Having trouble reaching a millennial audience? Here’s a hint: millennials love authenticity. We don’t want to be told to buy a product by a celebrity living a completely different life. We want to see someone like us using the product realistically. Sorry Kylie, but I think we grew up a little differently (as in, I was definitely not buying a house at age 18).
This is where social media influencers, lifestyle media and vloggers come into play. These are regular consumers who can promote your brand’s product or service where millennials already are — social media.
Whether you’re in the food, beauty, clothing or hospitality industry, there’s a lifestyle expert writing and posting on the same subject.
How do you tap this resource? Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Set measurable goals: First, decide what you want to achieve using influencers. Do you want to increase sales or raise brand awareness? Drive people to your website? Set a measurable goal of what you want out of the relationship and share with influencers.
Set a realistic budget: Put a realistic budget in place. It will help later when deciding on an influencer to partner with as they don’t all cost the same. You may even want to have multiple influencers promoting your product.
Do your research. There are more bloggers out there than you could possibly imagine. Some are just starting out, and some are making seven figures on sponsorships a year. Chances are, you will find more than one perfect fit. When you’ve done your research, make a list of your favorite bloggers in Excel and separate them by tiers based on how well they fit your brand, number of followers and post engagement.
Engage your targets: Start by liking a blogger or social media influencer’s post or leaving a comment. This way they get to see your name and get familiar with your brand. Once you have established a connection with the blogger or social media influencer, reach out with a pitch to discuss budget, timing, logistics and special requests. You should also give them information on the product and what your goals are.
Develop tactics: Decide how you want to use your blogger or social media influencer. You can opt for an ongoing relationship where you send products and they feature them in occasional posts and videos or you can opt for a specific campaign. Ad Week has a great example of a subtle campaign here. Once you choose a partner, agree on tactics and put it in writing.
Keep the relationship alive: If you opt for a campaign rather than an ongoing relationship, keep in touch. You never know when another opportunity will come around.