Impressions - April 2022 - 32

TikTok is a social-media
platform with great organic
growth currently. Image by
Romain TALON.
Structured marketing is essential.
Image by Vitalii Vodolazskyi.
for purchasing advice and more than half make purchases due to influencer
posts.
According to Liu, influencer marketing is by far the most effective
way for a brand to get its name out. " Small brands don't have that
big of an audience and the best way to compound that is to use other
people's audience, " Liu says.
Micro-Influencers: When working with an influencer, engagement
level can trump the number of followers that person has. It may make
sense to enlist the services of a micro-influencer, or someone with less
than 100,000 followers.
Since micro-influencers generally don't have the resources or connections
of macro-influencers, they must be adept at developing genuine
connections with their followers in order to stay relevant. They
also want to build their following. As a result, they tend to put more
effort into their campaigns, taking the time to reply to comments and
answer direct messages.
The first rule of working with influencers, says Shreve, is always do
your research. " Start by making sure the person who is calling themselves
an influencer really has influence and can motivate an audience
to buy or take a specific action. "
Once you've verified the influencer's status, ask that person to wear
something from your line. Shreve advises tracking response and corresponding
sales as a result of the influencer's actions. " You want to make
sure you're getting good value for whatever you're giving, " she says.
The more collaborative the arrangement the better. For example,
work closely with an influencer to create blog posts and other forms
of content on your website and across your social-media channels. The
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content can be cross-promoted on the influencer's account.
Another form of collaboration involves providing an influencer with
a discount code they can share with their followers. This provides the
opportunity to track sales attributed to this form of marketing and
measure ROI.
The More Things Change...
Keep in mind that social media is a continually evolving landscape
that's certain to change over time.
" I imagine marketing trends evolving every week and every month
from now moving forward, " Phenom says. " Every platform will have an
algorithm and the algorithm is an entity that will change frequently. "
Despite the dynamic nature of marketing, some things will remain
status quo. All marketers - regardless of budget size or platform -
should be helpful, authentic and good listeners. It's not about shoving
product down your customers' throats. It's about being responsive to
their needs and building a community.
" People like to connect, and constantly screaming at people to buy
your stuff isn't making a connection - it's badgering and it doesn't
work, " Shreve says. " Make sure you're building a community first
and the sales will follow. "
Chelan David is a Kansas City-based freelance writer. His work has appeared
in such publications as Smart Business, Entrepreneur, The Seattle Times,
Writer's Digest and Apparel. For more information or to comment on this
article, email Chelan at chelandavid@gmail.com.
http://www.IMPRESSIONSMAG.COM
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