So, you’ve decided to use social media influencers for your e-commerce business. Influencer marketing is a valuable marketing strategy for reaching new audiences and boosting sales. However, to get the desired results, you must find the right influencer for your business.
The effectiveness of your influencer marketing strategy can vary greatly depending on the influencer you choose to collaborate with. For instance, some influencers on social media have millions of followers from diverse backgrounds and interests. Conversely, other e-commerce influencers have smaller yet more targeted followings.
Working with e-commerce influencers requires a refined process and clear goals. We have created this guide to help you build a successful collaboration with the right influencer.
Why Invest in Influencer Marketing for E-commerce Businesses?
One of the biggest challenges that every marketer faces today is the increasing skepticism of the audiences toward conventional advertisement. As consumers become more aware of how they are being marketed, they have become more sophisticated in choosing which content to believe.
With that said, marketers must consistently find innovative digital marketing strategies to reach and engage with their audience. Influencer marketing is the perfect solution for this challenge.
Influencers usually have large followers and audiences. These followers share the same interests and values. Partnering with influencers is the easiest way to tap into this community.
Beyond the extensive reach, influencers’ endorsement carries a lot of weight for their pre-established trust. When they recommend your product, people are more likely to buy from you. A study from X (formerly Twitter) revealed that influencers rival friends in building consumers’ trust. Having the means to speak with your audience through a source they trust is an essential marketing tool.
This is supported by another study from Matter Communication. The study found that 61% of consumers trust influencer recommendations more than 38% trust brand-produced content. When you choose the right influencer for your business, you can extend your reach and connect with a community of loyal followers who trust the influencer’s content.
4 Types of Influencers for Business
E-commerce influencers are categorized based on the number of followers. Currently, there are 4 main types of influencers: nano, micro, macro, and mega or celebrity. Each type of influencer has its own advantages and disadvantages for e-commerce businesses. By understanding all these types, you increase your chances of finding the right influencers that match your budget and goals.
1. Nano Influencers
The Nano Influencers are the best influencers for small businesses. The reason for this is they chargest less than other type of influencers. However, their number of followers is also relatively small. Influencers that fall under this category have below 10 thousand followers.
While nano influencers have the smallest reach, they usually have the best engagement among the four types of influencers. By collaborating with nano influencers, you can target specific demographics without breaking the bank.
2. Micro-Influencers
Micro-influencers are also good options for small and growing businesses out there. Influencers who fall under this category have between 10,000 and 100,000 followers on specific social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Micro-influencers usually have specific styles and target audiences. They produce creative and genuine content that reflects their personal brand. Their followers respect their expertise in their niche and follow their recommendations.
3. Macro Influencers
Macro Influencers are personalities that have already established their names within their respective niches. These influencers have a huge fanbase that ranges from 100,000 to 1 million followers. They can be considered thought leaders in their chosen fields.
Collaborating with Macro influencers allows you to tap into a massive community. However, the partnership may be relatively costly.
4. Mega Influencers
As the name suggests, Mega Influencers boast a massive fanbase of over one million followers. Typically, these influencers are public figures and have been in the public eye. They can be famous actors, musicians, athletes, and more.
Working with mega influencers can give your brand extensive reach. However, bear in mind that their audience is broad and spans various demographics. This indicates that engagement might not be as high as with the previous type of influencers.
How to Choose the Right Influencer for Business: 6 Tips
Like other forms of marketing strategy finding the right influencers for business requires careful planning. Here are a few ways that can help you build a perfect collaboration.
1. Identify Your Goals and Target Market
Making your goals and target clear is an essential step to finding the perfect e-commerce influencers for your business. Doing this ensures that your influencer marketing strategy stays on the right track.
Developing buyer personas will help guide you in this process. Consider your target audience’s demographics, interests, and who they may aspire to be. From this, you can insights into the influencers they admire and follow.
2. Consider Influencer’s Following
There is no better way to say this: the number of followers plays a significant role in finding the right influencers for your business. Of course, you would want to collaborate with influence that can boost your reach. This approach increases the likelihood of attracting new customers to your business.
However, it’s important to remember that the number of followers isn’t the sole determining factor. Consider also the kind of impact you want to have on your target market. Do you wish to raise awareness about your brand among a large number of potential customers? Or maybe engage better with a specific community that might use your products or services. Answering these questions may help you narrow down your choices for the best influencer for your business.
3. Focus on Relevance
Regardless of your products and niche, it’s critical for your brand to choose influencers that share your values and interest. Try imagining your products being advertised on influencers’ platforms. Do you think their endorsement will resonate well with their audience?
Partnering with influencers who are relevant to your niche and industry is one of the crucial factors for the success of your influencer marketing campaign. Collaborating with influencers that aren’t relevant to your brand is one of the biggest influencer marketing mistakes you can make. For instance, you can collaborate with a gamer influencer for your food products. However, you may not get the results you need.
It can be tempting to work with e-commerce influencers with a massive hit. However, they are not the best fit for your business if they are not aligned with your brand values and target market
3. Check Engagement Rate
The engagement rate is among the most important metrics you should check and analyze when you are choosing influencers for your business. See how many likes and comments they get on every content they make. By checking the influencers’ engagement rate, you’ll have an idea of how the audiences respond to the content they publish.
You can check the engagement rate of the post from your end manually. All you have to do is add the total number of likes and comments the influencers get on a post. Divide the total by the influencers’ number of followers, then multiply the result by 100. This formula will give you the engagement rate in percentage form.
Another important factor to consider is how the influencers interact with their audience. Influencers who reply to most of the comments they get tend to have a strong bond with their followers. This is beneficial for you because their fans will be more interested in what they recommend to them.
4. Choose Influencers with Quality Content
Don’t choose influencers that produce mediocre content. Chances are, these influencers are motivated by money rather than passion. They may not be able to show how good your products and services are.
When you are looking for influencers to promote your brand, you want to make sure that they produce quality content. The reason for this is that the sponsored content they make will also be representing your brand. So, choose influencers who can create genuine and captivating content that showcases your products and services.
5. Check Audience Quality
When you’re looking for influencers for your business, you may encounter some personalities who have fake followings. Some even make a believable fake engagement to lure brands like you. This practice is rampant on Instagram, but you may also find this unethical practice on other social media platforms.
To help you spot influencers that buy fake followers, we created a list of “red flags” that you need to pay attention to.
- Their videos and posts are not well-made, but they have large followings.
- They recently made an account but instantly receive massive followings.
- The influencer’s following count exceeds their follower count.
- The majority of their followers have no profile pictures or backgrounds and have strange names.
- The comments they receive are spammy and generic.
- The content receives a large number of likes instantly after publishing.
Pay attention to the abnormalities above to avoid fake influencers. Working with them will only put your business at a disadvantage.
6. Track the Results of Your Collaboration
The majority of digital marketing strategies have trackable results. Take advantage of this feature and adjust your influencer marketing strategies accordingly. This is the best way to verify if you found the right influencer for your brand.
Measure the ROI of your influencer marketing campaign. If the influencer fails to deliver the results you expect, you can act fast and find a better match for your brand.
Let’s Collaborate!
Finding the right influencers that will represent your products and brand is essential in building an effective influencer marketing strategy. However, it’s only the first step. To achieve the best results, it requires careful planning, a unique strategy, and constant monitoring. Be Global E-commerce Corporation can do these all and more for you.
We can help you connect with the right influencers that can provide real value to your e-commerce business. We also offer a comprehensive social media marketing services to boost your brand online. Our team will be with you every step of the way, from brainstorming to execution and execution. Visit our service page or directly contact us to know more about our influencer marketing service.
