Influencer marketing is a constantly growing phenomenon that in 2023 alone generated 21.1 billion dollars , a value three times higher than in 2019 (source: Statista Influencer marketing market size worldwide from 2016 to 2023 ).
Whether they are industry experts or people who create interesting content on social media, influencers can (theoretically) influence opinions and behaviors thanks to their authority, knowledge and the relationship they create with their audience.
The selection is not at all simple: it must pass through a careful analysis of various elements to understand, for example, the number of interactions it generates, how it manages to influence people and the messages it communicates.
Let’s take a closer look at what it is and how you can create a successful campaign
3 Questions to Ask Yourself to Choose the Right Influencer
Today, more than 60% of the world’s population is active on social media platforms and looks for entertainment or shopping inspiration. On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, people follow with interest both the advice of famous people and the content of smaller profiles , but similar in tastes or ideals.
Engaging a creator to promote a service or product offered by your brand can be an interesting idea, if the objectives you want to achieve are clear and well implemented in the social and web marketing strategy .
But how do you select the right profiles for an influencer marketing campaign? To screen potential candidates, it can be useful to answer a series of questions.
1. Is it consistent with the brand values?
The influencer is a spokesperson for the brand and the ideals he or she transmits cannot conflict with those of the brand.
For example, if a business is tied to sustainability, it cannot rely on a character who often uses plastics in his content or does not believe in the value of recycling.
This question is asked at number 1, because it is the basis in selecting a creator
2. Is the influencer’s audience targeted? How is the level of interaction?
The number of followers is an important piece of data to evaluate, but it is even more important to understand the quality of the contacts (real and active) and the target audience .
An example with symbolic numbers: someone who boasts a profile with 500 thousand followers may be tempting, but it will not be suitable if perhaps some of these cases occur :
despite a high number of followers, the engagement on published content is low (engagement rate);
the topic covered by the talent/creator involved is not perfectly in line with the company that wants to hire him;
only a portion of your audience of followers is interested in the target topic.
The engagement rate , in particular, is a relevant aspect.
If the comments on a product promotion video are real and relevant, for example, there is a greater possibility of sales for the brand, because the connection between followers and creator is strong, there is great trust in what is being said.
3. How is the quality of the content? And the tone of voice?
To judge an influencer it is always good to study his contents, from the originality to the realization. As well as his tone of voice, the approach , the same editorial plan of the Social channels.
But how do you choose the right profile for your business or marketing campaign?
the creator Azzykky , an expert in History (of Rome, specifically) has a tone of voice and a “narrative” very different from how an account similar to RaiStoria can approach historical material .
Marcello Ascani talks about his approach to earning (and not only) in a very personal, subjective way. In a totally different way compared to those who approach the topic from a more technical point of view ( Mr RIP , to quote a professional “close” to Ascani). The editorial plan addressed by the two is also different; for some brands one will be better, for others the other.
Just by answering these 3 questions – which contain others within them – you can complete a first sensible selection among the selected profiles.
Obviously, then, you have to consider the budget that you have chosen to make available for this activity. But we will talk about this later.
How to hire an influencer?
Influencers are not all the same. Based on the number of followers they could be divided into:
nano influencers: 1,000 to 10,000;
micro influencers: from 10,000 to 50,000;
medium influencer: from 50,000 to 500,000;
macro influencers: 500,000 to 1 million;
celebrity: over 1 million.
To intercept them – especially nano, micro and medium influencers – you can study the company’s social platforms and understand which profiles have interacted through comments or product recommendations.
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An alternative is to analyze the industry hashtags by evaluating the most interesting profiles
To establish any collaborations, for each profile – as we have seen – it is necessary to examine the number of followers, the content created, the tone of voice, the interaction with followers and the values transmitted.
A rather long, complex and analytical operation that is usually entrusted to specialists .
Sites to find influencers
In addition to manual research on various social channels, which is the most important step, there are specialized sites that connect brands and content creators.
We can mention some of them:
Influence.co : filters the most interesting profiles using a keyword from the reference sector. However, you can contact a maximum of 30 profiles per month.
Speekly : a platform specialized mainly in the search for content creators for the production of promotional videos.
HypeAuditor : to find list of cambodia phone numbers micro influencers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube by checking the veracity of their followers.
Upfluence : through keyword research, it suggests influential personalities based on your market niche.
Of course, these services offer a free version that is limited in performance; while paying for it unlocks other features.
Let’s now try to address the topic of “cost of an influencer”
His relative earnings and the recent Agcom rules to regulate the sector.
How much does an influencer cost? (= how much does an influencer earn)
How much can it cost to create and distribute an Instagram post with a 5% engagement rate?
According to some statistics, the request ranges from 100 to 300 euros (nano influencer) to 850/4000 thousand euros (medium influencer), up to 75 thousand euros and more (celebrity). Obviously these are estimates, the reality is much more complex.
Influencers, in fact, given their ability to “influence”, must avoid misleading advertising and unfair commercial practices in compliance with Legislative Decree 145 of 2007 .
The new Agcom rules for influencers with bt lists more than 1 million followers
Following recent news events and the investigation involving Chiara Ferragni . Agcom (the Italian Communications Authority) has approved. New guidelines for Celebrities who generate reactions on at least 2% of published content.
If approved, these guidelines will bring influencers into line with television and radio media, thus enforcing the rules contained in the Consolidated Law on Audiovisual Media Services .
In particular, there is talk of stricter rules regarding corporate transparency, advertising and the protection of minors .
Transparency and clarity in communication are the cornerstones of the new Agcom rules for influencers with over 1 million followers.
These digital creators will have to clearly disclose any partnerships and advertised content, including the sponsor.
A violation entails heavy fines : up to 250 thousand euros in case of non-compliance with transparency and up to 600 thousand for content that does not protect minors.
How to Set Up a Successful Influencer Marketing Strategy
According to data published by the Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2023 . The influencer marketing industry will grow in 2024 and beyond.
63% of respondents say they have an independent budget for content marketing , while 67% even intend to increase . It, demonstrating that this strategy has an economic return.
Today, companies prefer to work with nano and micro influencers . Investing in the best-performing platforms such as TikTok (used by 56% of brands), followed by Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
Of course, the budget that the company has available can influence the engagement of a profile, but not the performance of an influencer marketing campaign.
A good agency, in fact, can recommend the best path to take based on your possibilities to obtain a good return based on the established objectives.
Are you wondering how to create a successful campaign ?
There are some steps to follow to obtain an interesting ROI:
Set goals . What do you want to achieve by working with a content creator? Is it to introduce your product or service to new people? Is it to drive traffic to your site?
Define your audience . Understanding your target audience and the customers you want to sell to is essential to finding influencers with followers in line with your brand. It’s best to avoid those who offer to review everything : it will be counterproductive for your business.
Set the campaign message . The collaboration must be clear, transparent and represent the brand values. For this reason, it is good to establish an initial brief with guidelines for the production of content (including CTAs, hashtags, what can be done and what should be avoided).
Contact the right influencers .
Tracking Results . To understand whether goals have been met, creators should be provided with custom tracking links or discount codes that allow them to calculate their return on investment (ROI). If we are talking about campaigns that involve lead collection or sales.
Speaking of ROI and investments, it may be useful to read our article: Mistakes to avoid in a digital marketing strategy, between KPI and ROI
Why do influencer marketing?
Investing in one or more influencer marketing campaigns can bring interesting benefits to a brand. For example, it is useful for:
gain consumer trust;
increase brand awareness and reputation, as well as visits to the company’s various digital touchpoints;
offer an authentic, non-self-referential experience;
generate word of mouth.
But be careful: recent news stories – yes, we are talking about the Chiara Ferragni and Balocco case again . Make us understand that, to avoid unpleasant boomerang / shitstorm effects , each campaign must be carefully studied. Communicating clearly with people , without leaving anything to chance.
Trust is important: if you make a misstep, the consequences can be disastrous and compromise the reputation of the brand .
This is why turning to communications professionals is the first step to doing “everything right”. Respecting laws, guidelines, but above all your audience.
