4 Tips to Optimize Your Influencer Outreach

Influencer campaigns have become an integral part of overall PR and Marketing strategies. As I mentioned in an earlier email on 2018 Social Media Trends, influencers can deliver 11 times the ROI compared to traditional digital marketing. However, working with influencers is different than working with traditional media. Here are some key thoughts on how to optimize your outreach efforts: 1. Find the Right Match and Make it a Long Term Partnership With the rise of influencers in just about every subject, from traveling to skiing, running, cooking, basket weaving, etc., there’s something out there for everyone and it’s important to work with influencers whose audience matches well with your destination or product. Typically, these influencers have an established audience that is passionate about their specific endeavor. If you build a long term relationship with these influencers and they can promote your company on a more regular basis on their channels, then, it’s more likely that their followers will be inclined to plan a trip to your destination or make a purchase of your product. 2. Focus on Engagement not Followers Generally, an influencer’s number of followers has often been the key factor in deciding with whom to work. However you may have read this recent story in the New York Times, “The Follower Factory”, that outlines the practices of buying fake followers. More followers may not mean better results. Instead, look for influencers who have high engagement with their audience. They may not have as great a reach, but if you pick a good match your company will be targeting the right people who are interested in what you have to offer. 3. Look Beyond Your Core Business and Consider a Diverse Group of Influencers You also might want to consider working with influencers to help you reach different audiences that might not be your core demographic but could help you expand your reach and storytelling to drive more visitors or sales whether it applies to different demographics or perhaps a concentration on regional influencers in markets that are important to your company. 4. Measure Your Results It’s often difficult to track the ROI when working with influencers. A recent story in AdWeek showcased the ROI Influencer Scoring System where the company ROI Influencer Media, developed a value that combines engagement data points such as likes, shares, retweets, video views and more, with how the influencer’s posts have done in the last 30 days. This data is very valuable! Additionally you can work to calculate ROI through other means whether it’s giving influencers their own promo codes, URLS or unique campaign hashtags and use social media monitoring tools like Sprout Social to track engagement from your channels. Remember - Always Think Big,