How to Find, Build, and Sustain Influencer Relationships - Appy Pie

How to Find, Build, and Sustain Influencer Relationships?

Abhinav Girdhar
By Abhinav Girdhar | Last Updated on September 30th, 2023 9:14 am | 5-min read

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Do you check out YouTube or Instagram review videos before buying a gadget or makeup? If yes, then you must have noticed that there are certain reviewers whose videos pop up every time you do a Google search. They go over the pros and cons of a product, demonstrate its usage, and finally give you a verdict - whether it is worth the money you spend on it or not. But more importantly, each of these videos has thousands of views and the reviewers can boast of even more subscribers. Appy Pie - How to Find, Build, and Sustain Influencer RelationshipsSo, who are these reviewers? They are called social influencers. They not only make review videos but also publish blog posts, travelogues, and vlogs, which reach hundreds of thousands of people online. Their content can be found on almost all the social media platforms including, but not limited to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. They also make blog posts and podcasts. Their content can be wide-ranging. They can endorse or trash not just gadgets or makeup but also books, airlines, travel companies, fashion brands, fitness gear - basically, every product or service that we purchase. After receiving an answer for what is an influencer, it is time to learn what good they can do for your brand.

Why is influencer marketing important?

Influencers have strong clouts. They are followed by numerous people who hang on to their every word. They are considered to be an authority in the field. Naturally, people take their suggestions to heart. Positive reviews or endorsement by an influencer can boost your sale. Similarly, if your brand or company is new to the business, and an influencer mentions your product in a review, it will reach a huge audience. So, this is a brilliant marketing tool. That is why all brands are foraying into influencer marketing because this is a hot trend right now. Millennials and youngsters who form the largest chunk of any brand’s target user group are swayed by influencers. So, what is to be gained by teaming up with social influencers?
  • Widened reach
  • A boost in lead generation
  • Product advocacy
  • Greater engagement
Building and sustaining a smooth brand and influencer relationship can be as complex as nurturing any human-to-human connection. The relation has to be authentic or you could end up with an outreach plan that fails miserably and your product will not get the exposure it deserves. If you would like to know more about the benefits of using influencers, here’s a brilliant video for you to learn from.
(Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.) Next, let us discuss how to find influencers and how to nourish the relationship with them.

How to find influencers to endorse your brand?

You can’t just choose influencers based on the number of followers they have. This number can be inflated artificially. Besides, the followers may not line up with the target group you have in mind. So, here is what you should do...

  • Find social influencers on social media platforms

    1. Identify your client base - who are the people you want to reach out to?
    2. Be active on social media. Follow discussion topics related to your industry on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook groups.
    3. Who are the drivers of these discussions and who do they follow?
    4. Make a list of people who you believe score maximum engagement.
    5. Go over their posts, videos and reviews and you will know if you have found the influencers you need.
    If you want to know more about finding the right influencers for your business manually, this video will come in handy for you.
    (Above video is a part of a more elaborate course on Academy by Appy Pie. To access the complete course, please Click Here, or continue reading below.)

  • Find the best bloggers

    • Vlogs and videos are not for everyone. Some prefer the good old printed word and rely on blog posts. That is why bloggers are powerful social influencers. If you want to spread the word about your brand through blog posts, here is what you need to do...
    1. Google the top blogs in your industry.
    2. You will get a list of blog pages with high SEO ranking and click-through rate.
    3. You will also find the names of the people who write the blog posts or run the page.
    4. Contact them and suggest a partnership.

  • Use influencer marketing tools

    • Because of the growing need of finding the right influencers, certain platforms have been constructed that brands can visit to find the influencers who can help them. These influencer marketing tools use AI indices and algorithms to analyze content, keywords, engagement and active followers. These are a repository of social influencers and your one-stop destination to find the right social influencer. Here are a few tools you can check out...
    • Upfluence
    • HypeAuditor
    • Post For Rent
    • Tweetdeck
    • Social Crawlytics
    • Alltop
    • Podbay.fm
    • Klout
    • Crowdfire
    • Full Contact
    • SEO Quake
    • Hunter.io

Find out if they are authentic influencers

Now that you know how to find social media influencers, you have to determine if they are authentic influencers. Authenticity is an intangible concept and hard to verify. However, there are some indications reflecting that the social influencer is indeed passionate about the work he/she is doing-
  • The influencer does not inundate the feed with paid ads.
  • The volume of comments left by the followers.
  • The influencer replies to comments and the post generates engagement.

How to foster a brand-influencer relationship?

Your job is not over yet. Now that you have identified whom you want to recruit to champion your brand, you have to convince him/her to take up your cause. And once that is done, you have to tread carefully and be sensitive to their needs for your relationship to blossom and prosper.

  • Gain their trust

    • Do not approach an influencer right away with the proposal of collaboration. For a longstanding mutually benefitting relationship, start off your acquaintance by simply following their content on social media. Engage in conversations, ask pertinent questions, and share their content. This will be a small favor for them. Ask them to endorse you only when you have established a rapport.

  • Give them all the leeway

    • Social influencers are artists. They curate their content with their individualistic style. Besides, they know the tricks and nuances of social media better than you do. So, they will know how to maximize the reach of the product. Do not stifle their creativity. Do not be too exacting or they will call off the relationship. Remember, there are many competitor brands that will immediately sign them up. It is the brand and not the social influencer who has a lot to lose. But, make sure that they do not turn down inputs from you.

  • Discuss the incentives

    • Most reviewers offer paychecks to social media influencers to endorse their products. Another popular practice is incentivizing them with the product you are selling. But, you can break away from the traditional payment in cash or kind. You can pay for a short holiday, help them buy market shares, donate to a charity of their choice - the options are endless.

  • One-on-one meetings

    • If you sense some friction between the brand and the influencer, talk it out. Air the grievances, discuss the problems and come up with solutions together. Influencer marketing is something brands are deeply reliant on. Social media is a force to reckon with. And, if you want your brand to garner more visibility, then you will have to harness its power. Social influencers capitalize on the power of the word of the mouth and it bears great results Influencer marketing has evolved over the past decade and is not limited to a few celebrities anymore, and social media plays a big role here. You can take your influencer marketing strategy several notches up, by simply creating your own social media app and letting big influencers benefit from it. In turn, you get their thumbs up and initiate a relationship that will last for a long time!

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Abhinav Girdhar

Founder and CEO of Appy Pie

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