know, you may have to do some market research or analyze your existing customers for insights.
Once you have a clear idea of your target audience, research online to discover where they are spending their time online. Depending on their demographics, the answers might be a bit different. For example, TikTok is a great place to reach teens. Or, Instagram’s main age demographic is 25-34, so it might be a better option for targeting millennials.
3. Figure out your industry and the category of influencer you need
Your industry can also impact the social networks of your campaign. TikTok or Instagram might be a good choice for visual topics such as fashion, beauty, or travel. Twitter or LinkedIn are better for technology, marketing and business. If you work in the gaming industry, Twitch or YouTube might be a good option.
If your brand is something B2C-oriented that has little learning curve, it’s much easier to find influencers. For industries like beauty, sports, pets, or vegan, there are wealths of influencers ranging from the nano to mega tiers. You can choose which type works best for your brand and its budget.
But for industries that are more B2B or that require more credentials to be viewed as credible, a nano or micro influencer might not cut it (unless they also happen to have careers in your given topic). For industries like business and marketing, medicine and health, you might be better off looking for a KOL, or key opinion leader.
A KOL is someone with a very good reputation in their given field. They’re widely regarded as experts, and their opinions can sway public thought. If you can get in touch and afford the collaboration, KOLs are a great way to make a big impact fast.
4. Learn which type of content is most effective on each network
Different networks permit different content types, so it is important to think about your industry, target audience and goal.
Which type of content is most likely to help you reach your target audience? Are they more comfortable with video? Photos? Text with graphs and charts?
Depending on what type of content you want to create, which social network is most suitable? The following are the most popular social networks and some of the content types they’re best-known for.
- Instagram – Photos, short and long-form video, stories, live streams
- TikTok – short-form video, live streams
- YouTube – Long-form video, live streams
- Twitter: Text, photos, video and links
- LinkedIn – Text, photo, video and links
This list is a good starting point to determine which network is right for you with respect to content, but of course keep the other points in mind, too.
5. Make sure to read the disclosure guidelines before you make any changes.
Many countries require that brands and influencers disclose their participation in social media collaborations. This is regulated by the FTC in the United States, but other countries have their own agencies.
Find out which regulations are applicable to your collaboration. Make a plan on how influencers will disclose their collaborations to ensure there is no doubt in their eyes. It’s not what you want to see your influencer campaign launch only to discover that it has landed you in some legal problems!
Different networks permit you to share collaborations in different ways. For example, Instagram has a “paid partner” feature that other networks don’t offer. You should ensure that the network you choose allows you to share the collaboration in a proper manner.
To avoid problems later, you might consider writing everything down in a contract. Get an influencer contract template for free. You can then modify it to suit the network and details of your collaboration.
Conclusion
There are many social networks available. The right one for your campaign will depend on your brand, its goals and its needs. These five factors should be kept in mind as you plan your campaign. In the end, choose the social network that will allow you to connect with your target audience most effectively.
