Is He or She a Digital Influencer?

Considering influencer marketing for your brand is probably the best thing you can do for its sales growth and popularity. After all, using traditional media and above the line methods have ceased to be effective in the last few years.

According to Reuters, even online ads are not as effective as it used to be. Their research revealed that more than 50% of people who are online use ad blockers. Likewise, a Nielsen report discovered that people in general trust individuals more than they trust ads when it comes to their purchase options. This includes people that they do not know personally.

So, congratulations! This is a great step. Now comes the hard part – finding digital influencers. Everyone is online but not everyone is an online personality. In order to spot the ones that would help your business grow, below are a few things you should keep your eyes peeled for:

Number of Followers

The whole point of marketing, whether traditional or digital, is to get your product or services out there. Even if you have the best products, if not a single soul knows about your business, all your efforts are futile.

With that said, the influencer that you should do business with should have amassed a considerable following. Online personalities after all have the ability to round up people. However, it is not all about how many people follow a certain influencer. It is also important that you take note of the kind of people that patronize these personalities.

Moreover, numbers aren’t the end all and be all of influencer marketing. After all, there are people who buy followers in order to look like they have an ample fanbase. DO NOT BE FOOLED! This brings us to the next factor.

Engagement

The number of followers an influencer have takes second place to how often and how deeply they engage with their audience. By far, interaction is the easiest way to determine whether or not the influencer bought his or her followers. If someone has 500,000 followers on instagram but only has 20 likes per person – this is a red flag and your brand best stay far away.  In a nutshell, pay close attention to comments, likes and shares.  This is the thermometer for authentic engagement.

With that said, basing your decisions solely on follower count is not the smartest thing to do. Just because people follow a certain celebrity, say the infamous Kardashian brood, doesn’t mean they trust and would take heed from their opinions. This is where the beauty of micro influencers come in.

People who follow micro influencers genuinely have a strong keen interest in the influencer’s respected niche. They do not follow a micro influencer’s account to keep up with the Kardashians or to feed their FOMOs (Fear of Missing Out). They follow them because they grown to trust them and find their content quite engaging.  Personalities with a smaller fanbase tend to engage with them the most. As a result, these followers remain loyal and responsive.  

Credibility of Personal Website

Whether they are a vlogger or they run a make-up blog, influencers who make money solely off of their influence often have their very own personal website. Be diligent and do your research. Keep in mind that just because they have a personal blog doesn’t mean they have significant following. Try to audit their site as part of your vetting process.

Quality of Content

While doing a site audit, examine the content the influencers put out. These personalities are selling themselves and their pull. Most often than not, they have created their own aesthetic and brand. Their content is thematic and the images they use are edited a certain way. From here, you could already tell if they are the right fit.

However, it can be beneficial to choose topics that are not necessarily your niche but within the same circle. Say you are a food company, tapping lifestyle and fitness influencers would help you stand out from the bevy of food photos other companies would have.

Sponsored Content

Influencers make their bread and butter from sponsored content. Their posts often include the names of the brands that they work for and details about how to purchase or patronize the business that have sponsored them.

We understand. Influencer marketing is somewhat alien even to those who have been in the marketing industry for years. Step one however remains to be research. Be diligent and soon spotting influencers would be second nature.