RETURN ON INFLUENCE
There’s no denying the power and impact influencers can have for brands when it comes to a campaign on social media and other digital channels. They have the followers and they have the personalities to help get your brand, product, or service before the eyes of their loyal fans and followers. But before engaging an influencer you first have to assess who will be the perfect fit for your message. There is by no means a one size fits all situation, each person brings not only their own unique voice and presence to a campaign but of course a particular audience.
THE WHO’S WHO
First you need to do some research, and when it comes to a market like Thailand that’s where local knowledge becomes invaluable. There is an abundance of inspirational, motivational, exciting, interesting, media savvy, and entertaining influencers in this market and they include celebrities, sporting stars, entertainers, media personalities, entrepreneurs, chefs, models, business leaders, and so on. Identifying them and forging a relationship with them is critical when it comes to the success of any campaign. Not only do they need to be the right fit they also need to be motivated to be a part of your campaign. The more engaged they are the more successful your campaign will be.
AUTHENTICITY
You have to keep it real. Audiences can spot authenticity easily. So, it is critical for the success of your campaign to only have the right person or people involved, it is also essential that they are also fully vested in your message and believe in your brand, product, or service. Moreover, you need to ensure that their values and presence on social media suit your brand’s image and voice.
RELEVANCE
There’s no point having a race car driver talking about cooking utensils, unless of course they happen to be a very talented chef in their spare time. You need to match the influencer with your brand, product, or service. Selecting someone purely because you like them or because they have a lot of followers will not do your campaign any favors. Their followers follow them for a reason, those reasons need to be aligned with your campaign if you truly want results.
SIZE DOESN’T ALWAYS MATTER
When it comes to the audiences that particular influencers have big numbers do not always equate to a more successful campaign. For some it is best to engage with micro-influencers, ones who focus on a particular niche and as such attract a very loyal, albeit small fan-base. But don’t let the lower numbers deter you, these followers and fans are truly engaged in what these influencers share and talk about on their social media channels. It’s all about engagement, these are the numbers that matter. But, of course you cannot overlook those who have massive followings, they can do great things for the right campaigns. When you want and need to target a mass audience then the influencers who attract a large follower base are most likely the ones for you.
Whenever we are discussing a new PR campaign with a client and that campaign involves using social media influencers, we know how important all of the above is to make the campaign as successful as it can possibly be. We employ our local knowledge and relationships to ensure we engage the right people for the right projects. It is the best way to ensure your campaign gets a great Return in Influence.
Joseph Henry is the founder and CEO of Vivaldi Public Relation Agency.
He is an expert communicator and influencer who has been helping leading companies achieve their strategic objectives in Asia for the last 20 years.
