Influencer Marketing: Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket

“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

When it comes to influencer marketing, that old cliche definitely applies. Brands new to this type of marketing may lean toward simply reaching out to a handful of mid-sized lifestyle bloggers to promote a new product. However, the most effective influencer marketing campaign requires a more strategic approach. At MtoM, we encourage our clients to diversify their influencers when it comes to reach, category, and platform.

Influencer marketing is definitely not one-size-fits-all. It’s important for marketers to learn how to distribute their budget efficiently. In some cases, companies need that celebrity-level reach and should contract an “anchor” influencer or two. However, brands also encounter huge success employing many micro-influencers, whose tighter-knit relationships with their audiences results in their messages really resonating. To decide on the best strategy for your brand, consider your campaign goals (brand awareness, sales, lead generation, geographic targeting, etc.) and prioritize accordingly.

Another clever way to ensure that your promotion reaches more eyes is to vary the categories of influencers you contract. If your brand releases a hip new wearable gadget, why restrict yourself to influencers who reach moms of teens when you can also contract influencers who speak to teens directly? Consider tech influencers. Consider lifestyle and fashion influencers. While it’s perfectly sensible to have a target market in mind, we encourage you to think “outside the basket” a little! Because these days, there’s an influencer for every market.

Finally, don’t rely exclusively on one single platform for an influencer campaign. While many quality influencers these days have grown their largest following on Instagram, almost all influencers publish content on more than one platform. Even a proud YouTuber will manage Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Take advantage of these accounts’ audiences and contract your influencers to post promotional content on as many platforms as you can afford.

So, think twice before sending one gigantic food Instagrammer to your new restaurant; consider hosting a popular food Instagrammer plus a few local family-friendly bloggers and/or lifestyle YouTubers with medium to robust followings. After all, families and fashionistas have to eat, too! Contract a healthy mix of size, category, and platform, and you’ll watch brand engagement jump off the charts.

Wondering what type of influencer campaign is right for your brand? Take our quiz to find out now! Learn more about MtoM’s influencer marketing approach, and how we can help your brand.