Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing of promoting and selling products or services through individuals, or influencers, who are capable of driving action from your target audience.

Influencers who share the values of a brand and their customers can bridging the gap between both entities. While influencer marketing is highly popular today, it isn’t new. Influencers in the form of athletes, celebrities, and even political leaders have driven conversions for decades.

Today, businesses in every industry leverage the potential of influencer marketing. Approximately 83% of marketers who used influencer marketing said it was an effective form of marketing.

Looking to improve your influencer marketing? Tagger by Sprout Social empowers marketers to drive impactful influencer marketing strategies, enabling you to grow brand presence authentically, engage with new targeted audiences and generate revenue faster.

The benefits of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing is an “inbound” form of advertising. This means that the strategy draws leads and customers to you, rather than asking your company to seek them out. Influencer marketing leads to:

  • Increased return on investment
  • More conversions
  • Enhanced brand reputation
  • Authenticity
  • Better audience targeting

Tips for better influencer marketing

Influencer marketing campaigns start when businesses establish connections with people who motivate and inspire their customers. Influencers come in the form of industry thought leaders, micro-influencers, and celebrities. No matter who your brand chooses to connect with, remember to:

  • Approach influencers with caution: Choose someone who fits both with your business vision, and the needs of your audience. Build relationships with influencers by sharing their content and commenting on their posts before you request a partnership. This is where you need to identify a platform to manage influencer marketing.
  • Follow the rules: Before diving into influencer marketing, examine the standards established by the Federal Trade Commission. Disclosure guidelines must be set into the agreements you establish with influencers. For instance, influencers are required to highlight sponsored posts.
  • Give up some creative control: While brand guidelines and support are essential for influencers, they also need some room to thrive creatively. Social media influencers work hard to build their following and will want to keep their tone and approach consistent.
  • Promote influencer posts: Always share the content your influencer creates on your own social media channels. The more you highlight your collaboration, the better the results for you and your influencer.
  • Measure results: Track the outcomes of your influencer campaigns. Don’t just focus on vanity metrics like comments and likes. Set a goal for your campaign and list KPIs to measure.

Read our guide on how to develop an influencer marketing strategy for more tips .