How to contact an influencer (and avoid the fatal faux-pas)?

The trends of the influence market are unambiguous.

75% of web users following one or more influencers have already made a purchase after reading content published by an influencer.

In 2017, the practice of digital influence has increased by 87%. 67% of advertisers have increased their budgets in this market. A figure that, as we know already, will grow further in 2018.

Finding an influencer that matches your image is now a necessary means of building awareness and visibility, all while boosting the image of your brand in the long term. Influencers are recognised as real opinion leaders and brands’ marketing strategies integrate influencer marketing almost systematically. And this, whatever the favoured network – Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat.

In reality, contacting an influencer is not particularly complex. Three options are available to you:

1. Contacting the influencer directly, with a request getting straight to the point.
2. Going through your usual communications agency.
3. Going through a specialist digital influencer company.

The first option has a major disadvantage: it is time consuming. You need an up-to-date list of hundreds of millions of influencers that correspond to your target market.

You need to send personal messages manually, which makes the influencer want to collaborate with you.

Keep in mind that a macro-influencer usually receives a lot of requests – more than a micro-influencer does – and will therefore be less inclined to respond to your request if it doesn’t directly correspond with their centres of interest. And don’t forget either that a personalised message to an influencer really needs to include attractive presentations and images.

It is therefore time-consuming, and you limit yourself significantly in your selection.

The communications agency can do the same or choose the third option. Logic: this is not its core business.

The third option requires a cost, but lets you benefit from a catalogue of profiles and data allowing you to refine your choice. And, above all, will allow you to go further than simply identifying the influencer.

Because the main issue is not only about knowing how to contact the influencer, but in forging a real relationship with those who will allow you to achieve your sales and marketing goals.

Numerous brands unfortunately still make the mistake of selecting an influencer in a subjective way, simply based on the engagement and size of their community.

And identifying the person or people that you can activate for your influencer campaign, while maintaining a healthy relationship, cannot be improvised.

Is the influencer fully suited to your marketing and communications strategy? Will they effectively strengthen your presence on social networks? Your SEO and content strategy? Do they really reach your target (age range, geography etc.)? Have you set your KPIs for your campaign?

All these questions significantly impact the choice you make.

Other questions must also be asked about the influencer themselves. Is their audience growing? On the contrary, is it starting to decrease? Is it a “fake influencer”, with a community made up in part of “fake followers”?

Where so many marketplaces and platforms dedicated to influencer marketing like Kolsquare exist today, this is above all because it is essential to respond to these questions in advance. And because a faux-pas can quickly occur.

Above all when you don’t yourself have all the data needed to make an informed opinion.

D’autres questions doivent aussi se poser sur l’influenceur lui-même. Son audience est-elle en croissance ? Au contraire, est-elle en train de décroître ? S’agit-il d’un “fake influenceur”, avec une communauté en partie composée de “fake followers” ?

Si tant de marketplaces et de plateformes dédiées à l’influence marketing comme Kolsquare existent aujourd’hui, c’est avant tout parce qu’il est indispensable de répondre à toutes ces interrogations en amont. Et qu’un faux-pas est vite arrivé.

Surtout quand on ne dispose pas soi-même de toute la data nécessaire pour se faire un avis éclairé.

Your influencers can become real ambassadors for your brand.

Somehow, they work for you, showcasing your products and services within their communities.