Small Business Tips - How To Work With Social Media Influencers

Todd Runyonn

Social media is a powerful tool for business owners. Not only can you use social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to reach your target audience and provide exceptional customer service, but working in partnership with social media influencers is a remarkable marketing tool for broadening your customer base quickly and effectively. However, as is the case with any significant business decision, careful thought and consideration is required. Here is an essential guide to working with social media influencers as a small or medium-sized business.

Determine Your Goals

Before reaching out to any social media influencers for the purpose of collaboration, consider your goals for doing so. For example, are you eager to market a new product or service, or do you simply want to increase your brand awareness? Furthermore, your company will determine the type of influencer you work with. Suppose you run a company selling family products. In that case, reaching out to family vloggers would be the best course of action, as you both have a similar target audience.

Check Your Tags

If your company is relatively established, it's highly likely that popular social media influencers are already aware of your products and possibly posting about them on their platforms. If you regularly post on apps like Instagram and TikTok, check your tags and see who is posting about your products. Not only can you secure a potential brand deal with a creator, but you can gather essential information and feedback to help you improve your products and services.

Perform Background Checks

Unfortunately, the world of social media influencing can be tumultuous, with various controversies and disputes between creators and brands. Working with a creator with a questionable history could severely harm your brand reputation, as customers will view your association as a representative of your personal opinions and values. Before agreeing to work with a specific creator, perform a thorough background check to ensure they will be trustworthy and beneficial to your company. Above all, steer clear of bad reputations for the sake of your own.

Reach Out Privately

Choosing to work in partnership with a social media influencer is a business deal that should be treated with the utmost professionalism. While you could always contact a creator via Instagram direct messages, you’re more likely to get a serious response by emailing the appropriate address directly. Furthermore, direct messages usually confine users to a limited number of characters, so correspondence via email is generally preferred. That said, keep your emails concise, professional and to the point, although not without the necessary degree of warmth and friendliness. Keep in mind that working with an influencer should be a mutually beneficial business strategy, so providing them with information regarding what they will receive as compensation for their participation is vital.

Organise Unboxing Content

Unboxing content can be a fantastic marketing tool to increase your brand awareness and encourage sales. You can create an excellent unboxing experience for social media collaborators by selecting your finest products and packaging them with exceptional attention to detail. You may already have branded presentation boxes; however, you can personalise plain packaging with stickers, stamps and branded void fill. To create an enjoyable unboxing experience, remember to incorporate personalised elements such as handwritten notes and complimentary product samples. These thoughtful additions will foster a positive response, culminating in enjoyable content.

Organise Giveaways

Regular giveaways can be excellent marketing tools for broadening your audience and encouraging engagement, as explained in this article. While you can always host a giveaway or content using your own social media business account, you may get far more engagement by working in collaboration with a popular influencer. Your chosen influencer can help to drum up excitement and even throw in some additional incentive, in the form of shoutouts, signed photographs and meet and greet opportunities.

Welcome Feedback

Working in partnership with an influencer can be an excellent method of gathering valuable feedback, both from your respective audiences and the creator themselves. While the purpose of working with an influencer is to help market your company, they may also provide unbiased content outlining the advantages and disadvantages of certain products, particularly when there is no financial incentive to do so. While this can be risky regarding your brand reputation, it grants you the opportunity to make necessary changes to improve your merchandise.