By Jhoni | August 26, 2020 | Dos and Dont's | Lifestyle
I've been wanting to do this blog since I started my influencer career. I want to talk about marketing to influencers. First, let's define the term "influencer". An influencer is short for "influence marketer". Influencers use their online influence to market products for companies and brands. With that said, companies also need to market TO influencers to get them on board with their product...this is where the problems begin.
There are several things that often happen to influencers in an attempt to get them to endorse certain products that, frankly, don't work. Lets break it down...
I used the term "spamming" on purpose. This means it was an unsolicited interaction. I can honestly say that I get a link of some sort sent to my DM at least 3 times a day. Every time, I delete the message. This is why. I don't know you, therefore I don't trust you. With the amount of cyber scams happening on a daily, even on instagram, why would I click a link from a stranger? Think about this, between the people spamming about graphic logos, sugar babies, and getting a blue check, why would a message from someone else I don't know be different. The take home message is to offer value and build trust FIRST. Follow me, like some posts, show support for something I'm doing....(in my case, show me that you visited my blog 😏)...then when you turn around and say "hey can you check this out for me", I'll do it. I'll feel like there is a real person on the other side of the keyboard.
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There's that word again..spamming. People can tell when there is a copy & paste message. This tells me that you're just shooting your shot blindly. How seriously am I going to take your brand or your product when you send the same message indiscriminately to everyone. This is the part that gets me. Sometimes I get messages about products or services that don't apply to me. For example...today...I got a message from a gentlemen telling me that he makes beats. I don't make music 😐. It's not a good look when I know you didn't take the time to even check to see if I make music. It also looks really bad when you don't check the location of the person you're spamming. Today, also, I got a copy/paste message from a photographer in Virginia. I'm not in Virginia. Now, I know people reading are thinking "well no harm, no foul"...like what did he lose from messaging me. I'll tell you what he lost...my recommendation. Had the interaction been one where value was offered first, I may have recommended him to Angels in Virginia in need of a photographer...
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This is the one I get worked up about. Most Influence marketers make money through promotional posts. This is when brands pay the influencer to post on their story or main feed advertising or reviewing a product or service. The process usually involves reaching out to the influencer and a discussion of budget happens at that point. (Most companies will attempt to only exchange free product for promotion, but thats another topic.) When people post about their business in an influencers comment section, this is their attempt to circumvent paying this influencer. I had a women leave, no exaggeration, a full iphone XS max screen- long comment advertising her business. Nothing about me or what my post was even about. I truly felt like this person took my platform and said "Im going to use your influence with or without your consent and I'm not paying you". Don't do that. Anybody who has this happen to them, feel free to delete the comments. Make sure people pay you for your influence and pay you for the audience you took time to build.
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...My issue with this is similar to number 3. First I'm referring to actually tagging someone not @'ing them. I mean when people search this influencer's tagged pictures, your post shows up. See, same thing...you're essentially highjacking this influencer's influence. Not cool. Now, tagging someone in a post actually related to them or something they've done...totally fine. @'ing them in a post you want them to see..thats fine too..tagging them so that your post shows up linked to this person..not fine. I actually had to block someone because he tagged me in his workout videos everyday. Now, if you wanted me to see a workout video of yours once or twice..ok. But this was creeping up to 6 or 7 times he was tagging me..and keep in mind HE DIDN'T EVEN FOLLOW ME. At all...never liked a pic..never shouted me out...nothing. I was literally just getting tagged in an instagram strangers posts every couple of days. It wasn't until post 6 or 7 that I realized he was just tagging me to have his video show up as one of my tagged photos. And it wasn't just me, it was a few other influencers as well. Since influencers use their pages to market for companies and TO brands, the photos that show up as apart of their tagged photos are important. If I am trying to appeal to a beauty brand..when they search Jhoni's tagged photos, I don't want a ton of unrelated posts to show up.
I hope this makes sense. The take-home message from this is not that influencers can't be marketed to or even talked to. As a matter of fact, it's just the opposite. Talk to them. Follow them. If you don't want to follow, like a few posts, and leave a few comments. Go check out their blog, their youtube, visit their website. Show influencers that you are more than just a person looking to use them, but rather someone offering reciprocal value. I hope this helped. Start doing some of these things and I guarantee influencers will start responding better to you. 🌹