Essential Steps for Identifying and Vetting Social Influencers

Written By

Dix & Eaton

Social influencers are an increasingly valuable tool for brands to reach potential customers, boost sales and foster engagement. This growing form of Word-of-Mouth (WOM) marketing yields impressive returns for businesses.

In fact, 92% of marketers who used online influencer marketing in 2017 found in to be effective, according to the Linqia 2018 State of Influencer Marketing study. However, there is one major caveat to consider: An influencer marketing program will only be successful if the right type of social media influencer is selected.

Dix & Eaton shares some insights in the recent blog post for identifying and vetting social media influencers to ensure your program is successful:

1. Define Your Goal

Just like any other marketing program, a strong influencer marketing campaign starts with a clear objective. Determine what the brand’s goal is. Do you want to gain massive reach, or rather connect with a smaller, more targeted audience?

Once your goal is set, determine the type of online influencer that is most appropriate. Dix & Eaton outlines the four key groups:

• Mega-influencers: Celebrities with over 1 million followers.
• Macro-influencers: Following ranging from 100,000–1 million. These influencers are thought leaders, content creators and advocates in specific markets.
• Micro-influencers: Between 5,000-100,000 followers with more targeted audiences and higher engagement rates.
• Nano-influencers: Normal people who are “super fans,” passionate about specific brands.

2. Consider the Three R’s of Influence

Relevance: Will the social influencer develop a following relevant to your business and the industry your brand is targeting?

Resonance: What level of engagement will the influencer generate? Micro-influencers typically have the highest engagement rates – ranging from 25-50% – thanks to their personal interactions with followers.

Reach: How many people can the influencer potentially connect your brand with? Don’t limit the following count to one platform – look at all of the influencer’s social channels, blog, etc.

Once you’ve selected the influencer that fits your brand’s goals, the next step is to complete a comprehensive vetting process. Learn what to consider when vetting influencers in Part 2 of the Social Influencer post from Dix & Eaton.

Dix & Eaton is an integrated communications consultancy specializing in media relations, investor relations, crisis communications and marketing communications. Working as partners, we bring deep experience, foresight and creativity to every relationship and help clients realize the full power of communication to drive results. Founded in 1952, Dix & Eaton is 100 percent employee-owned and has twice been named the nation’s best-midsized firm.