Influencer marketing is the ideal avenue for authentic brand exposure—in fact, 37% of consumers trust influencers over brands.  As millennials and Gen Z continue to gain spending power, it’s crucial to understand the ins and outs of influencer marketing, including what makes a solid influencer, the key to maintaining transparency and trust, and how to select the right fit for your brand.  

Simply put—influencer marketing is defined as a form of social media marketing—but is quickly becoming more nuanced and trickier to master completely. 

Here are a few quick tips on how to effectively execute your influencer marketing strategy and build audience trust: 

Do your research. 

Although seemingly simple on the surface, locating the right influencer takes time and effort. Make sure you set aside the appropriate time to conduct research—looking into their target audience, content type (photos, Reels, blog posts, podcasts, etc.), persona, metrics, posting history and more. Finding the perfect fit is a process – try to remain patient and avoid rushing into things with the wrong creator.  

Remember: it’s not all about the followers. 

Contrary to popular belief, solely having followers is not a one-way ticket to influencer marketing excellence. It’s easy to buy followers, inflate social data, and work the system—don’t fall for the numbers too fast. 

Engagement rate is the metric you’ll want to pay special attention to—that is, how many likes, comments, or shares are they receiving? An influencer with a dedicated, active follower base is likely to connect easier with their audience, allowing for valuable brand exposure.  

Plus, the best influencers to work with are often the ones with a smaller following. You’ll likely find their hunger and commitment to produce quality content more palpable than their counterparts focused strictly on follower count. 

Communicate and establish a productive rapport. 

With influencer marketing, you’re often blindly trusting the individual you’re working with—which can be tricky. Sometimes they have management or representation, which adds an additional layer of back-and-forth. But it’s imperative to communicate reasonably often, enthusiastically, and provide all the necessary information that allows them to do their job: create refreshing content that will resonate. 

Trustworthiness is another factor. When the content is out of your control, it’s crucial to locate someone you can rely on—not someone who will only speak favorably about the product or service (because that wipes out authenticity and ethics), but an influencer who is responsible, organized, and will get the job done. Ultimately, it comes down to trust.

Keep an open mind. 

What makes a good influencer varies, and changes depending on the client. Don’t jump into the influencer marketing process narrow-minded—someone unexpected might jump out at you and turn out to be an exceptional fit.  

At the end of the day, you’re simply looking for exposure, which can exhibit itself in a variety of content types, individuals, and audiences.  

If you’re curious about influencer marketing, Airfoil Group can help. Get in touch to schedule a needs-analysis call today.