Everyone knows the power of finding a powerful brand advocate who promotes your brand like no other advertising or marketing can! That’s why it’s just so difficult and competitive out there. When you do find the right influencer, they can speak to your target audience and open a whole new avenue to new customers and new brand fans.
Where do you start?
Identifying the right influencer types
Social Media Influencers: These types of influencers are probably what you think of first when considering the right influencers for your brand. These individuals post on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Youtube, and other channels and focus on a variety of categories. Many of them are posting authentic content that represents their personality and their personal values. They can have a lot of power when they have a community that resonates with what they share.
Nano and micro-influencers (under 10K followers) with a niche following can be a great cost-effective way to build your brand with small communities, while macro-influencers (100K+ followers) with a larger reach can drive visibility but may come at a higher cost. Many of these types of influencers are open to commissions and free products, but they also could be looking for paid partnerships.
Creatives
Partnering with talented photographers, designers, artists, and musicians can bring a fresh perspective to your brand storytelling. While some may consider this more like a sponsorship, some creatives are open to working similarly to social media influencers. They themselves have a community or following that trusts what they share, which can have a big impact on attracting new customers to your brand.
Collaborating with creatives can help produce engaging content for your marketing channels, too. Most often these are paid partnerships.
Customers
Think of your current customer base like your biggest asset. Not only can your existing customers act as marketing assets for you when you engage with them, but also you can retain them much longer for making them feel valued. Encouraging user-generated content (UGC) to showcase authentic experiences and reviews is just one way to build that relationship. You can leverage this by utilizing a hashtag that your customers can use to share their experiences. However, if you really want to take it a step further, you can find the customers with a big community voice and use them as your advocates. These customers could turn into nano-influencers for you with the right motivation and discussions.
Experts
Experts in your industry, such as dieticians, makeup artists, or professional athletes, can provide credibility to your brand. Partnering with experts can help you gain a competitive edge, give confidence to your customers, and differentiate your brand from others. Sometimes, experts that are partnered with your brand are considered sponsorships. They will require contractual agreements and potentially equity in your company, if the sponsorship extends to that level.
Having experts representing your brand and adding that value is a great way to leverage their community and influence.
Affiliates
Affiliates promote your products or services and earn a commission based on the conversions they drive. Some affiliates are influential with email newsletters and web funnels, while others are building communities similar to influencers and experts. Building an affiliate program can be a cost-effective way to increase conversions and brand awareness without upfront costs. Consider working with affiliates if you're looking to boost clicks, web traffic, or sales.
With Trnd, your experts, influencers, and ambassadors representing your brand can become instant affiliates by offering their personal recommendations with their own curated photography and testimonials.
Employees
Did you know employees can be powerful advocates for your brand too? Encourage employee advocacy programs to increase visibility, provide behind-the-scenes insights, and source on-brand user-generated content. Employees can help drive growth and profit for your business while building trust with your customers. Plus, building advocacy and reward based programs for employees creates a loyalty bond with your brand. This contributes to better productivity and more pride in their responsibilities.
Diversifying your influencer pool can help you stay relevant and connect with a broader audience. Remember, authenticity, alignment with brand values, and long-term relationships are key when finding the right influencers for your brand.
We’ve made it even easier for you to find the right people, too! Check out our new Connect & Discover features made for building your network and amplifying for your potential reach!
