10 Foolproof Tips for Getting Influencers to Work With You

Are you a small business owner who wants to start working with influencers? Maybe you’re unsure how to get started or don’t have a huge budget to do it. Don’t worry. I’m going to show you all the ins and outs of influencer marketing in this post and by the end, you’ll know what you can do right now to get your product in front of more people. Here are 10 foolproof tips for getting influencers to work with you.

 

 

Influencer marketing is one of my absolute favorite things to talk about. It is such a powerful tool to help grow your business. I get to see both sides of influencer marketing because I have a marketing agency where I get to work with some of the top influencers and creatives and then I help small businesses in my Money Makers Group Coaching Program who want to work with influencers. 

I know how each side of this relationship works and the feelings and intentions of each one. The influencer wants to help small businesses, but it’s hard to know which ones to say yes to because they still want to make money for themselves, so they have to draw the line at some point. (Not to mention the time commitment they make to each brand when they agree to talk about their products on their Instagram stories, etc.)

The small business owner, on the other hand, dreams of having their favorite influencer talk about their products because they know if they just mentioned their products then their business would explode. So, how do you get the influencer and the small business owner to work together in a symbiotic relationship?  Before we jump into those 10 foolproof tips for getting influencers to work with you, let’s first talk about why influencer marketing is so valuable for your business.

 

 

Why You Need Influencer Marketing in Your Biz Strategy

No matter the size of your business, influencer marketing is huge because it is one of the best ways to reach a new audience. And people are just sick of ads, right? There are so many popping up and people’s almost immediate reaction is to X out of it before they even see what it is. When influencers are the ones talking about the products their people listen and consider the product because they already have a personal connection and foundation of trust established.

Just think about the influencers you intentionally search for so you can watch their stories. You might even say it has become a part of your habits to watch their stories. Imagine how powerful of a selling strategy that is if the influencer is talking about their favorite products in their stories to people who want to hear from them and consider the product right away simply because their fave influencer is using it and loving it for themselves. This is a golden opportunity for small business owners!

 

Instagram vs. TikTok

Is it better to work with influencers on Instagram or TikTok? As of right now, Instagram is investing $2.3 billion into influencer marketing. TikTok has a stark contrast of investing $0.7 billion. With that being said, Instagram is the main avenue for influencer marketing right now. Instagram’s system is set up to where the influencer and the business owner can clearly see the benefit of joining in a business relationship. 

This system is not set up as clearly on TikTok. Influencers are still trying to figure out the mechanics of TikTok and how this market can be used there. This may change over the next 2-3 years, but for now, Instagram is the preferred social media platform for influencer marketing.

 

10 Foolproof Tips for Getting Influencers to Work With You

 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #1: Know the influencer’s niche.

You should not be pitching to every single influencer out there who has tons of followers. That is actually a surefire way to get a no. I’ve had several brands come to me with their pitch wanting me to help market their products. When I read their Instagram bio, I can clearly see they don’t know who my audience is and the type of people I am talking to, so that is an automatic no for me.

It’s a much better approach if you contact your desired influencer with something like, “Hey, I noticed you serve this type of audience and my products could help them in this way.” This would go over much more smoothly and give you a better success rate. So, don’t just look up random influencers and send them your pitch. First, get to know them and the audience they serve and see if your products would be a good fit for that market. 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #2: Serve first, ask second.

If you ask an influencer for a favor immediately after following them, that is equivalent to a cold call. Before you ever send an influencer your pitch, make sure to follow them and interact with their content. You can do this by commenting on their posts, sharing their reels and stories, and sending them DMs. You can even talk about them in your stories and posts and tag them. This will mean so much to the influencer!

Influencers notice who is regularly interacting with their content because they know every single mention matters. So, if you are serving the influencer in this way before ever asking them for a favor, the influencer will most likely recognize you as a loyal follower and be more willing to help you out.

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #3: Don’t underestimate micro-influencers. 

Naturally, we think that if we go to the biggest influencer there is and they talk about our business and products then we’re for sure going to find success. Well, that’s not always the case. Micro-influencers who have less than 50k followers have a more loyal audience (who are more likely to buy) AND are less bombarded with brands reaching out to try and get them to talk about their products. Don’t underestimate micro-influencers!

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #4: Pay people.

Being an influencer is an actual business. If you want to set the rules in which they talk about your product, be involved in the content creation of that product, or for sure get a yes from them, put some money on the table. 

When money is involved, the influencer is more committed to doing a good job promoting your product and their fair share of the contracted relationship you two have.

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #5: Do not rely on DMs alone.

DMs are not reliable. I’ve seen the DMs of my influencer clients and they are literally getting thousands of DMs a day. It’s so hard to keep track of the messages, so make sure to also send them an email. You can usually find their email in their Instagram bio. If you’re serious about wanting to work with them sending them a DM AND an email will help get their attention.

 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #6: Spend time strengthening your relationship with the influencer.

I know I briefly mentioned this earlier, but it is so important to build an authentic relationship with the influencers. Influencers have been doing this work for a while now and they can identify the brands who have only been following them for two weeks and then come in really hot with a pitch. 

These are real people behind the brand, so remember that people matter, and the way you treat them matters. Showing up and building that relationship with them for their benefit will go a long way and pay off in the long run.

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #7: Remember that quality matters.

This one is a big deal. If you want influencers to organically talk about you then make really cool products and really great content. Influencers have a reputation to upkeep. If they start to share content or talk about products that either go against something they’ve said in the past, talk about a lower quality product than what they usually share, or share content that doesn’t make sense for their audience then that decreases their value–which will cause a riff in their loyal following. 

However, if you have a killer product and you’re pitching it to an influencer where it makes sense for their audience then of course they will want to work with you. They see it as another way to build trust with their audience and serve them with the best products and advice. 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #8: Use an affiliate program.

Let’s say you have a product that you know an influencer and their audience would love. But you don’t have a huge budget that you can pay the influencer to talk about your product. That’s where an affiliate program comes in. 

An affiliate program is a way to bridge that gap. If an influencer makes a sale of your product then you get paid and you get to pay the influencer. Plus, affiliates are how most influencers make a lot of their money anyway, so this would be a familiar concept to them! Click HERE to learn more about how an affiliate program works. 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #9: Send a product with no expectations.

I know this is a risky method to try, but I still want to talk about it. It’s risky because you could send the influencer your product and they may never use it, talk about it, or even open it from the packaging. However, if there is an influencer that you really want to work with this could be a way to get their attention. 

Do not just randomly mail it to them. Establish that relationship with them first (that we talked about earlier). Then, send them a DM expressing your gratitude for their influence in your life. You could send them a message telling them how they’ve helped you so much and you want to repay them. Lead into how you’d like to send them something from your new collection–or whatever it is. Send your product as a thank-you gift and maybe it’ll just work! 

 

Influencer Marketing Tip #10: Stay away from the holidays.

Influencers get SO MANY messages from brands during the holiday season, wanting them to talk about their products. If you really want to work with an influencer, wait until they are not so busy from the holidays. The most ideal time to reach out is usually late January or February. 

 

 

10 Foolproof Tips for Getting Influencers to Work With You

Alright, friends, what’d you think of these 10 foolproof tips for getting influencers to work with you? I hope they gave you some good ideas on how to move forward! Make sure you are following me on Instagram @iammichellegifford so you can keep getting all the best content you need for growing your business and turning it into the biggest success ever!