Planning an Influencer Marketing Strategy

Effective influencer marketing campaigns provide brands with a wide range of benefits. To be effective, however, they have to start with clear goals, well-defined constraints, and a concrete strategy. Outlining these details can seem like a monumental task, but there are some straightforward steps that brands can take to get this done successfully.

Defining a Goal for an Influencer Marketing Strategy

Before an organization can identify the right influencers, it needs to know what it’s finding influencers for. For example, companies often use influencer marketing for brand building awareness or to enhance marketing. Others might be looking to increase loyalty, leads, sales, or conversions. If the organization would like to expand its social media presence, it may want to use influencer marketing to attract followers or increase engagement. Regardless of which goal a brand chooses, they will need to make sure it’s clearly defined and quantifiable.

Identifying Constraints and Resource Availability

What a brand has access to will determine the type of influencer marketing strategy it will use. Does it have access to audio and video equipment? Does the organization have in-house writers to create content for the campaign? Is there a possibility of giving influencers a free gift, sample, or provide them with a service? Maybe it can develop a fun app to play with?

Choose an Influencer Marketing Strategy

Creativity is key to a successful influencer campaign. However, there are some basic types of strategies brands often use. One of the most popular types of influencer marketing strategies focuses on content. The brand can create content for the influencer’s website, or the influencer can create a piece for the company site. The two might also want to consider co-creating content.

Brands might also base their influencer marketing strategy on the idea of giving things away. They might want to give a product or service to the influencer to try. Then, the influencer can share their experience with others. A contest, giveaway, or game can help break the ice and generate conversation. Unique discount codes or giving the influencer a portion of each sale may also be an option.

If the goal of the campaign is to improve social media, the brand may want to opt for a strategy with a social media focus. For example, they can hold a social media event, have the influencer talk about the brand on their social media profiles or have the influencer take over the company’s social media.

Brands can use one fundamental strategy for their influencer marketing campaign or a combination of methods to get the results they need. And if they keep their plan flexible, they’ll be able to make adjustments as things progress. However, just make sure that the chosen strategy is also interesting to an influencer’s followers.