What is an Influencer?

An influencer is a person who has certain credibility on a specific topic, and by his presence and influence in social networks can become an interesting prescriber for a brand.

This video should help explain everything:

Why are influencers important?

It's as simple as asking yourself: what would you buy first, a shampoo that you have seen advertised at the bus stop or a shampoo that your hairdresser has always recommended?

The credibility of the second option is much greater than the first. You know that your hairdresser understands hair care, has tried the product, has liked it and you trust him enough to know that he would not recommend anything harmful to you. This is one of the keys to connecting with an audience, having legitimacy to talk about a product or service.

A positive reference to a product or service from a seemingly disinterested person can provide that ultimate motivation that a potential customer lacks for the purchase. If we add to that the online reach that the recommendation of an influencer can have, we find a resource of practically assured success. 

How to choose an influencer?

We must take into account that not all influencers fit our brand or our digital strategy. Therefore, we must know how to identify those whose values, style, tone and personality are most similar to our brand. There was a time when anything goes. Today, however, the key is to ensure that there is a clear match between influence and brand. In addition, obviously, depending on our objectives and budget (although not everything is paid for) we will choose one influencer or another.

Research is fundamental in a campaign with influencers. We should not take things for granted. Not even if the influencer knows how to "copy+paste". Research well how to take advantage of the influencer's skills to avoid asking for things that do not fit with their way of communicating. For example, if he communicates brilliantly by doing illustration, let's not ask for on-camera videos.

To choose a good influencer we must take into account these three premises:

1. Your ability to generate opinions and reactions in other users when you talk about a specific topic. If something characterizes them is their ability to generate conversation around a topic or brand, we must know how to take advantage of this aspect. Therefore, analyze the rate of interaction with your audience with a tool or by hand, taking a list of the last 30 contents and do the calculations yourself. It's not rocket science 😉 
2. The audience potential of an influencer on a certain topic. Followers of influencers are more valuable for their quality than for their quantity, don't forget!
3. The level of participation in the conversation about the topic in question. The involvement of the influencer in the action is essential to ensure its success
4. Are you publishing sponsored content every day? You are not interested in joining highly promotional personalities. The important thing about an influencer is his or her bond with the audience. Look for the profiles that are most successful in an organic way. 
5. Watch out for the participation rate. Forget that the fans are the most important thing. The key obviously is that you have enough audience but keep in mind that if you have 50,000 fans and 300 interactions per post on average, the reach you will be paying for will be too high. The work will be more difficult but spend time looking for those profiles that really connect with your audience. 

Types of Influencers

They also differ depending on where they are: TikTok will be TikTokers, Instagram will be Instagramers, Youtube will be Youtubers, etc.

If you want to know more about types of influencers or how to contact them, we tell you in our post about why influencers are important in a social media strategy.