Written by Grace Kohn
According to the MerRiam-Webster definition, an Influencer is a person who inspires or guides the actions of others. More specifically: a person who is able to generate interest in something (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media.
Influencers are the newest addition to social media advertising. Leveraging one of the oldest tactics in marketing – referral and word of mouth. It is well known that one of the best ways to get new customers is through recommendations from friends and family. Your customer is much more likely to purchase from you if someone they know has enjoyed your product or service. Enter the influencer.
As small businesses, we cannot phone one of the Kardashians and ask for them to recommend our product on their social media. Your focus needs to be closer to home. Start by looking for what is called a “microinfluencer.”
You can hire a micro-influencer to post about your product/service and reccomend it to their followers. This type of influencer has under 10k followers and is potentially more local to your area. You may ask, “Why would you not want someone with more followers?” The higher the follower count, the more diverse their audience is and the higher their rate will be. You want to focus in on an influencer that has more of a niche that your business can fit into. They should also reflect your target customer. Do they look, act, and buy like your target customer? Are they the same age or attract the same demographic as your target customer? If yes, then they could be the perfect fit!
Next step is reaching out. Follow them for about a week before reaching out to be sure they would work for you. Be sure that they reflect the same values and mission of your business, as they will be representing/ recommending your brand. Most influencers will have an email address in their bios for business inquiries. Start off the conversation by asking if they would be open to collaborate and find out what their rates are. Feel free to shop around by asking a few similar influencers.
Many influencers will charge per post, Reels/TikTok/Short Video, story or offer a package deal. You can expect content posts from an influencer with 5-10k followers to be anywhere from $100-300 for multiple or single photo posts; Reels or TikToks to be anywhere from $100-500; and stories to be anywhere from $25-100. The price ranges depend on the time and effort that goes into content creation. If they prefer to make their own content with your product or service, the price will likely be higher. If you provide the content for them to post on their account, the cost may be lower.
In my experience working with a micro influencer with a following of about 4k on Instagram, overall we spent $300. She came to our location, we filmed, shot content, and decided on what she would post. She included one reel showing multiple products, one multi-photo post showing multiple products, and a few slides of stories explaining how much she enjoyed her experience with our products and services. We reached her audience and tapped into new customers that wouldn’t have found us without her. We gained more followers, genuine connections with potential customers and a larger reach. All by spending the same amount we would monthly on an Instagram/Facebook advertisement.
Influencers can work for any type of business, product or service base. Word of mouth and referral is invaluable as a small business. With an influencer’s help, you could reach thousands of new loyal customers, meaning more sales for your business.
