7 Steps to Launching a Successful Influencer Marketing Program

One of the fastest ways to get more free traffic and sales to your business is to launch an influencer marketing program. This is where you look for relevant influencers in your niche and ask them to promote your products and services to their followers. Since these people have already taken the time to build their followers, you only need to leverage it. This means that you no longer need to search on how to promote a Shopify store. You can get an instant boost in traffic from a single promotion with an influencer marketing program. 

Have an influencer attraction strategy

A successful influencer marketing campaign starts with a solid strategy. This means that you have created a system that will encourage influencers to sign up for your program before you even go ahead and approach them. It’s essential that you start with strategy because you need to give them an offer they cannot refuse. The method will depend on the values of your target influencer. You need to look at the content they are currently producing and the products they are using. This will give you a rough idea of what you can offer that will attract them. 

Create your offer

Next, you should focus on creating your offer. There are many types of products and services that you can give to your target market. Take a fashion influencer, for example. You can always attract them by asking them to create a new piece of clothing. This will always be attractive to them. In the same way, you can also offer beauty products or devices to lifestyle influencers. It is all about knowing their likes and dislikes and giving them precisely what they need. 

Once you have gathered enough information about your target influencers, you will now have an idea of what you can offer them. This is where you decide on the reward or payment that you will give the influencer. It can be as simple as giving them a sample of your products and services and letting them recommend it on their own, or you can create a program with them so that they will promote your brand to their followers. It is all about finding the right type of offer that the influencer will like.

PRO TIP: If you want to get multiple influencers to promote you at once, you can invite them to an online event. This can be a contest, webinar, or giveaway. By doing this, influencers will get more than just promotions. They can also be seen with other influencers in the industry – a significant social boost. 

Find the right influencers.

You cannot launch a successful influencer marketing campaign if you don’t find the right influencers to work with you. The success of your program will significantly depend on the types of influencers who promote your business. And it has nothing to do with the number of followers. You don’t need to work with influencers who have tons of followers all the time. It is the quality of their relationship with their followers that matter. So it doesn’t matter if an influencer only has a few followers. That is okay as long as they can encourage more people to take action on a specific promotion. 

Consider micro-influencers

Once you start your promotions, you’ll find that some influencers will easily say yes to your offers, while others will ignore you. Often, celebrity influencers will need some extra motivation before you can convince them. But that may not be the case with micro-influencers.

What are micro-influencers? These are experts in their field who may not have tons of followers, but they have a closer relationship with their followers. You will be able to determine if they have a good relationship through their page engagements. You will see that their posts will often have more likes, comments, and shares. When you see someone like this, it is an excellent opportunity for you to promote your products and services at a fraction of the cost. 

Have a multi-influencer strategy

It is often not enough to have one influencer to promote your products and services. You will need multiple influencers to advertise you in tandem if you want to have a lasting impression on your audience. Think of it this way. Which is more memorable? Seeing a promotion once or seeing it multiple times in different channels? I am pretty sure you’ll prefer the latter. 

Create an exclusive referral program

Another way you can attract influencers to promote your brand is to create an exclusive referral program. This is a program where you reward every referral your customers bring to your business. It works because it doesn’t need much for setup. You need some referral software, and you can easily set up the program in just a few clicks. 

But if you want it to attract influencers better, you’ll have to make sure that it is exclusive. Creating a general referral program that aims to get more direct referrals to your business will not convince an influencer to promote you. But if you will create a referral program solely for them, then it may work. 

Harness influencer reviews

One of the most potent ways influencers can promote your business is through influencer reviews. You may find these in Youtube videos or Instagram posts. You’ll see influencers promoting a particular product and recommending them to their followers.

How can you encourage influencers to do these for you? It’s simple. You look for influencers who have the potential to promote your business. Then, you send them a sample of your product or offer them an example of your services. Then, you can give them the freedom to promote your business if they liked your products. If they did, they would most likely write about your products. 

Bonus: Have a Referral Program

Having a referral program can help your business. You can see it in the Squarespace referral program. It allowed the company to gain more brand recognition and attract more influencers. This is a good strategy even for brand new sites like Drum Set Lab and Hunting Bow Lab.

As you can see, there are several strategies that you can use to convince influencers to promote you. And it is also quite simple to implement. It is just a matter of deciding to incorporate the strategy into your business.