Breaking the barrier for bloggers

 

Written by SOCIATE’s copywriting intern, Shanice Chrisel

 

Let’s face it – the social industry has grabbed an enormous slice of your marketing pie.

 

The only crowd your spreadsheets of scheduled ‘gram content seem to draw is an array of notifications from Google Drive alerting you of minimal storage. Allow us to introduce a new item to your marketing pie-chart: Influencer Marketing.

 

Skyrocketing global screen-time reports reveal that people look up to bloggers for advice on their purchase dilemmas. They help them wade across saturated product markets, as they purchase, review and collaborate with brands, for content that aligns with their own little niche. 

 

A trickier ship to steer, here’s the low-down on how your brand can transform your blogger relationships into something far greater than a series of mere transactions.

 

Bust out the ‘gram profiles: No one knows your target audience like you do – allow yourself to lead by the stalking and skimming through their ‘Following’ list to catch a glimpse of who and what tickles their brain daily. Examine the excitement generated by these influencers, ascertain their expertise, and sift through the one-way street profiles. Voila, you now have a potential talent pool. 

 

Research before you reach out: Keep a keen eye on your selected few – their behaviour, how they maintain ties with their followers and whether promoting products comes naturally to them. Familiarize yourself with their content and drop a couple of emojis if you see something that resonates with you – it could guarantee a positive response when you try to close the deal!

 

Initiate contact: Ditch the email templates. Take the time out to word a proposition that aligns their business goals alongside your marketing strategies. Leverage your brand over others by highlighting what’s in it for them. 

 

Their profile, their voice: Your how-to manuals for dealing with the suit-and-tie industry can sit this one out. When it comes to content creators, a splash of informality and a high degree of creative control goes a long way. Allow them to take over the creative reins but ensure that you’re on the same page – there’s nothing a quick email can’t sort out!

 

Help them help you: For trendsetters and spotters, it’s all about the eye-catching, ‘gram-flattering content – they’re looking for exclusive experiences to bump them up to the Explore page. Extending an invitation to networking events, holiday parties or branch inaugurations could gain you additional social coverage too!

 

Nurture, nurture, nurture: Make them feel important by showering them with attention – sending over a birthday present, ringing them up on their anniversary or clearing your schedule for a brunch date can help you stand apart. If you show them you care, they most certainly will inform their followers all about your top-notch service, leaving your brand at the top of their minds. 

 

Bloggers blossom with brave brands that boost their content – if influencer marketing’s got your mind and tongue in a twist, reach out to our Influencer Activation wizards at [email protected]. (Psst, we just checked off the year’s first #SOCIATEMingle! Head over to our socials for a glimpse – @sociate.ae)