Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online Traffic

Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online Traffic

2 | Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online Traffic

Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online TrafficIn case you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of years, online influencers are the new movie stars, rock stars, and just-about-everything-else stars. In fact, a recent study1 found 6 out of 10 teens are more likely to have their purchase habits swayed by a YouTube star rather than a movie star.

Gorgeous it-girls like Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss are equally known for their spreads in Vogue and their candid pics and opinions shared on Instagram and Twitter. Musical acts like the Weeknd


Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online Traffic

and Cody Simpson were discovered, not by A&R reps, but by plugged-in young people who discovered and followed them online. And sensations like Jenna Marbles and the Smosh guys, Ian Andrew Hecox and Anthony Padilla, make more money with their YouTube channels than most actors do by acting on sitcoms.

Given their increasing popularity and cultural impact, it makes sense that brands and businesses would want to leverage influencers to get online traffic. But how is that possible? And in what industries are influencers most effective?

Source: http://simplymeasured.com/blog/8-quick-tips-for-working-with-social-media-influencers/#i.m30cijxr0drq11

http://simplymeasured.com/blog/8-quick-tips-for-working-with-social-media-influencers/#i.m30cijxr0drq11


Have a Plan WhenReaching OutInfluencers are busy people. In addition to doing whatever it is that makes them influential, they’re also fielding propositions from brands and advertising agencies, and maybe even making money from a regular full or part-time job. So if you’re thinking about approaching an influencer to help increase your online traffic, you need have to have a solid, convincing pitch.

Take time crafting an email that explains exactly how you’d like to work with the influencer. You’ll want

to position it not as a favor or a far-fetched dream, but a partnership that could be lucrative for both of you.

With this in mind, think long and hard about finding influencers that will match well with your brand. For instance, let’s say you’re starting a make-up brand and want to find online influencers who focus on beauty products. You’ll want to be sure you find an influencer who matches well with your audience. If you’re marketing toward middle-aged women, see if you can find a slightly older influencer


Have a Plan When Reaching Out

who will resonate with that demographic. If your make-up line’s specializes in carrying make-up for a wide variety of skin tones, consider approaching influencers who reflect your broad offering.

After you shoot off your email, prepare to wait for a while. Like we said, influencers are busy. If you haven’t heard back from them in a few days, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out again to see if they’d like to team up. Multiple emails show that you’re interested!

So what kinds of influencers are the best to partner with?


Food and DrinkDoesn’t it seem like everyone fancies themselves a gourmet chef or mixologist? Sometimes it seems like the internet was created solely so people with too much time on their hands (or maybe just a high-end pasta maker) could show off pics of their ridiculously delicious looking Tuesday night dinner.

Because of the popularity of food on the internet, food and drink influencers are a booming business, and many of them are eager to work with brands that they like. If you own some sort of food brand - whether you make your own honey or brew your own beer - consider partnering with an influencer and having


Food and Drink

him or her use your product in one of their dishes. Just a single mention online can get you tons of attention from their sizeable audience.

Similarly, if you own a bar and a restaurant and are looking to work with online influencers, see who big restaurant influencers are in your town. Many larger cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago are home to junior food critics who spend their days and night trying every restaurant they can, from the dinner hotspots with the hard-to-get reservations to little holes in the wall that just so happen to serve the most authentic burritos or the most greasy, hangover-curing burgers. If you can get your dining establishment on one of these lists, look for a boost in attendance.


Fashion and Make-UpBeauty and fashion are two extremely popular topics online. Every popular fashion magazine has online extensions, which usually includes a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter feed, and - most importantly - an Instagram feed. Of all the outlets we mentioned, Instagram might be the most important. The visual-based network is the perfect way to show off everything from gorgeous gowns and tuxedos to the latest make-up and hair trends.

But big name magazines aren’t the only ones killing fashion online. Influencers from Bombay to Baltimore are using the internet to show off what they know


Fashion and Make-Up

about fashion, which is in turn earning the attention of big name brands.

If your business is at all related to fashion or beauty, you need to use fashion influencers to help out your brand. One easy and effective way to do this is by sending them free samples of your products. Many times influencers will review these products for their followers and show them how to use them. So, if you own an organic make-up line, an influencer might share their experience wearing your foundation or lipstick. If you’re starting your own line of jeans, they may include them in a photoshoot and offer some kinds words about their comfort or quality.


ComedySome day history books will look at the advent of the internet as a key moment in comedy and humor. After all, think about the videos most people enjoy watching online. Almost all of them are humorous videos featuring people (or pets!) doing outrageously hilarious things.

Because of this, as you may have guessed, there are tons of influencers out there who specialize in comedy. A simple funny video can have a huge impact on your brand. If you feel like a comedic video or duo would be right for your brand, brainstorm ways you might be able to work together.

For instance, you might ask a comedy-focused influencer to leave a funny review of your restaurant or dog walking service. Or you could get creative and ask a male comedian to review your organic make-up brand.


Mommy BloggersMoms are one of the most powerful influencer networks on the web. It may sound surprising, butit makes perfect sense when you think about it. The internet has become the new playground, knitting circle, and coffee klatch for millions ofmoms. It’s the place where they trade advice for everything on the best detergent to helping achild with their homework.

If you have a product or service that you think might appeal to moms, consider going after this groupand getting a review of your product. Some ofthese women have hundreds of thousands of loyalfollowers who consider them the number oneresource for all things related to motherhood.


Financial InfluencersSo let’s say you’re not a fashion designer or a maker of small batch gin. Maybe you’re an accountant, real estate agent, or bankruptcy lawyer. Just because your career may technically be less sexy, you can still use online influencers to grow you audience.

Financial influencers are a powerful force on the web. They offer a wide range of advice that includes finding the best checking account, how to make the most out of your credit card points, advice for saving for retirement, how freelancers

should do their taxes, and much, much more. If you work in the financial industry and want to leverage financial influencers, consider interviewing them for your blog. While your customers obviously cherish the financial advice you have to offer, an outside perspective can lend credibility to your business and maybe even give some insights that you hadn’t thought of. All of this will make you a more trustworthy professional, as well as help you get in touch with an audience that was maybe previously unfamiliar with you.


In ClosingIf you don’t work in one of the industries we mentioned, never fear - that doesn’t mean that you can’t use influencers to get online traffic! All you need to do is look online for people in your industry that have something to say that relates to your offering. The best place to start is with someone whose opinion you know and respect. If you think the influencer is smart, chances are you audience will feel the same.

Also, don’t think of your influencer relationships as something temporary. In fact, if anything, you should work on expanding your network and so that you can return to these experts

over and over again for fresh insights and new perspectives. Before too long, you’ll have a broad network of professionals that will help your audience and customers see you as a plugged in resource.

And as with everything, don’t be afraid to change your strategy, and don’t allow bumps in the road to get you down. You may initially work with an influencer who is difficult or just not a right fit for your brand. Don’t let a disappointing influencer experience get you down - before too long you’ll have a broad network that is helping you earn traffic to your website, online store, and social networks.

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Source: http://simplymeasured.com/blog/8-quick-tips-for-working-with-social-media-influencers/#i.ust7bw19h5flmu

http://simplymeasured.com/blog/8-quick-tips-for-working-with-social-media-influencers/#i.ust7bw19h5flmu

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Your Guide to Using Influencers to Get Online Traffic