So, you want to partner with influencers to grow your business. That’s great!
Branded content gets an average of 2-3% engagement on Instagram, while influencer-generated content gets 5.7% or more. So yeah, nfluencer marketing is a no-brainer.
But where do you start the search?
Since 61% of marketers say it’s hard finding influencers for their campaigns, you certainly aren’t alone here.
Some brands look for Instagram influencers starting with the Instagram search bar and an Excel sheet. But filtering through hashtag after hashtag takes hours, and there’s no guarantee you’ll even find quality influencers with a DIY approach.
Even if you find the right influencer, you can’t message them out of the blue. You’ve got to have a trustworthy relationship with that influencer, which takes a lot of time (that you probably don’t have).
If you need to move fast, it’s time to go with an influencer marketing platform for your next campaign, stat.
But if you’ve done a bit of Googling (and we’re sure you probably have), you’ll see that there are so many options out there. Agencies, databases, and platforms—oh my!
The thing is, a database, agency, or platform can help you see some kind of results for your next Instagram influencer campaign. But there are huge differences between these options:
Not sure if an influencer marketing platform is the right move? We get the temptation to go with a quick database or an agency for a hands-off, get-it-done campaign.
But neither of these options serves your business.
Consider this: 68% of influencers prefer to work directly with brands instead of going through agencies.
That’s totally doable with Trend, which also gives you more benefits like:
Influencer marketing platforms help you connect with influencers who are interested in brand partnerships. Best of all, the trustworthy platforms pre-vet and qualify these influencers for you, ensuring you get results.
Fortunately, you can partner with influencers at the speed of light with an influencer marketing platform like Trend.
Like social media ads, you can use a platform to plug in what you need and let the campaign rip.
The thing is, there are hundreds of influencer marketing platforms on the market. In 2018 alone there were 320 brand-new influencer marketing platforms hitting the scene.
Each is different, so how do you pick what’s right for your brand?
We aren’t in the Dark Ages of influencer marketing anymore. Platforms make social media marketing a breeze, saving your team a lot of time while boosting ROI.
Influencer marketing platforms give you end to end help with everything, including:
But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every platform has a different structure, so you have to know what works for you.
Use this 6-step checklist to evaluate each influencer marketing platform.
Well, it’s a question you have to ask yourself. Do you really need this platform right now?
If you’re new to influencer marketing, chances are, a platform is the fastest way to get started.
86% of marketers say brand awareness is their most important goal for influencer marketing, and an influencer platform will definitely do that for you.
However, if you already have a collection of influencers you work with, you may not need a platform at all. If the campaigns are firing effectively and your team is managing it without headaches, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing.
Even if your influencer strategies are on point, you’ll still need a platform to manage the craziness of influencer marketing.
With that said, most brands will still need an influencer marketing platform. They help you:
If you’re still in the market for an influencer marketing platform, that’s great! Ask yourself the following questions to make sure a potential influencer software is right for you.
Influencer marketing software will put you in touch with influencers.
But not all influencers are the same, and that’s why you need to understand the platform’s specialty before committing to the service.
For example, there are influencer marketing platforms designed just for Instagram influencers. You can get more specialized in topics like food, beauty, or travel, too.
But since 83% of brands use influencers for Instagram Stories, this is a pretty common use case.
This is a great way to find your niche customers, but make sure the influencer platform offers a large enough selection that it’s worth your time.
And yes, always do your homework to see if an influencer marketing software has a specialty.
You don’t want to accidentally join a tech influencer platform when you’re a beauty brand.
You can also vet the platform based on:
Instagram influencer marketing platforms are software, after all. Aside from the quality of the influencers themselves, you need to look at the quality of the software.
Not all platforms work the same way, so choose one that will give you the experience you need to get results.
Before you look at any social media marketing software, make a list of the essential functions it needs to perform. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Once you have your list, compare it against each influencer marketing platform you try out. That ensures you’re partnering with a platform tailored to what you actually need, not the fancy bells and whistles.
Data should be the lifeblood of your marketing department.
Companies that follow data-driven practices are 6X more profitable, which means more money in your pocket.
Since data makes the world go ‘round, you need a platform that tracks and reports on the right metrics.
What are your goals? You’ve got to know what you want before you look for an influencer marketing platform.
When you know your goals, you can track the most relevant metrics for your brand. For example, if brand awareness matters to you, you would want to track views, clicks, and shares.
Or maybe you want to create user-generated content that you can use in your marketing campaigns. The influencer marketing platform should seamlessly transfer content rights, and all the data that goes with that.
Ask the platform for a demo of its analytics capabilities.
You should be able to not only get real-time analytics, URL tracking, and engagement rates, but an overview of your campaign ROI.
If the reports aren’t intuitive to you or the platform doesn’t track essential data, move on to another software.
Does the software make sense to you? A good platform should be fairly intuitive; if you need 5 hours of training to learn the software, it might not be for you.
You want to hit the ground running with your influencer marketing campaign on social media, so choose a platform that’s easy for you and your team to understand.
P.S. You can take advantage of a quick Trend demo here.
At any rate, get a taste of the platform to make sure you really love it before committing.
You’re in the business of making money, which means you’ve got to keep tabs on your marketing ROI.
You’ll need to allocate budget dollars for a proper influencer marketing social media campaign. That means you need to make more money using the platform than it costs to run.
Yes, there are very, very cheap platforms out there. But remember, you get what you pay for.
It’s important to balance the price with the quality of the platform itself. You might spend a little bit more on a platform that saves you time, which is the whole point of using a platform, anyway.
Consider the following factors to see if the price makes sense:
Trend could be a good fit for your influencer marketing campaign, especially if you’re trying to preserve marketing dollars. We don’t charge subscription fees and offer per-campaign pricing, much like how you would pay for a Facebook Ads campaign.
To see if an influencer marketing software fits with your budget, have a number in mind first. This way, you’ll know how much software you can afford when you shop around.
If the software is too expensive (or suspiciously cheap), view it through a critical lens. Make sure it’s an intuitive, straightforward platform that works for your team before committing.
Influencer marketing gets results, but a whopping 61% of marketers say it’s hard to find influencers. An influencer marketing platform makes it incredibly easy to find the right influencer for your social media campaign.
Overcome execution anxiety: get an influencer marketing software that helps you make the most of your limited time by connecting you with the right influencers.
Work with influencers regardless of your brand’s size. While other influencer marketing platforms just mine the internet for influencer data, we know ours on a first-name basis.
Best of all, we ditched the subscription fees and charge a simple, per-campaign fee. Trust our curated network of big-name and micro-influencers to boost your brand.
Feel free to evaluate Trend with these 6 questions; we’re confident you’ll see the difference. Create your Trend account now—it’s free!
So, you want to partner with influencers to grow your business. That’s great!
Branded content gets an average of 2-3% engagement on Instagram, while influencer-generated content gets 5.7% or more. So yeah, nfluencer marketing is a no-brainer.
But where do you start the search?
Since 61% of marketers say it’s hard finding influencers for their campaigns, you certainly aren’t alone here.
Some brands look for Instagram influencers starting with the Instagram search bar and an Excel sheet. But filtering through hashtag after hashtag takes hours, and there’s no guarantee you’ll even find quality influencers with a DIY approach.
Even if you find the right influencer, you can’t message them out of the blue. You’ve got to have a trustworthy relationship with that influencer, which takes a lot of time (that you probably don’t have).
If you need to move fast, it’s time to go with an influencer marketing platform for your next campaign, stat.
But if you’ve done a bit of Googling (and we’re sure you probably have), you’ll see that there are so many options out there. Agencies, databases, and platforms—oh my!
The thing is, a database, agency, or platform can help you see some kind of results for your next Instagram influencer campaign. But there are huge differences between these options:
Not sure if an influencer marketing platform is the right move? We get the temptation to go with a quick database or an agency for a hands-off, get-it-done campaign.
But neither of these options serves your business.
Consider this: 68% of influencers prefer to work directly with brands instead of going through agencies.
That’s totally doable with Trend, which also gives you more benefits like:
Influencer marketing platforms help you connect with influencers who are interested in brand partnerships. Best of all, the trustworthy platforms pre-vet and qualify these influencers for you, ensuring you get results.
Fortunately, you can partner with influencers at the speed of light with an influencer marketing platform like Trend.
Like social media ads, you can use a platform to plug in what you need and let the campaign rip.
The thing is, there are hundreds of influencer marketing platforms on the market. In 2018 alone there were 320 brand-new influencer marketing platforms hitting the scene.
Each is different, so how do you pick what’s right for your brand?
We aren’t in the Dark Ages of influencer marketing anymore. Platforms make social media marketing a breeze, saving your team a lot of time while boosting ROI.
Influencer marketing platforms give you end to end help with everything, including:
But there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Every platform has a different structure, so you have to know what works for you.
Use this 6-step checklist to evaluate each influencer marketing platform.
Well, it’s a question you have to ask yourself. Do you really need this platform right now?
If you’re new to influencer marketing, chances are, a platform is the fastest way to get started.
86% of marketers say brand awareness is their most important goal for influencer marketing, and an influencer platform will definitely do that for you.
However, if you already have a collection of influencers you work with, you may not need a platform at all. If the campaigns are firing effectively and your team is managing it without headaches, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing.
Even if your influencer strategies are on point, you’ll still need a platform to manage the craziness of influencer marketing.
With that said, most brands will still need an influencer marketing platform. They help you:
If you’re still in the market for an influencer marketing platform, that’s great! Ask yourself the following questions to make sure a potential influencer software is right for you.
Influencer marketing software will put you in touch with influencers.
But not all influencers are the same, and that’s why you need to understand the platform’s specialty before committing to the service.
For example, there are influencer marketing platforms designed just for Instagram influencers. You can get more specialized in topics like food, beauty, or travel, too.
But since 83% of brands use influencers for Instagram Stories, this is a pretty common use case.
This is a great way to find your niche customers, but make sure the influencer platform offers a large enough selection that it’s worth your time.
And yes, always do your homework to see if an influencer marketing software has a specialty.
You don’t want to accidentally join a tech influencer platform when you’re a beauty brand.
You can also vet the platform based on:
Instagram influencer marketing platforms are software, after all. Aside from the quality of the influencers themselves, you need to look at the quality of the software.
Not all platforms work the same way, so choose one that will give you the experience you need to get results.
Before you look at any social media marketing software, make a list of the essential functions it needs to perform. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Once you have your list, compare it against each influencer marketing platform you try out. That ensures you’re partnering with a platform tailored to what you actually need, not the fancy bells and whistles.
Data should be the lifeblood of your marketing department.
Companies that follow data-driven practices are 6X more profitable, which means more money in your pocket.
Since data makes the world go ‘round, you need a platform that tracks and reports on the right metrics.
What are your goals? You’ve got to know what you want before you look for an influencer marketing platform.
When you know your goals, you can track the most relevant metrics for your brand. For example, if brand awareness matters to you, you would want to track views, clicks, and shares.
Or maybe you want to create user-generated content that you can use in your marketing campaigns. The influencer marketing platform should seamlessly transfer content rights, and all the data that goes with that.
Ask the platform for a demo of its analytics capabilities.
You should be able to not only get real-time analytics, URL tracking, and engagement rates, but an overview of your campaign ROI.
If the reports aren’t intuitive to you or the platform doesn’t track essential data, move on to another software.
Does the software make sense to you? A good platform should be fairly intuitive; if you need 5 hours of training to learn the software, it might not be for you.
You want to hit the ground running with your influencer marketing campaign on social media, so choose a platform that’s easy for you and your team to understand.
P.S. You can take advantage of a quick Trend demo here.
At any rate, get a taste of the platform to make sure you really love it before committing.
You’re in the business of making money, which means you’ve got to keep tabs on your marketing ROI.
You’ll need to allocate budget dollars for a proper influencer marketing social media campaign. That means you need to make more money using the platform than it costs to run.
Yes, there are very, very cheap platforms out there. But remember, you get what you pay for.
It’s important to balance the price with the quality of the platform itself. You might spend a little bit more on a platform that saves you time, which is the whole point of using a platform, anyway.
Consider the following factors to see if the price makes sense:
Trend could be a good fit for your influencer marketing campaign, especially if you’re trying to preserve marketing dollars. We don’t charge subscription fees and offer per-campaign pricing, much like how you would pay for a Facebook Ads campaign.
To see if an influencer marketing software fits with your budget, have a number in mind first. This way, you’ll know how much software you can afford when you shop around.
If the software is too expensive (or suspiciously cheap), view it through a critical lens. Make sure it’s an intuitive, straightforward platform that works for your team before committing.
Influencer marketing gets results, but a whopping 61% of marketers say it’s hard to find influencers. An influencer marketing platform makes it incredibly easy to find the right influencer for your social media campaign.
Overcome execution anxiety: get an influencer marketing software that helps you make the most of your limited time by connecting you with the right influencers.
Work with influencers regardless of your brand’s size. While other influencer marketing platforms just mine the internet for influencer data, we know ours on a first-name basis.
Best of all, we ditched the subscription fees and charge a simple, per-campaign fee. Trust our curated network of big-name and micro-influencers to boost your brand.
Feel free to evaluate Trend with these 6 questions; we’re confident you’ll see the difference. Create your Trend account now—it’s free!