Social media influencers are here to stay! In fact, 63% of marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing budget this year.

So, what does that mean for your business?

While you probably don’t have the budget to pair with a mega-influencer (think Kardashians), partnering with a micro influencer or nano influencer is well within your reach!

Micro influencers may not have millions of followers, but they do have something top-tier influencers lack- a genuine connection with their followers that translates to huge rates of engagement!

When micro and nano influencers rave about a brand that they love, their followers take note, and sales increase. This is great news for smaller businesses!

Once you’re ready to pair with an influencer, you have to find the right fit for your brand. It’s important to remember that when it comes to influencer collaborations, authenticity REALLY matters!

• Look for potential influencers that are already fans of your business. Use branded hashtags or keywords to see who’s talking about your brand.
• Do some research into their social media history to make sure their philosophy is in line with yours, and that your views align on important social causes.
• Vet potential influencers carefully. The more well-known someone becomes, the more scrutiny they face. You don’t want any previous bad behavior to reflect poorly on your brand.
• Find an influencer that is truly comfortable being themselves. Audiences respond to genuine influencers that are comfortable sharing real glimpses at their life. Perfectly poised and polished is on the way out and the “no-filter” vibe is in.
• Your influencer collaboration needs to translate to real clicks and sales. Use your metrics to measure engagement and ROI.

If you want to learn more about finding the right face for your business, check out this week’s episode of Building Your Empire with SophieZo. Don’t forget to subscribe!