All You Need to Get Started with Influencer Marketing

If you’re a small business owner who is interested in partnering with influencers but is not sure where to start, we are outlining the essentials below.

Let’s start with the basics...

What is influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that leverages endorsements and product mentions from influencers. An influencer is anyone who has a social following and is viewed as an expert or influential within their niche or community. Influencers range from celebrities, to bloggers, CEOs, and everyday individuals who have built trust and credibility within their community. An influencer could have 1M followers or 1,000. 

Is influencer marketing expensive?

It can be. Professional influencers make money through paid partnerships. A paid partnership is when a company pays an influencer to feature their product or service in a specific way in exchange for payment, much like a paid advertisement. Depending on how many followers someone has, an Instagram post could cost $100 or $5,000. 

That said, in the early stages of growing a small business, we recommend starting with organic partnerships. This is where you partner with an influencer to talk about your company in exchange for a gifted product or service, but money is not exchanged. With organic partnerships, you typically do not have much (or any) control over how - or even if - an influencer talks about your brand. This is why it’s important to collaborate with influencers who are genuinely interested in your product or service.

At what point in my business should I start influencer marketing?

You may feel eager to jump into reaching out to influencers, but make sure your brand foundation is in place first. Influencer partnerships, like press, drive new eyes to your Instagram and website, so you want to be sure your branding and messaging are consistent and reflective of the long-term vision you have for your business. Otherwise your dream customer could land on your website and not buy your product or service, or follow you on Instagram, because your brand doesn’t resonate with them.

If you aren’t sure if your brand foundation is in place, download our free Brand Foundation Checklist for a quick assessment.

How can influencer marketing help my business?

Influencer marketing is a powerful way to build brand awareness and credibility for your business. The key to influencer marketing is finding the right influencers to work with. It is not exclusively about how many followers they have – it is more about authenticity and if they are truly excited or passionate about your brand. 

How do I pick the right influencer to partner with?

Look for influencers who reflect your brand aesthetic and values. You want to partner with someone who feels like a natural alignment with your brand, and who is followed by your target audience. This will take some research on your end to determine who your target audience is following and engaging with. 

You also want to consider your goals for a partnership. Are you looking to build brand awareness with a specific audience, or for beautiful content to reshare on your own channels? Your goal may vary from person to person.

Pro tip: Always look at engagement over the number of followers. If you’re considering 2 different influencers, and one has 100k followers and the other has 1,000 followers, and both average around 5,000 views for their Reels, work with the influencer who has 1,000 followers.

How do I reach out to an influencer?

Start by reaching out and introducing yourself over DM or email. Make it as personal as possible. Address them by first name. Let them know why you enjoy following them, give them some background on yourself and your business, and tell them that you would love the opportunity to collaborate with them in some way. If they are interested, continue the conversation over email to coordinate an organic gifting partnership. 

What should I expect in return for gifting my product or service?

What you get in return from an influencer will vary from partnership to partnership

If you’re reaching out to a “dream” influencer - someone with a large following (10,000+) - who you would do anything to just get your product or service in front of, we recommend gifting without any strings attached. This means you might not see any posts, at least immediately, but we believe that if the influencer is an authentic fit and genuinely interested in your brand, you will see results of some kind down the road – whether word of mouth buzz from that person, an Instagram post mentioning your business, or an opportunity to partner in a larger capacity.

If you’re coordinating an organic partnership with a nano influencer (who could have as few as 1,000 followers) you could consider asking for specific deliverables in exchange for a gifted product or service. For example, you could ask for an Instagram post, 2-3 images to repurpose on your own channels, or an Instagram Story linking to your website.

Pro tip: Offer for an influencer to choose which product or service you gift them. This ensures they are getting something they are genuinely excited about, and thus more likely to share.

What if an influencer goes radio silent after I gift them?

It’s unfortunate, but it does happen. Don’t be afraid to follow up, make sure they received your gift, and ask for feedback. If they agreed to post or share images and don’t follow through, send them a reminder. If they don’t tag you in a post that shows your product, send them a nice note asking if they would mind tagging you. Let them know that, as a small business owner, any mention or tag means the world. 

Pro tip: Remember that influencers often earn a living through paid partnerships, and those partnerships are sometimes valued at thousands of dollars. Don’t expect too much from gifting, and be understanding if someone does not feel comfortable partnering without money exchanged. Keep them in mind for when you do have a budget for paid partnerships. 

How many influencers should I partner with?

As you are growing your business, we say the more the better, as long as they are a fit with your brand. Allocate a generous amount of product or your service to gift. Influencer marketing has the power to grow your brand awareness beyond friends and family, give your business credibility and “cool factor”, and to produce beautiful content for you to reshare, which removes some of the heavy content creation from your plate.

Should I partner with the same influencer twice?

Yes, absolutely. If you enjoyed working with the influencer and received results you were looking for – whether new followers, beautiful content, or sales – continue partnering with them whenever you have new product collections or launches. This creates an authentic relationship with the influencer, and multiple exposures to the same audience increases your chance of conversion. 

Do you have any other questions about how to partner with influencers? Send us a DM on Instagram @allyouneedmethod. 

Thanks for reading!

Carla & Kathryn