How to Get Influencers to Promote Your Product

Developing a relationship with the right influencers is one of the most powerful word-of-mouth marketing techniques you can adopt. Don’t just worry about how to get influencers to promote your product but reach the right audiences and seek out the personalities that match your company’s philosophy and tone. 

You can always find influencers to promote an item. However, do you really want someone who will talk up anything for a few bucks? Seek out the social media influencers who are choosy in the companies they work with.

How Much Does It Cost to Have an Influencer Promote Your Product?

Statista estimates the global influencer market is worth $16.4 billion and continues to grow. As the market expands, expect competition among influencers to grow. Dealing with micro influencers or those just getting started in the industry can help keep budgets on track. However, you’ll lose the experience more seasoned influencers bring to the table. 

The cost to work with an influencer can vary from offering them free products to review to paying a small fee for their time and effort. Make sure you consider potential return on investment (ROI) over time before paying any hefty fees while figuring out how to get influencers to promote your product.

How to Get Influencers to Promote Your Product Today

We’ll cover where to find influencers, how to approach them and ensure the relationship stays positive for both parties.

1. Find the Right Influencers

The first step is figuring out which influencers are right for your product. Start by searching topics on social media related to what you do. If you sell smoke alarms, you might hunt for topics such as fire safety and home improvement. 

At this stage, make a full list, putting every possible name on it. You’ll narrow down your options at a later time.

2. Decide Which Medium You Prefer

How do you want influencers to promote your brand? You might know from previous campaigns that your target audience responds best to videos. Around 81% of marketers feel video marketing increases sales. If you feel the same, you should probably look for an influencer that regularly uploads new videos of products they try. 

On the other hand, you may feel photos or text best represent your brand. The key is finding a voice even when borrowing someone else’s to promote your brand. If your company prefers video, then seek influencers who prefer it, too. 

3. Choose the Correct Platforms

Which places do your customers hang out online? If your customers are mostly Gen Zers, then you’ll want to head to a platform such as TikTok. On the other hand, if the majority of leads come from Facebook, stick with that platform.

The more information you have as you talk to the influencers you’d like to work with, the easier the process will go. You know your brand better than anyone and can share insight that helps the influencer do their job. 

4. Get to Know the Person

Start narrowing your list of potential influencers to those on the platform and offering the promotional medium you’re interested in. Follow their accounts, comment on their posts and get to know their style.

Being engaged on their accounts also shows them you’re serious about figuring out ways to get influencers to promote your product or service. You aren’t just randomly contacting people. You care that they’re a good fit for your brand and vice versa. 

5. Ask for Their Help

People care about  honesty and forthright communication. One survey showed around 90% of millennials consider authenticity when choosing who to do business with, Generation X came in at 85% and baby boomers at 80%. No matter what generation the influencer is, being honest and direct matters. 

First, search the influencers social media for info and website information to see if they have a preferred process for brands to contact them. If you don’t find specific instructions, send them a polite DM that you’ve been following them for a while and would like information on working with them to promote your product.

It helps to include specific examples of other posts similar to what you want and why you think the two of you are a good match. 

6. Determine ROI

You may have to pay some influencers a fee to work with them. While paying a small fee may be beneficial if it brings you the right kind of traffic, you have to decide what the ROI is and if it’s worthwhile.

Keep in mind that you may not create a single campaign that pays for itself. However, if you expand brand awareness or pick up customers who continue to buy from you, the investment could pay off in the long run. 

Think about what you want to accomplish with the influencer campaign. Part of how to get influencers to promote your product and brand is understanding what results they’ve gotten for others and that your mileage may vary. 

7. Follow Up/Check Results

You’re taking a chance when you choose to spend budgeting dollars on an influencer. Your goal should almost always be to reach new potential customers. Traffic is your best indicator of how many people the person sent your way. Create a unique landing page so you know exactly how much traffic came from the campaign. 

You may find one influencer is more effective at promoting your products than another. Follow up with the influencer as well and ask how they think the campaign went and if they see anything you can improve on for future promotions. 

Knowing Trickers for How to Get Influencers to Promote Your Product 

The top influencers are sought after. You may have a hard time getting them to shout out your brand. However, if you follow social media etiquette, get to know them and keep communication open, you may find they’ll at least try your product and see if it’s something they want to promote. 

Once you find influencers who successfully get the word out about your brand, keep throwing them more work and ask them if they know others who might expand your reach even more.