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Influencer Marketing for Smaller Associations

Erin Reeve | | September 11, 2017

Influencer campaigns aren’t just for big corporations anymore. In fact, Associations Now suggests that smaller associations in niche markets can benefit from micro-influencer campaigns as well. In this article, we’ll take you step-by-step through the process of building and executing a successful micro-influencer campaign on one of your social media platforms.


What is an Influencer Campaign?

For those that are unfamiliar with the term, influencer marketing is an indirect marketing strategy that relies on industry leaders to carry out (or drive) your brand’s message on your behalf. Influencers spread the word by carrying out brand messages via content or social media marketing campaigns. Source: Tap Influence.


1.The first step is to find industry experts. To do this, you’ll want to run a keyword search using a social media tool or on the social media platform that you intend to use.

For instance, if I plan to run my influencer campaign on LinkedIn, I’ll head to the "Pulse Discover” section to search for “Influencers” in my field. Scroll down to the “influencers” section. This list shows the most influential people contributing content to LinkedIn.

To find key influencers in your field, you’ll want to run a “ctrl+f” search on a couple of different keywords that align with your industry (e.g., Euclid would use “association management software”).

Another approach is to scroll to the “Channels” section of this page where key topics are listed. Click into a topic that aligns with your field to bring up a list of the latest and most shared articles within this topic area. Key influencers will have an icon like the one below beside their name.

 

You can also find industry experts using social media tools like BuzzSumo or NinjaOutreach. Tools like these can help you find key influencers on multiple social media sites. However, they often come with a cost. That said, these tools usually have free trials if you want to try before you buy!

2. The next step is to analyze the content of each prospective influencer. When examining this content, there are a couple of things that you’ll want to look out for:

  1. Brand Image Alignment: You’ll want to make sure that their articles, social media posts, and brand image align with that of your association. Misalignment could cause confusion and disruption of your association's overall brand message.
  2. Post Frequency and Recency: If someone hasn’t posted for over a year and doesn’t post very often, they may not be the best person to reach out to for your influencer campaign.
  3. Follower Interaction: Keep in mind that someone who posts frequently but whose posts conjure zero input from the public may not be the best either.

3. Reach out to Your Influencers: once you’ve narrowed your list down to 1 or 2 key influencers, you’ll want to start your outreach! The most common methods of outreach include email and direct message (on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram). Some important components to include in your message are:

  • An Introduction of Yourself & Your Association/Brand
  • An Explanation of Your Campaign & Goals
  • A Reason Why They Should Work with You

4. The last step is to - of course - execute the campaign! You’ll want to strategize with your chosen influencer to find a strategy (including post frequency, keywords, etc.) that aligns with their availability/time and your association’s needs. For more information on this step and more, please refer to the resources below. Alternately, if you are ready to get started, head to the Learning Resources section of Euclid's website to learn how you can use ClearVantage Association Management to build, execute and manage your marketing campaigns. 

Resources:

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