Published on Jan 16, 2020
One of the top marketing campaign options these days is to use influencer marketing. Many brands are using TikTok or Snapchat, but Instagram is still the clear leader for promotion. Running a marketing campaign via Instagram is a much more affordable option than many others, but you could actually make it even cheaper. The key is getting influencers to repost and link to your content and brand on their own. Here are the top tips to accomplish this.
It can be difficult to manage influences. They’re not just assets, they’re people so you have to spend time building relationships with them. Many influencers will only publish content that they themselves create, and those influencers probably won’t repost your stuff because they aren’t big into reposting in general. However, the good news is that there are a lot of micro-influencers that regularly repost content. They do this because they need a constant flow of content on their profile, and they can’t always do it themselves so they need to use others’ content too.
What matters, though, is that they won’t just repost any content so they can keep up the flow. They will look for content that is of high quality and interesting to their audience. You should take advantage of this and research content that influencers in your target audience will create and post. If you can put out similar content, those influencers might be tempted to repost it. That can be something as simple as nature photos, or sunsets. Other content that gets reposted frequently is inspirational posts and workout subjects.
If you want influencers to repost your content, it should go without saying that you need to make your content linkable. It’s more than just showcasing your products. Take the research information you gathered and create posts that people will want to share. According to Fran Hayes, a lifestyle blogger at 1day2write and Write My X, “that means stunning and inspiring imagery that others can engage with. In addition to inspiring content, you can go with fun or witty content.”
If an influencer reposts your content, that’s not the end of the story. It means they have some interest in your brand, your business, or your product, and they could repost more in the future. Show your gratitude and your reciprocal interest by giving them a shoutout. Be sure to thank them for sharing your content. The influencer will see that you care about the relationship and you could develop a long-term collaboration.
On Instagram, everyone wants followers, including influencers. When you have a contest, you can be really successful at reaching more influencers. You can offer a giveaway and you’ll see that a lot of influencers will join your campaign. They won’t be sharing your posts directly, but it’s a great way for your brand to get more exposure on Instagram.
One great and easy way to get your brand mentioned frequently on Instagram is by offering to mention the people that create top content with your product. A key example of this strategy is GoPro, but even a smaller brand with a different product can have success with this strategy.
If your brand is well-known, you can have a hashtag only of your brand name. If you’re not at that point yet, think about creating a hashtag that can go viral, or join a hashtag that’s already trending. As Monica Dasher, a content writer at Brit Student and Next Coursework explains, “this can be a great way to get your posts exposed to influencers who are looking for that hashtag. Then, if your content is good you can get some reposts that way.”
You shouldn’t have an influencer marketing campaign if you’re not involving influencers. By having great content, you can get reposted, but if you involve the influencers, the reposts are pretty much guaranteed. Collaboration is the top way to do this, especially with micro-influencers. Don’t hesitate to contact influencers directly to make them a collaboration offer, and you might find that you end up in a long-term relationship with an influencer for a successful collaboration with your brand.
Michael Dehoyos, a content marketer and editor at PhD Kingdom and Academic Brits, helps businesses to develop successful marketing strategies. He enjoys the freedom and flexibility of influencer marketing and aims to help businesses and influencers connect. In his spare time, he also writes for Origin Writings.