You know the power of Instagram. Over 500,000,000 people use Instagram, and over 200,000,000 users upload photos and videos on a daily basis.  Social media has introduced the world to a new approach to advertising.  Enter: Instagram influencer marketing. Instagram followers have the opportunity to interact with their favorite influencers in a revolutionary way.  Imagine being able to harness the power of those millions of connections around the world to promote your product or service!

Why include Instagram influencers in your advertising campaign?

Instagram influencer marketing is a simple, affordable and powerful way to reach your customer base on social media.  The fans can follow the influencers through their daily lives.  Trips to the beautiful beach, martinis at the bar with friends, or a gorgeous new Prada bag – all sorts of people, places, and things are posted by influencers to delight their followers.

For example, let’s say there’s a teen girl who follows a talented makeup artist on Instagram. The artist posted some amazing shots of her wearing stunning two-toned lipstick.  After seeing the photos, the girl goes to the mall, walks to the makeup counter and feels a connection with the Instagram makeup artist. This was not just about buying a lipstick because it looked pretty. This was Instagram influencer marketing in action. This was a shared experience.

If you’re wondering how can you get started with Instagram influencer marketing, keep reading.

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Your Guide to Instagram Influencer Marketing

First things first. Before DMing an Instagram influencer for a collaboration, make a plan.

1. Why are you interested in connecting with an influencer?
2. Which influencers are reaching your desired audience?
3. What can you offer?
4. What results are you looking for?

Next, stop and think about whose Instagram you love to look at.

A personal favorite?  Dita Von Teese. Dita is a modern-day burlesque dancer. She always looks stunning and otherworldly. She has released a line of her own lingerie and perfume.  In several of her Instagram photos, she looks stunning in her line of lingerie, posed very elegantly or dramatically. I would absolutely be influenced by Dita to buy her perfume and gorgeous lingerie. And on the next day, I will post a pic with her products, tag her in the pic, and write a comment on her Instagram about it…

Now, take the opportunity to peek into the life of an influencer you admire.

While print ads in magazines are beautiful and the models they feature of stunning, Instagram influencers are free from the constraints that limit traditional advertisements.  Influencers do not have to have a perfect body or wear their hair a certain way or follow stringent rules.  For example, an extremely popular and powerful Instagram influencer is Kylie Jenner.  Yes, Kylie is a beautiful girl, but she is not a model.  She has a makeup line that she is promoting and she has been doing incredibly well.  How?  She engages with her fans. Her posts are exciting and sexy, which is what her target audience wants.

What does your target audience want? Which Instagram influencer(s) is speaking to your audience, showcasing your values, speaking your language?

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So how do I get started? First, do your homework.

 

1. Learn the lingo and options.

There are a lot of great online resources you should read through so that you are familiar with the lingo, the buzzwords, the different influencer marketing strategies and the hot topics in your niche.

2. Find the influencer.

There are many platforms that are specifically designed to help you find the right influencer to reach your target audience.  These platforms include Followerwonk, BuzzSumo, and Traackr.  Additionally, there are several services such as Phlanx.com, Webstagram, and IconoSquare.

Several people in the industry have commented that they have the most success when they use more than one platform to find the perfect influencer who will be able to connect with their target audience.

3. Make the connection.

Once you decide who your ideal Instagram influencer is, you can reach them in any number of ways:

— approach that person on your own,
— use one of the platforms to make a direct connection, or
— have a representative of your brand make the introductions and negotiate on your behalf.

If you encounter rejection or resistance, don’t be too discouraged.  If the influencer ultimately declines, then it’s time to move on and find the perfect person for your campaign.

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Multiple services are available to help you move your marketing campaign from start to finish.  The platforms’ engineers have a great understanding of SEO.  They study the trends over and over until patterns form, and as a result you will be able to analyze the brands, products, and activities that your target audience enjoys.  That data is then analyzed along with the list of top 100 trending hashtags. It is crucial for your business, especially if it is a new business, that you calculate a specific, measurable ROI.

Some platforms will offer consultants who are available to help you.  For example, if not enough people are looking at the photos your Instagram influencer is posting, and you are having trouble getting web traffic where you need it, your consultant may offer additional expertise.  Your consultant might suggest that you run some sort of contest to promote your campaign.  Contests always attract attention and as a result – the kind of web traffic you want.

Do not overlook micro influencers, they can be profitable collaborators too!

One thing to keep in mind it that new, rising talent is an incredible find.  If you pay attention to social media, you might just stumble upon the person who is about to be the biggest YouTube sensation of the year. These influencers, who have made it into the public eye and do have a small number of fans, might be the best group to seek out. There is no shortage of young, talented, energetic and motivated influencers who would love to try a new project.

If you keep the influencers who work with you happy, it will show in their posts.  Their followers will see the happiness first, and then the product second.  Take a product as simple as a stunning scarf.  Your Instagram influencer posts a glamorous photo with your scarf. One of her fans will see the scarf again in a boutique and she will remember the beautiful photo she associated with it.  She will buy it, go outside and feel beautiful, confident and happy. And she will post the perfect pic on Instagram and show all of her friends and fans just how gorgeous she looks in it.

Ciao,
Miss Kemya