Social media is an essential component of Public Relations and helps companies reach a broader audience. Influencers play a significant role in online social marketing. 

An influencer is someone in your brand’s niche or industry with access to reach and motivate your target audience. They can reach large audiences, followers trust them, and they have the training to use multiple social media platforms. A report on brand trust showed that 63% of 18-34-year-olds trust an influencer’s perception of a brand more than trusting the brand itself. 

Tips to get started with an influencer that fits your brand:

• Do Your Internal Research 

It is essential to recognize what you want for your brand. What are your values? What are your goals? What audience are you trying to reach? These are all essential questions that must be answered before picking an influencer.

Identifying your target audience is arguably the most important aspect to establish. A target audience is who you intend to focus your message towards to sell your product or service or attract attention. You can create your target audience based on location, age, gender, or even interests. 

Another aspect to consider is which social media platforms they are using most. Is this the same platform that your target market is most engaged with? This information will help you nail down which influencers would make the best fit with your brand and reach the most receptive audience.

• Research Potential Influencer

Next, do thorough research on your potential influencers. Some critical questions to ask are: What is the quality of their work? Who is their audience? How big is their audience? Have they worked with other brands? Does the imagery they use fit with your company’s ideas?

You want to ensure that your message is being sent as true to your brand as possible and that it reaches the right audience. For instance, a law firm that shares very serious and complex content will not want to align with a spunky, reckless influencer whose content is sophomoric.

• Quality

The quality of the influencer’s work is vital because you want to make sure that your company still reflects a positive and professional image. If they create low-quality content, it will hurt the brand more than help. 

• Audience

Knowing their main audience and the number of followers they have and their level of interaction is a significant factor in choosing the right influencer. The values and interests of an influencer are often reflected in their audience. For instance, a famous athlete most likely has a large following of people interested in sports, or a popular musician may have an audience of people who listen to their music. Knowing this information is helpful because it determines which influencer has an audience that matches your own.

• Past Connections

Finally, looking at other brands that they have worked with is also essential to determine the likes of their past and current audiences. Also, if they have ever worked with a competitor, you must remember that their association with them may stay top of mind for audiences which might not be ideal for your reach.