Influencer marketing is the perfect way for businesses to gain the trust of potential customers.

According to recent studies, 92% of consumers trust an endorsement from an influencer more than one from a celebrity. That’s because although we might admire stars, influencers are people with whom we feel we have something in common, which means that we trust their opinions.

However, for endorsements to create trust, brands must choose the right influencer.

It’s not all about numbers

It’s tempting to begin searching for an influencer by looking at the number of followers they have. However, that’s not always the right choice.

It can be far more effective to target influencers who have a smaller number of followers in a specific niche or geographical location. These types of influencers are often referred to as micro-influencers.

For example, suppose your business is a beauty salon in Tennessee, and you worked with a style influencer in your local area. In that case, their recommendation could help you create relationships with people in your local area who might become customers.

However, if you worked with a style influencer who was more global, you’d be less likely to make those connections because people who aren’t in Tennessee wouldn’t be interested in a salon there.

Larger influencers can also command higher rates, and be more selective about which brands they will work with.

How to begin your search

If you want to find the right micro-influencer for your brand, there are three main places to begin your search:

• Your followers. Check out your followers on social media to find out if any of them have a large following of their own. People who are already passionate about your brand make the best influencers, and they are more likely to want to work with you.
• Relevant hashtags. Influencers who are posting using hashtags that are relevant to your brand are a great place to start your search, because this indicates that they are already addressing your target audience.
• Google. Think about which niche and which location you want your influencer to be in, and use Google to find their blogs and websites.

Once you have a list of potential influencers, you can begin narrowing your search by applying selection criteria. 

If you aren’t sure where to begin your search, EAEO can help you to identify your niche, and which types of influencers might be a good fit.

Selection criteria

Once you have a short list of potential influencers, you can narrow it down by asking yourself a few questions:

1. Does the influencer get a lot of engagement from their followers when they post? Engagement is what you’re looking for more than the number of followers because it indicates an audience that trusts the influencer.
2. Is their audience likely to be interested in your product? If not, the influencer won’t be able to speak with genuine enthusiasm about your product, and the campaign won’t be as successful. 
3. How regularly do they post? You’re looking for an influencer who is currently posting regularly to keep their audience interested.

It’s also important to consider how you would like to compensate your influencer. If you are looking for an exchange of goods or services, you need to be certain that an influencer would accept this type of deal, for example.

It can be tricky to pair the right influencer with the right brand, which is why we are here! We are specialists in influencer marketing, and we can help you to create a relationship with the perfect influencer to boost your brand. Please do get in touch if you want to get started on your next influencer marketing campaign.