It is no surprise to see more and more brands investing in influencer marketing. A single shout out from someone with thousands of followers could lead to multiple new customers and fans. In this article we discuss How to Build Relationships With Influencers.
The problem is that if a brand is still in its early days, finding influencers who are willing to collaborate might not be that easy.
First of all, they could be reluctant to strike a deal with an unknown brand because the goods or services they would promote might end up mediocre. This would hurt the influencer’s image.
Secondly, many influencers have already established relationships with brands, and they would not be so keen to take on a product from a competitor unless you pay a hefty price.
Nevertheless, despite these obstacles, a new brand should not give up that easily. There are ways to find an influencer or multiple influencers for your brand and establish a relationship with them.
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Send Them Freebies
If you run a custom merchandise store and create print on demand custom mugs, t-shirts, hoodies, face masks, or other products, send some freebies to influencers you would like to work with.
In case your business is not about making custom merchandise, you can still manufacture some goods and use them as gifts.
As an alternative, there is also the option of ordering some products in bulk from, let’s say, Amazon and pack those nicely. 41% of US consumers order from Amazon at least once a week. The percentage shows how great the store and its products are.
Of course, when you send freebies to influencers, make sure that they know where these gifts are from. Otherwise, your effort will be a waste of resources.
Use Creative Ways to Reach Out
If a simple email or direct message on social media is not cutting it, you need to up your outreach game.
For example, you could use a handwritten note and send it via mail or take a picture of it and send the picture on social media or email. In case your handwriting is terrible, ask someone with excellent handwriting to help you. Writing a short message on a piece of paper should not require too much effort, right?
A catchy headline could also work. After all, clickbait titles are a powerful marketing tool that works. Including a few emojis in the message might prove effective as well.
Lastly, you could get in touch with someone who might have access to an influencer and speak to them instead. The referral approach can be a bit bothersome, but if it helps you establish contact with an influencer, the hard work will be worth it.
Show Your Appreciation for Them
Besides sending free stuff, you should look for other ways to show appreciation to an influencer. If the collaboration is going great, you can swear your allegiance to them and promise not to work with other influencers in the future.
Another way is to engage with their social media content in a way that nobody else would. Besides sharing or retweeting an influencer’s post, you could leave an in-depth comment or add the post’s link to your next blog article.
Finally, even a simple thank you via text could go a long way to showing an influencer that you appreciate them and would like to continue collaborating.
Understand Your Influencer’s Audience
Spending time researching the influencer’s audience is a testament to your dedication. Also, if you do not spend time figuring out what the influencer’s demographics are like, the odds of picking the wrong candidate to work with are pretty high.
Knowing what the influencer’s followers like will mean that you have something to talk about with the influencer. It will also be easier to create a marketing strategy when both parties are on the same page.
Be Straightforward
Some influencers do not like brands that are dishonest and cannot go straight to the point. Exchanging multiple emails just to get one detail out of the way is tiring, and it is no surprise to see many influencers just ignoring a brand that continues to beat around the bush.
Do not fall into the same category, and be straightforward with what you want. The sooner you settle the details, the sooner you can start working on establishing a partnership with an influencer. After all, time is money, and both the brand and the influencer want to make the most out of the time they have.
Create Partnerships Based on Similar Goals
Discuss what you would like to accomplish and set specific goals. Also, suggest to your influencers that they should also create a goal plan and try to work toward it with you. Having similar goals will be a great way to nurture the relationship and find the motivation to collaborate for a long time.
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