Oberlo Influencer Marketing Final Draft PDF

Table of Contents
1. What Is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer Marketing: A Definition
Why Influencer Marketing Is Effective
Influencer Marketing Trends and Considerations
Legal and Ethical Issues
How to Follow Influencer Marketing Laws
2. 6 Top Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns

1. Sponsored Content
2. Reviews
3. Competitions and Giveaways
4. Product and Content Collaborations
5. Long-Term Brand Ambassadors
6. ‘Takeovers’ on Your Platforms
3. Why You Should Choose Micro-Influencers

over High-Profile Influencers
What Is a Micro-Influencer?
Key Types of Micro-Influencers
Benefits of Working with Micro-Influencers
How to Choose the Right Micro-Influencers
4. How to Find Influencers in Your Industry
Use Your Brand Identity to Power Your Search
Finding Influencers via Google Search
Keyword and Hashtag Research
Beauty
Fashion
Travel
Fitness
Food
5. How to Build a Winning Influencer Strategy

Choose a Compensation Model
Set Specific Goals and KPIs Before Launch
Make Everything as Trackable as Possible
Avoid Getting Tricked by Fake Influencers
6. Tips for Influencer Outreach

Start Building a Relationship ASAP
Influencer Marketing Outreach Templates
Create a Clear, Goal-Oriented Campaign Brief
7. Top Influencer Marketing Platforms and Apps

How Does an Influencer Marketing Platform Work?
Best Influencer Marketing Platforms
Do I Need a Platform-Specific Influencer Marketing App?
Best Influencer Marketing Apps for Instagram, Snapchat & Other Platforms
8. Working with Instagram Influencers
Instagram’s Secrets to Influencer Success
Most Popular Instagram Partnerships
How to Find Instagram Influencers
3 Successful Instagram Influencer Marketing Examples
9. Working with YouTube Influencers

The Rise of YouTube
Most Popular YouTube Partnerships
How to Find YouTube Influencers
3 Successful YouTube Influencer Marketing Examples
10. Working with Facebook Influencers

Facebook’s New Influencer Tool: Brand Collabs Manager
Most Popular Facebook Partnerships
How to Find Facebook Influencers
3 Successful Facebook Influencer Marketing Examples
Go Forth and Influence!
1. What Is Influencer Marketing? 6
How many times have you bought a particular product or service because
someone you know recommended it to you? Or did some online research to
narrow down your choices? Or read product reviews and write-ups to make sure
your top choice is a good one?
And my favorite: when you end up buying something you don’t even really need,
just because someone you trust said it’s worth it.
While you kick yourself over your monthly credit card statement, remember that
you’re not alone.
Research compiled by HubSpot showed that 90% of people surveyed believe

brand recommendations from their friends, while 70% believe general consumer
opinions. These stats illustrate a trend that many people flat-out trust strangers
more than advertisements.
That’s because social influence is one of the most powerful

motivators there are.
As society-based, communal creatures, it speaks to the heart of who we are, and

how we grow and build our world. (I’ll stop myself from going into a poetic and
philosophical spiel.)
Our social tendencies, combined with other factors like savvier consumerism and
the growing role of social media in daily life, make it easy to see why some have
dubbed influencer marketing as ‘the next big thing.’
And there many others who argue that it’s already at full-steam.
A 2018 survey by the Association of National Advertisers shows

that 75% of respondents already use influencer marketing, and
43% are planning to spend more on it next year.
At the core of the phenomenon is the power of relationships: how effectively an

influencer’s channel can perform when they’ve built real relationships with their
audience, as well as how effective a brand’s campaign can be when it builds real
relationships with its influencers.
Take it from Ted Rubin, leading social marketing strategist and the man behind the
term #RonR – return on relationship:
“Influencer marketing, when used to its best

effect, is about building a network of business
relationships that will yield results over time. You’ll
get as much out of the program as you put into it.
This is a radical departure from the current media

and ecommerce environment as consumers
seek information when and where they want it vs.
Ted Rubin proceeding along a predictable purchase path.
Social Marketing Mobile is accelerating this behavior, leaving many
Strategist retailers, brands and publishers perplexed about
how to capitalize. So the key is harnessing the
power of social influence in a compelling way that
connects authentic storytelling with brand and
product interaction.
Welcome to the age of influence, where anyone

can build an audience, advocate brands, build
relationships, effect change, and make a difference.”
In this chapter, we’ll discuss:
ǳǳ A brief influencer marketing definition
ǳǳ Why it’s so effective in today’s consumer landscape
ǳǳ Influencer marketing trends and considerations to keep in mind
ǳǳ Some key legal and ethical issues for brands and digital influencers
ǳǳ How to make sure you’re following laws and regulations

Influencer Marketing: A Definition

To understand the definition of influencer marketing, it’s essential to answer the
question, “what is a social media influencer?”
Simply put, a social media influencer is an individual with an online presence on

various social media channels (like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, etc.)
who can use this presence to influence the behaviors and opinions of their
audiences.
In influencer marketing, brands hire – or otherwise partner with – these digital

influencers to promote the brand in some way to the influencer’s audience. From
sponsored posts to content co-creation to brand ambassadors, the influencer
marketing ecosystem takes many forms.
But in the end, you can think of it as using influential people

as a marketing channel.
And while top celebrities might be the first ones to come to mind, research shows
that your influencer marketing impact can be much higher when you focus on
working with people whose audiences align very closely with your brand... even if
that means they have only 5,000 followers!
We’ll discuss the concept of smaller, more relevant audiences in

Chapter 3 when we get into working with micro-influencers.
Why Influencer Marketing Is Effective

Leveraging the power of social influence for marketing is nothing new. In fact, the
first celebrity endorsement is dated back to a pottery and chinaware brand in the
1760s.
But in the age of social media, influencer marketing brings a unique set of results
that brands struggle to get on their own.
One study from Business Insider Intelligence shows that across industry verticals,
the average engagement rate from digital influencer campaigns is 5.7%. To
compare, engagement rates from different brands’ Instagram accounts have been
around 2–3% the past year.
That’s around double the engagement.
Another survey shows that influencer marketing ROI was $7.65 for every $1 spent.
Source
So why is influencer marketing effective?
ǳǳ Brands can reach more relevant audiences

ǳǳ Promoted products and services are ‘vetted’ through shared interests
between influencers and their followers
ǳǳ It builds a stronger feeling of authenticity among consumers
ǳǳ Consumers feel more confident knowing the influencer stands behind
the brand
ǳǳ It caters to consumers’ increasing need to craft their own online and
shopping experiences
ǳǳ It fits seamlessly with growing social media culture
ǳǳ Consumers willingly follow influencers, as opposed to ‘unwelcome’ ads’
Because of its mass success in the past few years, social media influencer
marketing is growing faster than ever. Let’s take a look at what this means for
brands and influencers, including considerations and trends that we can expect to
see in the coming years.
“Many of Oberlo’s most successful merchants turn to

influencer marketing to promote their products when
they are just starting out.
It’s generally cheaper than advertising, and helps

you test both your intended audience and your
product ideas at the same time.
An added benefit of using influencer marketing is that

you can use the photos they take of your products on Venetia Anderson
your website and in future advertisements ( just make Oberlo
sure you get permission to do this from them first).”
Influencer Marketing Trends

and Considerations
As we approach 2019 and beyond, it’s clear that social media influencer marketing
isn’t going anywhere. In fact, if you take a look at Google Trends, you’ll see that
Google searches for the term ‘influencer marketing’ started skyrocketing around
2014.
And if you’ve ever tracked business performance using a chart,

you know that the general up-and-right direction of this arrow is
good news.
So what’s in store for the industry, and the savvy brands and digital influencers who
take advantage of its growing stronghold?
Here are some key trends and things to consider as you learn how to build an
influencer marketing strategy.
▸ Influencer marketing will ‘take off’ and be included in the typical marketing
mix. Even small brands are recognizing the value, which will translate into
influencer marketing as one of the basics – like content marketing and paid ads.
▸ Because it will be so common, so too will influencer marketing platforms and

apps that help to consolidate, manage, and track a brand’s efforts, as well as
maintain relationships with different influencers.
▸ Brands will place a bigger priority on securing long-term social media

influencer partnerships and brand ambassadors. As opposed to one-
off campaigns and sponsorships, more companies are seeing the value in
relationships that keep their offerings front-and-center while building consumer
trust in the long run.
▸ Fortune 500 companies will give influencer marketing opportunities a much

bigger chunk of their marketing budgets. You could say that larger companies
have been ‘pioneering’ the space. They’ve seen results, and they’re ready to
invest more.
▸ More influencers will begin to recognize their power and use it to build their
own consumer brands – like YouTube star Emma Chamberlain. She released a
private label clothing line after gaining nearly 5 million subscribers within a year
of her debut video.
A Closer Look at Emma Chamberlain’s Influence
I’d like to examine what I’ll call The Curious Case of Emma Chamberlain.
What’s completely mind-blowing about this 17-year-old’s clothing line High Key
by Emma is that some of her items sold out in under 30 minutes... even though
the items were blurred out in the product photos and the item descriptions were
scrambled!
Source
Another interesting aspect is that her line is sold exclusively on the Dote app, which
calls itself ‘The Mobile Mall’ and is geared toward Gen Z shoppers. This exclusivity
adds an extra element of appeal, and the fact that nearly everything is labeled
‘limited stock’ creates a sense of urgency.
When you think about it, she’s gained so much adoration, esteem, and loyalty from
her fans that they’re willing to shell out money based on blind trust that they’ll
like whatever she’s promoting.
This might not seem important to anyone whose main business

audience isn’t Gen Z consumers. But remember: these consumers
are our next generation – and they’re massively changing the
way we buy today.
Some food for thought.

Legal and Ethical Issues

As with any promotion, brands should be aware of the legal and ethical issues
that might come up. In the realm of influencer marketing, these main issues relate
to transparency – making sure consumers know that all of your efforts are the
result of a marketing partnership.
When you think about the power of social influence, it’s easy to see how it can be
unfair and misleading when consumers don’t know that a certain post or page is
there because the influencer got money or free stuff.
That’s why the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created Endorsement Guides
that lay out key guidelines and examples for companies to use.
In April 2017, the FTC sent 90 letters to influencers and marketers to educate them
on these influencer marketing rules.
Source
In these letters, the FTC wrote:
“The FTC’s Endorsement Guides state that if there is a ‘material

connection’ between an endorser and the marketer of a product – in
other words, a connection that might affect the weight or credibility that
consumers give the endorsement – that connection should be clearly
and conspicuously disclosed, unless the connection is already clear from
the context of the communication containing the endorsement. Material
connections could consist of a business or family relationship, monetary
payment, or the provision of free products to the endorser.”
More simply, you must clearly and openly disclaim when

a personal relationship with the business influences your
promotion, or if they gave you money or free products.
Then in September 2017, the FTC sent warning letters to 21 of those original 90
individuals and groups whose disclosures just weren’t cutting it. Among the 21
recipients included celebs Lindsay Lohan, Naomi Campbell, and Sofia Vergara.
If the FTC gets to the point of sending a final order, those found guilty can face a
civil penalty of up to $40,654.
The FTC has made it clear that it’s willing to crack down on those who violate
influencer marketing regulations.
How to Follow
Influencer Marketing Laws
So how can you make sure you don’t run into any influencer marketing legal
issues?
The tricky thing is: there are currently no hard-and-fast rules

to follow. The whole process operates on a common-sense
approach that requires every piece of promotional content to
very clearly state it.
On an Instagram post, for example, this can often be seen with hashtags like #ad,
#paid, or #sponsored in the post’s body. You can ask your influencers to use these.
(While some have tried to get away with hashtags like #sp, #partner, #ambassador,
or #thanks[brand name], the FTC has stated that these aren’t clear enough… so
don’t try it!)
Source
If the platform they’re using has disclosure options, consider using those too. For
example, Instagram recently created a feature to disclose paid partnerships at the
top of a post. This feature is expected to be mandatory in the future.
Viral filmmaker Zach King used both techniques for his Universal Pictures
partnership:
As you’re starting out, here are some general rules to follow:
1. Ultimately, each brand is responsible for what its influencers say. So

let your influencers know the rules, and monitor their posts to make
sure they’re adequately disclosing your relationship – even if it’s just a
shoutout after a freebie you sent them.
2. In the words of the FTC, use language that’s ‘clear and conspicuous.’
One of the easiest ways to do this is the #ad or #sponsored hashtags I
mentioned above.
3. Keep it at the top of the post. Users shouldn’t have to click the ‘Read
more’ button or scroll down to see your disclosure.
4. Even if it seems obvious, don’t assume that audiences will know that a
post has a ‘material connection’ – play it safe and disclose anyway.
5. On image-only platforms like Snapchat, superimpose your disclosures

over the photo.
Source
To learn more about the FTC’s ‘truth-in-advertisements’ guidelines,

check out their helpful database here. And take a look at this great
infographic that’s broken down by channel and type of post.
▸ Now, you’ve got a primer to help answer the question, ‘what is influencer
marketing?’ Next, let’s take a look at some of the most common ways that
brands and digital influencers collaborate.
2. 6 Top Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns 24
If you use social media, I’d put money on the idea that you’ve seen influencer
marketing in action at some point, in some form.
The main influencer marketing examples that come to mind involve the classic (and
occasionally cheesy) Instagram photo of an influencer posing with the promoted
product.
But don’t let that fool you – the playing field is diverse and
impressively creative.
Which is part of what makes influencer marketing campaigns so fun. Brands

and influencers can work together to come up with fresh ideas that keep their
audiences engaged and excited to give those brands a try.
No matter which types of influencer marketing campaigns you settle on, keep in
mind that your compensation agreement can follow different models. For example,
you can give the influencer your product or service for free, pay them a flat rate
for each post, or create a model that pays (or otherwise rewards) them for meeting
certain goals.
If you go the affiliate marketing route, you can pay the influencer commission as a
percentage of the sales they bring in.
Stay tuned for Chapter 5, where we’ll outline compensation models as

part of your influencer strategy.
For now, I’ll focus on common types of influencer marketing campaigns in terms of
their content. And of course, we’ll look at some real-life examples from brands that
do it right.
In this chapter, we’ll cover six types of influencer marketing campaigns:
1. Sponsored content
2. Reviews
3. Competitions and giveaways
4. Product and content collaborations
5. Long-term ambassadors
6. ‘Takeovers’ on your platforms

1. Sponsored Content
Let’s start with the basics. Sponsored content influencer marketing campaigns fall
more in line with the simple, ‘classic’ description I mentioned earlier. It typically
plays out with brands reaching out to influencers to ask if they’re willing to promote
one of their products or services – or vice versa... some influencers do outreach
too!
Depending on the influencer’s channel(s) you’ve agreed on, the

final product is usually a photo, video, or blog post featuring your
offering.
These campaigns usually start with the brand sending the influencer a campaign
brief that outlines certain guidelines, instructions, and requirements.
But it’s important to remember that you must give your influencers some creative
freedom. It’s their audience, after all – they know the best ways to engage them.
And their followers will definitely smell something fishy if a post is out of line with
the influencer’s personality, style, and voice.
Here’s a classy Instagram influencer marketing example from Carl Thompson,

founder of men’s clothing brand Hawkins and Shepherd.
And a video example from Calvin Young, a Deaf traveller who entertains and
inspires through his blog Seek the World. He partnered with travel and ticket
booking company Busbud to promote its services on Facebook.
2. Reviews
One of the most common influencer marketing examples of

reviews involves a brand offering their product or service to
the influencer for free, and the influencer posting a review in
exchange.
If you’ve seen any ‘unboxing’ videos, this may have been the driving force. The
premise of these videos is that the influencer has never seen or used the product
before, and they’re unboxing and testing it out for the first time on camera.
(Keep in mind, though, that some web personalities have built their name on
reviewing products, like tech products. In these cases, they may be getting these
items through other ways than an influencer marketing partnership.)
In his YouTube video, Jacques Slade unboxes and reviews a media kit sent to him
by Jordan Brand.
Similarly to the sponsored post, this type of partnership can operate based on a set
of broad and flexible guidelines sent by the brand.
But as you might guess, this can go wrong or run into ethical issues pretty quickly.
Especially if the brand requires the influencer to only say positive things… or if the
influencer isn’t afraid to tell the world that they flat-out hate your product.
Like this delightful example from Benjamin Burnley of the popular rock band
Breaking Benjamin, who was approached by EA Games to give a positive review of
their Star Wars Battlefront game:
The moral of the story is: be careful what you wish for.
3. Competitions and Giveaways

Everyone loves a giveaway. These tactics can be a win-win-win for your brand,
your influencers, and their fans. This is especially true when the process is simple
for audiences to enter and win.
Typically, brands offer a free product or service for the influencer

to give away to their followers.
Competitions and giveaways can include:
▸ Engaging with the influencer’s post itself, such as:
ǳǳ ‘Liking’ the post
ǳǳ Commenting on it with a certain phrase, hashtag, or photo
ǳǳ Tagging up to 3 friends in the comments
▸ Engaging with the brand outside of the post, like:
ǳǳ ‘Liking’ or following the brand on their social media channel(s)
ǳǳ Going to the brand’s website to sign up via a form or mailing list
ǳǳ Submitting photos, stories, or other types of ‘entries’ to be judged

by the brand
In this example, model and fitness influencer Angi Fletcher gave away a Natural Life
gift box to users who followed the brand’s Instagram and tagged one person in her
post’s comments.
4. Product and Content Collaborations

Instead of the one-off types of campaign, some brands have worked closely with
influencers to co-create products or content. This is often seen in the beauty and
fashion industries, where influencers create their own line of clothing, accessories,
or beauty products under the brand.
For example, beauty influencer Jaclyn Hill created an eyeshadow palette in

collaboration with the international makeup brand Morphe.
Of course, this is a very involved strategy if you’re manufacturing the products

yourself, and it’s more common among brands that have already built a name for
themselves in their industry. If your company encounters these kinds of issues, you
might opt for content collaboration for the time being.
Like how plant-based food blogger Kimberly Espinel partnered with muesli brand
Dee Muesli to come up with original recipes using their product.
Influencer marketing examples like this can go a long way,

especially when your influencers can showcase your brand in
action while giving them a clear and direct call-to-action (CTA).
In this case, the CTA was something along the lines of “You there! Buy this muesli
so you can make these awesome muffins.”
5. Long-Term Brand Ambassadors

As the name suggests, a long-term ambassador is an influencer who partners
with your brand for an extended period. You could think of them as a ‘face’ of
your brand, sort of how celebrity spokespeople work in traditional advertising
campaigns.
As opposed to other tactics that might be one-off or a few posts,

a brand ambassador might promote your brand for several
months to a year or longer.
This type of influencer marketing campaign can bring great results because:
ǳǳ Repetition keeps your brand at the top-of-mind for the ambassador’s

audience
ǳǳ More frequent promotion gives more opportunities to show the

versatility of your company’s offerings
ǳǳ A stronger relationship with the influencer means more trust, credibility,

and authenticity in the eyes of their audience
ǳǳ There’s a lower churn rate in your marketing strategy, which generally

equates to less uncertainty and more convenience
Here, fitness personality Matt Upston posts a tweet celebrating three years of being
an ambassador for sport nutrition company Science in Sport.
(Two-for-one special: it’s a brand ambassador hosting a giveaway!)

6. ‘Takeovers’ on Your Platforms

While the first five tactics involve your brand showing up on an influencer’s
platform(s), this one involves the influencer showing up on yours.
In a takeover, the brand gives the influencer access to its social

media channels of choice for a set period of time. Usually, the
period lasts about a day, but some go as long as a week for
special occasions or events.
Influencers can create fun behind-the-scenes or ‘day-in-the-life-of’ posts, videos,

and stories to keep your audience interested and engaged.
The biggest downfall of this influencer marketing campaign strategy is that you’ll
typically have to give the influencer your password. For obvious reasons, you’ll
need to make sure there’s a high level of trust. And a contract too.
But there’s good news if you have a Snapchat: the platform has
actually created a feature that lets your account post takeover stories
without giving strangers your login info! Read more about it here.
You can see it in action in the video compilation from Newcastle University’s
Snapchat account, showing a series of takeover posts from Newcastle students
researching glacial erosion and climate change in Svalbard, Norway.
▸ Now that you’ve got a solid idea of the types of influencer marketing campaigns
and examples out there, let’s talk about how to choose the right influencers to
work with.
Spoiler alert: you should go with micro-influencers.

3. Why You Should Choose Micro-Influencers over High-Profile Influencers 41
When it comes to choosing key figures for your marketing campaign, it makes
sense on the surface to link up with high-profile people who boast huge social
media followings.
A bigger audience = more exposure and sales, right?

Honestly… not really.
While it seems logically sound, more and more businesses are finding out that
working with the right micro-influencers is often more effective and less costly
across the board.
Social media and lead generation expert Lilach Bullock asserts that you simply
can’t get the same results working for the biggest and most popular names as you
can get when you work with micro-influencers who have smaller, more targeted
audiences.
“The big advantage of working with micro-influencers

is that they have highly targeted audiences, which
means that even if you’re reaching fewer people,
the important thing is, you’re reaching the right
people – the people who would be genuinely
interested in your products or services and have
a bigger chance of taking action based on your
campaign and buying from you.
The bigger an influencer gets and the more followers Lilach Bullock
they have, the likelier it gets that a large part of their Online Business Expert
audience is no longer targeted, but rather people
who are simply following them because of who they
are and their popularity.
Because of this and their huge audiences, the top-

name influencer can no longer have the close
relationship that micro-influencers have with their
audience – a relationship which is very important if
you want to drive more results from your campaign.”
So what is a micro-influencer, and how does it all work?
In this chapter, we’ll look at:
ǳǳ A micro-influencer definition
ǳǳ Different types of micro-influencers
ǳǳ Benefits of working with micro-influencers
ǳǳ How to choose the right ones

What Is a Micro-Influencer?
You could think of micro-influencers as everyday people with a highly-engaged
following on their social media channels. Their content usually revolves around
a particular niche or passion – health and beauty, fitness, business, travel, and
everything in between.
Here are some of the core ways that micro-influencers differ from high-profile
influencers:
MICRO-INFLUENCERS HIGH-PROFILE INFLUENCERS
ǳǳ Most micro-influencers have ǳǳ Have 100,000+ followers

audiences of 5,000 to 50,000 ǳǳ Many high-profile influencers are
ǳǳ Are community-oriented popular across the globe
ǳǳ Often seen as an authority in a ǳǳ Appeal to diverse audiences for

particular niche various reasons
It’s not just niche stores that use micro-influencers. Even big brands like Disney and
Microsoft are turning to these individuals to boost their marketing campaigns.
Why? Because these regular folks create and share genuine

content about the things they love. They have a credible voice
and loyal fans who trust what they say.
Here’s an example of a micro-influencer talking about Disney and its offerings in

her authentic voice:
In a world where people are tired of the Kardashians and paid advertising, micro-
influencers are able to stand out with the kind of authenticity that people crave.
The real value, however, comes from the fact that marketing engagements can be
as high as 60% with micro-influencer marketing than with celebrity marketing.
Brands used to compete rigorously for celebrity endorsements.

But today, all people want is an authentic recommendation
from an individual they can trust. No BS. Just a real, transparent
opinion.
Key Types of Micro-Influencers

Micro-influencers engage their audiences in several ways, from explaining their
gym routine, to giving makeup tutorials, to helping people replace their 9-to-5 with
magical digital nomad journeys around the world.
There are oh, so many opportunities for brands. But the key to an
effective micro-influencer marketing campaign is choosing the
right ones to work with.
Let’s start by exploring some common personalities you’ll find in the influencer
world.
The Entertainer
As humans, we love entertainers not only because of their
personalities, but for their ability to transport us to another
world. They’re often funny and outgoing characters, giving
witty or controversial commentaries on pop cultures like
current events, movies, or music. But not every entertainer
is funny. For example, they may also be confessional,
influencing audiences by sharing more vulnerable aspects
of their lives.
The Instructor
These micro-influencers use ‘edutainment’ to engage
people on a more intellectual level than other kinds of
micro-influencers. They’re life-hackers, subject matter
experts, DIY enthusiasts, and fix-it gurus. They creatively
use Instagram, YouTube, and other channels to help
viewers achieve goals that they may not feel equipped to
accomplish on their own.
The Adventurer
Those who constantly seem on-the-move to new,
fascinating, and exotic places. They’re known for sharing
some of the most breathtaking photos – particularly on
Instagram. Examples of such micro-influencers include
backpackers, mountain climbers, skydivers, wildlife
photographers, and other thrill-seekers. Whatever
experiences they gather are vividly detailed and proudly
displayed on their social profiles.
The Disruptor
These micro-influencers have an open mind and a passion
for exploring uncharted territories. They love to work
with brands that further their curiosity and help take
their creativity to new heights. They’re often tech gurus
and enthusiasts, excited to get their hands on cool and
interesting innovations.
Benefits of Working with

Micro-Influencers
As I mentioned in our intro to influencer marketing in

Chapter 1, relationships are the heart of any strong
influencer marketing effort.
This concept is showcased when you take a closer look at the unique benefits of
micro-influencer marketing and how it compares to working with bigger names.
Just ask marketing influencer and owner of OPTIM-EYEZ Sam Hurley:
“The primary strengths of micro-influencer

marketing are rapid engagement, bottom line
results (that compound over time) and much
warmer, ‘human’ interactions that genuinely last.
It once seemed to be the hottest trend to only hire

celebs and mega influencers – now, brands are
increasingly aware that audience size does not
always correlate with ROI. Sam Hurley
For this reason, it’s becoming ‘fashionable’ (and OPTIM-EYEZ
reliable) to actually partner with micro-influencers

with smaller, more engaged audiences.
Audiences can truly relate to these ‘real’ people!

They generally can’t adhere to the dreamy lives of
celebs. This deeper connection through relatable
storytelling really matters.”
Micro-influencers have a niche following – a ‘tribe’ that shares the

same interests and passions as them. In influencer marketing, the
relevance of an audience to the content creator is key, and if they
aren’t closely aligned, there’s a strong chance your campaign
won’t succeed.
Let’s examine a case study to illustrate the value.
Case Study: Micro vs. Mega-Influencers
Influencer marketing specialist Stephanie Robbins set up a campaign for a health

food business. It consisted of both micro-influencers and what she calls ‘mega-
influencers.’ Here’s how she classified them:
Micro-Influencer
ǳǳ Has more than 10,000 followers on Instagram
ǳǳ Has more than 8,000 followers on Facebook
ǳǳ Is well-respected in niche communities
ǳǳ Possesses experience in both performance-based and sponsored

campaigns
ǳǳ Offers high-quality content and visuals

Mega-Influencer
ǳǳ Has more than 600,000 followers on Instagram
ǳǳ Has more than 24,000 followers on Facebook
ǳǳ Gets over 300+ engagements on all content
ǳǳ Possesses experience in both performance-based and sponsored

campaigns
ǳǳ Is well-respected by brands
ǳǳ Offers high-quality content and visuals
The results?
INFLUENCER TYPE LIKES SALES
Micro-influencer Below 100 Above 100
Mega-influencer 1,000 5
It goes to show that just because people are watching, it doesn’t mean they’re
interested. Micro-influencers are a one-two punch in building engaged and
targeted audiences, while also generating their trust.
And that’s not all they have to offer.

Here’s a look at some additional reasons why it makes good sense to work with a
micro-influencer:
1. They’re Affordable
If you’re a small business or a startup, getting micro-influencers on board for

your campaign may be your best bet as they don’t charge as much as high-profile
influencers for sponsored posts.
How much do micro-influencers charge?
An article published on Later’s blog found that micro-influencers with an audience

of 80,000 charge about $300 for a single Instagram post and $500 for 2. If a brand
wants them to post across all channels (Facebook, Instagram, Blog, Twitter), they’ll
charge around $400.
In contrast, an influencer with over 100,000 followers pitched the following rates:
Source
These numbers suggest that partnering with micro-influencers is

just more cost-effective.
If you work with influencers with more than 500,000 followers, you might have to
spend about $1,000 for one sponsored Instagram post. For extensive blog posts
and giveaways, the expense could go much higher, and might even reach as high
as $2,000.
And large corporations have been known to spend tens of thousands or even
hundreds of thousands working with big-name influencers.
So if you have a limited budget to work with, you could start contacting micro-
influencers who have a sufficient following and a highly-engaged audience.
2. They’re Authentic
What makes people engage more with one influencer than another? It’s their
personality, tone, content aesthetic, and most importantly, their ability to be
personal and authentic with their audience.
Micro-influencers are known to cherish their communities, and

are readily available to answer questions, interact with followers,
and even attend local events.
On the other hand, top influencers have a ‘celebrity’ status that often prevents them
from engaging with their large audience on a personal level. (Can’t blame them…
not everyone has time to reply to 500 comments a day.)
The other thing that makes micro-influencers an attractive choice for campaigns is
their ability to craft and share authentic content.
Unlike the popular social media stars who simply tag a brand for a sponsored
placement, most micro-influencers spend hours creating the perfect Instagram,
Facebook, or Twitter post. They choose the best hashtags and descriptions while
styling the elements of the photo or video just right.
3. They’re Easy to Build a Relationship With
Maybe you’ve heard that Drake song that goes, “started from the bottom, now
we’re here.” That’s sort of how micro-influencers work too.
Since they don’t have millions of followers at the start, they have to grow their
audience one by one, engagement by engagement.
They show their followers respect and interact with them by

replying to comments, sharing promos, and hosting giveaways.
For these reasons, they’re much easier to reach and contract than their better-
known counterparts.
Overall, they’re thought leaders on subject matters that genuinely interest them,
and are often open to collaborations with brands that share their passions.
Dropshipper Tim Vangsness suggests using micro influencers with between 1,000-
10,000 to promote your products.
“I normally found that you break even with people

who have around 1,000 followers. Above 10,000
followers and you’re probably going to need to pay
them to promote the product too.
I find that bigger influencers are sort of a mixed bag.

Some people you’ll pay a lot of money, and get
nothing. Others you can get really good returns.”
Tim Vangsness
Dropshipper
How to Choose the Right

Micro-Influencers
As we dive into different social media platforms later in this ebook, we’ll discuss
more in-depth strategies for finding influencers who really fit with your brand.
(Browsing websites and databases, using keywords and hashtags in searches… all
that fun detective stuff.)
But for now, here are a few quick tips for choosing the right micro-influencers once
you’ve found some good candidates:
ǳǳ Look closely at their posts and content. Do their image and lifestyle
easily complement your brand? Could you see them rocking your
product or service without any strain or inauthenticity?
ǳǳ Look at the engagement of several posts. Apart from the number

of likes and shares, what do the comments say? Are they generic,
spammy, or weird? Do the same people comment on every post, or is it
varied?
ǳǳ See if they’re already doing sponsored content. This can give an idea
of the ease and cost of working with them. For example, if they’ve just
started, they may be less expensive (though they may also need more
guidance).
ǳǳ Be selective and don’t rush the process. It may take some time to find
the perfect micro-influencers, but they’re more than worth the hassle if
they understand and amplify the core of your brand.
As you get a feel for their ‘vibe,’ see if they check the following boxes. Top-
performing micro-influencers typically share these traits:
ǳǳ Credibility. Top micro-influencers are experts in their niche, and their

audiences trust that they know what they’re talking about.
ǳǳ Intrigue. Whether they’re as sweet as sugar or known for starting fires,

people just can’t pass up their new posts and discussions.
ǳǳ Ingenuity. Many micro-influencers pave their way to being influential by

offering a unique perspective on the status quo.
ǳǳ Passion. There’s no question about it: you can tell that they love what
they do, which is part of why they’re so credible and intriguing, to begin
with.
ǳǳ Regularity. They post content (photos, videos, blogs, etc.) at least once
a week, and have built consistent engagement from this reliability.
Micro-influencer marketing won’t improve your sales overnight, but if you look at
the companies that are leveraging this new trend, you’ll realize they have powerful
stories to share. And we believe them.
One study shows that micro-influencers drive 22.2 times more brand
conversations per week than the average person.
▸ Now, you better understand the inner workings of micro-influencers and how
they can help improve your marketing campaigns. The next step is to start the
search for influencers whose content and audiences are just the right fit for
what your brand has to offer.
Onward to Chapter 4!
4. How to Find Influencers in Your Industry 58
If you ask any marketer who’s spearheaded their own influencer campaign, you’ll
find that one of the most challenging and time-consuming parts is figuring out how
to find influencers in your industry that really complement your brand.
There are more obvious obstacles like fake influencers with purchased followers.
But moving past that, you’ll need to do your research to make

sure that the influencers you choose have truly interested and
engaged fans whose lifestyles fit seamlessly with your products
and services.
Understandably, this can be a pretty intimidating process.
How do you know which keywords and hashtags to use in your searches?
Where can you find industry-specific pockets of activity, like where all the beauty
influencers, travel influencers, and food influencers hang out online?
This chapter has got you covered. We’ll drill down into the top 5 influencer
marketing industries (beauty, fashion, travel, fitness, and food), as well as give you
some general Google search tips so you can streamline and master the process of
learning how to find influencers in your industry.
ǳǳ How to use your brand identity to power your search
ǳǳ Tips and tricks for finding influencers via Google search
ǳǳ Tools to help with keyword and hashtag research
ǳǳ Industry-specific hashtags and online communities for finding:

◦ Beauty influencers
◦ Fashion influencers
◦ Travel influencers
◦ Fitness influencers
◦ Food influencers
Let’s get started!

Use Your Brand Identity

to Power Your Search
First things first: find those influencers.
Later in this ebook, we’ll go over tips for finding the right Instagram influencers,
YouTube influencers, and Facebook influencers specifically for those channels.
But before you dig into hashtag and keyword research, you should have an idea of
which hashtags and keywords even fit with your brand to begin with. This may
seem like common sense, but can leave many entrepreneurs feeling stumped.
The best way to start is to know your brand and its mission. Ask yourself things like:
ǳǳ Who is my target audience? What are these people interested in and

passionate about?
ǳǳ What’s my brand’s image? What are its defining characteristics and

attitudes?
ǳǳ What’s my brand’s core value for my customers? Why do they choose

me over competitors?
Come up with a list of adjectives that describe your brand and your customer base.
Things like:
ǳǳ inspiring, empowering, motivating ǳǳ bohemian, hippie
ǳǳ intellectual, educated ǳǳ carefree, free-spirited
ǳǳ chic, dapper, trendy ǳǳ green, sustainable, ethical
ǳǳ controversial, opinionated ǳǳ trend-setter, leader
ǳǳ offbeat, eccentric, alternative ǳǳ creator, designer, producer
ǳǳ fringe, edgy ǳǳ disruptive, innovative
PRO TIP
Make a physical spreadsheet or list of everything you come up with, so

you can easily reference it later. A list like this might change, but will
never become obsolete.
Then, you can use some of these words as keywords and hashtags when you’re
searching for influencers on various channels and tools.
For example, a sustainable and ethical fashion store can start by searching ‘new
ethical fashion influencers’ in Google. It yields plenty of great results:
Tweak your search terms to include different types of influencers, as well as

different channels you’re open to marketing on, like blogs, vlogs, Snapchat, Twitter,
and the channels we’ll go into later.
Once you have a whole bunch of these brand-centric keywords, you can get
creative and use them for all kinds of influencer and market research via:
ǳǳ In-depth Google searches

ǳǳ Keyword and hashtag searches on specific social media channels
ǳǳ Searches using special influencer marketing platforms and apps, as
we’ll describe in Chapter 7
PRO TIP
Keep a detailed list with contact info, social account details, and other
notes. This way, you can keep track of who you contacted and when.
We made a handy spreadsheet you can download here.
Tips for Finding Influencers

via Google Search
One of the most important things to remember is that it will take

time and search savvy to really find special influencers that mesh
with your products or services.
So don’t stop at the first few searches!
If you’re executing your influencer strategy manually, you’ll likely spend several
hours on the searching process alone.
But thankfully, there are a handful of built-in Google advanced search options that
can help make things easier and quicker.
Here are some tips for making the most of your Google searches.
Dig Deeper and Use Google’s Suggestions
It’s unlikely that you’ll find everything you need on the first page of your search
results. Go past the first page to find hidden gems and micro-influencers that
haven’t hit the mainstream yet.
For more search ideas, check the dropdown search suggestions that Google gives
as you’re typing in your search, as well as at the bottom of each search engine
results page (SERP).
Here’s what the dropdown suggestions look like:
And here’s what the suggestions at the bottom of each search page look like:
Take Advantage of Search Operators
Do you ever feel like your search results just aren’t what you’re looking for?
Google search operators are magical little ‘shortcuts’ that can

make your searches more specific and targeted, and more likely
to deliver the results you want.
Here are some top operators to boost your searches:
OPERATOR PURPOSE EXAMPLE SEARCH
Ensure that every result will contain

“ethical fashion”
“ ” the exact term inside the quotation
bloggers
marks – not just synonyms
1. ethical fashion OR
Show results for one search term or
1. OR sustainable fashion
the other (these two operators are
2. || 2. ethical fashion |
interchangeable)
sustainable fashion
(ethical OR
Group different terms and control
() sustainable) fashion
the way Google performs the search
influencer
Exclude any words with a dash

ethical fashion
- before them if you don’t want to see
-instagram
results related to that term
Only show search results from

ethical fashion
site: webpages that are hosted on one
site:instagram.com
specific website
And you can even use more than one in a search!
Here’s an example of a search where I’m looking for articles about ethical or
sustainable fashion influencers, but I don’t want any ‘slow fashion’ influencers:
Check out this article for a full list of Google search operators and
commands.
Adjust Your Search Settings
Use Google’s built-in search settings to get even better searches. My two favorites
are…
Custom Date Range
You don’t want to look at a list of hot fashion influencers from 2014. Especially in
the crazy world of social media, things change fast. So I recommend changing your
time range to less than one year ago. (Try six months or less first, then increase if
you need to.)
To do this, click ‘Tools’ under the right corner of the search bar. Then go to ‘Any
time’ ➔ ‘Custom range…’ and select your dates.
Change Location
Google automatically caters your searches to the region or country you’re in right
now. If you want to see popular influencers in other places, you can manually
change this so Google gives you results for those regions.
To do this, go to ‘Settings’ under the right corner of the search bar. Then go to
‘Search settings.’ It will take you a settings page. Scroll to the bottom and click your
region of choice, then click save.
Tools to Help with Keyword and

Hashtag Research
ǳǳ Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest
ǳǳ RiteTag
ǳǳ Hashtagify.me
Let’s take a look at each.
Neil Patel’s Ubersuggest
Ubersuggest is a great tool for getting keyword ideas from your core keywords.
Just pop them into the search bar, and you’ll see plenty of keyword suggestions,
along with their traffic (how many people search that keyword per month).
It also shows you top websites that show up for those keywords
in a Google search, so you can see what everyone’s talking about.
RiteTag
RiteTag analyzes photos and selected text from the web and suggests related
hashtags. You can sign in using your Facebook, Twitter, or Buffer account or
install the Chrome extension. Just right click the image and select ‘Get Hashtag
Suggestions.’
Say you’re a bakery looking to get some more visitors. RiteTag gave these
suggestions for a photo of galaxy blue-and-purple swirled cupcakes:
ǳǳ #foodie ǳǳ #buttercream
ǳǳ #baking ǳǳ #sweet
It even includes platform-specific hashtags, like #cupcakelove for Instagram.
You can then search different social platforms for these hashtags
to bring you closer to your ideal influencers.
Hashtagify.me
Hashtagify.me has a free version that lets you explore hashtag

variations, along with some other handy info like top influencers
related to those hashtags, popularity trends, and other info.
Just click on the related hashtags to look at more, and more… and more.
Now, let’s look at how to find influencers in your industry if your brand is in beauty,
fashion, travel, fitness, or food.
For each industry, we’ll give you a heaping list of popular hashtags, as well as
some top online communities where you can learn more about your niche and
scope out some possible influencers.
Beauty Influencers
Top hashtags to help find beauty influencers:
#beauty #instabeauty #beautytips

General #beautycare #beautyaddict #gorgeous
Beauty #beautyful #beautyblogger #beautyjunkie
#beautybasics #beautybloggerlife #beautyguru
#natural #naturalbeautyvibes #naturalbeautytips

Natural #greenbeauty #naturalista #naturalbeautyshoutouts
Beauty #cleanbeauty #organicbeauty #naturalbeautyproduct
#naturalbeauty #naturalbeautylife #naturalbeautyproducts
#hair #naturalcurls #hairstyle

#haircut #perfectcurls #hairstyles
Hair
#hairtutorial #curlyhair #hairoftheday
#hairgoals #hairofinstagram #menshair
#makeup #makeupaddict #wakeupandmakeup

#makeuptutorial #makeupblogger #eyes
Makeup
#instamakeup #makeupoftheday #lips
#makeupjunkie #motd #lashes
#skincare #skincaretips #skincareproducts

#intaskincare #skincareaddict #skincareroutine
Skincare
#healthyskin #skincarelover #clearskin
#glowingskin #skincarejunkie #facial
Top online communities to help find beauty influencers:
ǳǳ Beauty Talks by Sephora
ǳǳ Skin Care Addiction subreddit
ǳǳ Makeup Addiction subreddit
ǳǳ Tinted
ǳǳ MakeupAlley
Fashion Influencers
Top hashtags to help find fashion influencers:
#outfitoftheday #fashion #fashiondesign #mensfashion

#ootd #fashiongram #fashiondesigner #menfashion
#lookbook #instafashion #fashiondaily #mensfashionpost
#lookoftheday #instastyle #fashionaddict #mensstyle
#mylook #fashiondiaries #fashionlovers #menstyle
#mylooktoday #fashionpost #fashiontrends #mensstreetstyle
#todaysoutfit #fashionblogger #fashioninspo #menswear
#whatiwore #fashionista #clothes #mensweardaily
#wiw #fashionable #clothing #menwithstreetstyle
#whatiworetoday #fashiongirl #clothingline #menshoes
#streetstyle #fashionnova #dress #menwithclass
Top online communities to help find fashion influencers:
ǳǳ Chictopia
ǳǳ Lookbook
ǳǳ Trendtation
ǳǳ TrendMe
ǳǳ URSTYLE
Travel Influencers
Top hashtags to help find travel influencers:
#travels #travelphoto #aroundtheworld #adventure

#travel #travelphotography #globetrotter #adventures
#traveler #travelgram #seetheworld #adventurer
#traveller #mytravelgram #visiting #adventuretime
#travelling #instatravel #wanderer #backpacker
#travellife #ilovetravel #worldtraveler #backpacking
#travelblog #igtravel #bucketlist #explorer
#travelblogger #instago #bucketlistadventures #explorers
#traveladdict #traveltheworld #wandergram #exploretheworld
#traveldiaries #travelpics #wanderlust #exploremore
#travelingram #travelbug #wonderfulplaces #getaway
Top online communities to help find travel influencers:
ǳǳ Nomad List
ǳǳ Travellerspoint
ǳǳ Girls LOVE Travel
ǳǳ Thorn Tree by Lonely Planet
ǳǳ Travel subreddit
Fitness Influencers
Top hashtags to help find fitness influencers:
#fitness #fitspo #healthy #girlswholift

#instafitness #getfit #healthyeating #bodybuilding
#fitnessgoals #youcandoit #healthyfood #yoga
#fitnessmotivation #goalsetting #healthylife #crossfit
#fitnessjunkie #trainhard #healthylifestyle #instarunners
#fitnesslover #noexcuses #healthyrecipes #sundayrunday
#fitnessblogger #exercisetime #fitfood #legday
#fitnesstips #gymlife #nutrition #chestday
#fitfluential #gym #eatclean #run
#fitlife #gains #cleaneating #running
#fitfam #workout #mealprep #runners
Top online communities to help find fitness influencers:
ǳǳ Fitocracy
ǳǳ FitBit Community
ǳǳ MyFitnessPal
ǳǳ JEFIT
ǳǳ BodySpace
Food Influencers
Top hashtags to help find food influencers:
#food #instafood #vegan #eat

#foods #igfood #veganfood #eating
#foodporn #foodtruck #chefmode #eats
#foodgasm #foodart #breakfast #delish
#foodie #foodoftheday #lunch #yum
#foodies #foodpic #dinner #yummy
#foodphotography #foodpics #eat #nomnom
#foodblogger #foodgram #dessert #forkyeah
#foodstagram #foodblog #hungry #recipe
#foodbeast #healthyfood #hangry #recipes
#foodlover #cooking #tasty #recipeoftheday
Top online communities to help find food influencers:
ǳǳ foodgawker
ǳǳ TasteSpotting
ǳǳ Pinterest
ǳǳ Chowhound
ǳǳ FoodBuzz
▸ Okay. Your influencer marketing knowledge arsenal now contains all the steps
for finding great influencers. Now, let’s turn our sights to building awesome
campaigns.
5. How to Build a Winning Influencer Strategy 80
On the surface, it might seem like influencer marketing is just about having an
influencer make a post or 2 and you’re done.
But brands with this mentality will feel the sting afterwards.
Just like pretty much any marketing endeavor (or any life endeavor in general,
when you think about it), your odds of getting good results are slim if you don’t
have clear intentions and goals to guide your efforts. In addition to having those
goals, you’ll need to set up a reliable system to track them.
A lack of strong influencer campaign strategy is a key pitfall when it comes to

influencer marketing.
But here’s the kicker: it’s notoriously tough to attribute ROI back to specific
influencer marketing strategies and tactics. So unfortunately, even businesses
that have an excellent influencer strategy in place will still fall victim to foggy results
and tracking difficulties.
That’s why you have to hit the ground running with a well-defined
influencer strategy, comprehensive tracking, and careful analysis.
Take it from Gil Eyal, founder and CEO of HYPR and influencer analytics expert. He
believes that a brand’s approach to influencer marketing should be just as strategic
and carefully-orchestrated as any other marketing effort, while still taking into
account all the special considerations and changes in the industry.
“There has to be a method to the madness, and

brands that select influencers by skimming over their
social profiles and trying to guess if they would be a
good fit are leaving money on the table.
For starters, every influencer has a unique audience,

and you want to make sure they affect that audience
within the right context. Furthermore, they’re
replaceable but you need tools to help you identify
Gil Eyal which ones are most likely to succeed in reaching
HYPR your audience.
Influencer marketing is no longer a ‘gut feeling’

driven activation, and an influencer marketer
needs to use the same fundamentals used in other
marketing channels – and specifically identifying
the right audience, creating the right message, and
measuring performance.”
In this chapter, we’ll cover some fundamentals for how to build an influencer
strategy that kills, including steps to:
ǳǳ Choose a compensation model
ǳǳ Set specific goals and KPIs before launch
ǳǳ Make everything as trackable as possible
ǳǳ Avoid getting tricked by fake influencers

Choose a Compensation Model

While your individual influencer program agreements might involve some
negotiation for exact terms, it’s good to have a handle on your finances. This
includes knowing how you can compensate your influencers.
There are four main ways that you can ‘fund’ your influencer strategy:
1. Pay Per Post
This influencer pricing strategy is a classic and simple model. You offer the
influencer a set amount of money in exchange for making an agreed-upon post,
whether that’s a shoutout on Instagram, a YouTube review, or a contest posted on
their blog.
You can use this handy earnings calculator to see how much
money an Instagram influencer might charge per post.
Just type in an influencer’s username or the URL of a specific post, and it will show
an estimate that you can use to set your own budget.
You can see in this example that life and style blogger Andrea Pion is estimated to
make about $500 to $835 per post.
2. Gifting, aka Free Product or Service
Here, you give the influencer your product or access to your service for free, in
exchange for promotion. This is typically seen in review-style posts or shoutouts,
often accompanied by photos of the brand’s products in action.
Lithuanian dropshipping entrepreneur Karolis Rimkus used this influencer strategy

to grow and evolve his brand’s Instagram page.
“In the beginning, I did a lot of outreach. I offered

micro-influencers, Instagrammers with 8,000 to 10,000
followers, a product they could use for a giveaway, or
just mail them a sample in exchange for a mention.
The strategy worked, and my brand and sales

started to grow.
When my page hit 15,000 followers, I was able to

switch up my strategy. I had a powerful audience of Karolis Rimkus
my own, so I offered up-and-coming influencers the Dropshipping
opportunity to be profiled on my brand’s Instagram. entrepreneur
They would buy something from my store and take a

photo of themselves wearing it. Then I’d feature them
on my page. It was a win-win.”
3. Pay Per Sale
This is also called affiliate marketing. In this influencer pricing strategy, you pay the
influencer a percentage of every sale from their efforts. This is a great incentive
to get results, but you’ll need a good tracking strategy to ensure you know which
sales are theirs.
Usually, this involves unique checkout codes, UTM parameters,

or help from a special tool or app. We’ll get into this more later in
this chapter.
4. Pay Per Engagement
In this influencer pricing strategy, you can pay them for each like, share, comment,
mention, and/or other engagement on their content. You might also choose this
model to compensate for other results, like sign-ups for a contest.
New businesses, especially ecommerce or dropshipping businesses,

opt for gifting because it’s generally the most affordable and budget-
friendly option. I recommend giving this influencer campaign strategy
a shot until you have a solid understanding of how your overall
influencer strategy is working for your brand, then upgrade to paid
partnerships.
Set Specific Goals and KPIs

Before Launch
The more specific you can get with your goals and key
performance indicators (KPIs), the easier your path to tracking
them and evaluating your influencer program’s performance.
According to Linquia’s The State of Influencer Marketing 2018 report, 90% of

respondents measure their influencer program’s success by engagement, followed
by 59% measuring clicks, 55% measuring impressions, and 54% measuring
conversions.
Source
Let’s break down what each of these means for your influencer program:
ǳǳ Engagement: Likes, comments, shares, mentions, etc. – any user

activity that directly interacts with the post
ǳǳ Clicks: The number of times a link inside the post was clicked, which
could lead to your website or a special landing page, for example
ǳǳ Impressions: The number of times your brand post showed up in a

user’s feed – whether or not they read or engaged with it
ǳǳ Reach: The number of people who see your post – it’s similar
to impressions, except reach counts the number of users, while
impressions counts the number of times a post was displayed in
a user’s feed (this means that the same user can rack up multiple
impressions if the post showed up in their feed several times)
ǳǳ Conversions: A certain user activity that you’ve set up in advance, like

filling out a form or completing a purchase
ǳǳ Product sales: This is technically a type of conversion, since you got

the user to perform the activity of buying your product
ǳǳ Audience alignment: Looking at user data to confirm that your

influencer content was seen by people who really fit with your brand,
thus building positive brand awareness and exposure
PRO TIP
Avoid measuring success based purely on reach or impressions. These

metrics just mean that your post showed up in someone’s feed – they
don’t mean that the user engaged with it… or even read it!
Whatever you decide to focus on, it’s critical that your benchmarks align with
your influencer program goals.
Common influencer program goals include:
ǳǳ Product/service sales
ǳǳ Sales leads, especially if the sales process is longer or your offering is

expensive
ǳǳ General brand awareness
ǳǳ More followers on social media channels
ǳǳ Increasing website traffic
ǳǳ Email newsletter subscribers
ǳǳ Customer retention and building brand loyalty
ǳǳ Reputation management
While some of these are tangible goals, like sales, other goals like brand awareness
can be practically impossible to track.
Which brings me to the importance of setting good goals.
You’ve likely heard about setting SMART business goals, which stands for:
ǳǳ Specific
ǳǳ Measurable
ǳǳ Agreed-upon
ǳǳ Realistic
ǳǳ Time-based
No exceptions for your influencer strategy.
So instead of just saying, “I want more sales,” try saying: “I want 5 new customer
sales from this month’s influencer strategy.”
Instead of saying, “I want more people to see my brand,” say: “I want 200 total
engagements on each influencer post.”
When you can set clear, attainable goals, you’re better equipped
to measure the true value of your campaigns. You’ll also find
it much easier to tweak and change certain things that aren’t
working, while doubling-down on the things that do.
Make Everything
as Trackable as Possible
Your goals are useless if you can’t actually see if you’ve

accomplished them.
But the thing is, even the best influencer marketing strategy can face trouble.
Linquia’s survey shows that 76% of respondents see their biggest challenge to be
determining ROI for their influencer marketing program.
Source
So how can you avoid this pitfall in your influencer strategy process?
Let’s go over a few ways to keep your campaigns trackable and accountable for
your brand’s ROI.
Set Up Google Analytics
Google Analytics is truly a blessing. If you don’t have it set up for your website yet,
do it today!
It’s critical that you have this set up if your influencer strategy
will lead any users back to your website or a special landing
page (which we’ll get into shortly).
Google Analytics shows great influencer program metrics, like:
ǳǳ Which links, pages, and websites brought users to your site. You
can then tie this activity directly to an influencer’s posts on different
channels.
ǳǳ What those users did while on your site. Did they fill out any forms or
make any purchases? Which pages did they visit?
ǳǳ How long those users stayed on your site. Did they leave immediately
or browse for a while?
ǳǳ Demographic and behavior information. Info like their age, where they
live, and even their interests.
Learn all you need to know about setting up and using Google
Analytics with Google’s Analytics for Beginners course.
Use UTM Parameters
UTM parameters are simple tags you can add to your URLs to track certain
campaign elements. The five main parameters are:
1. Source: Google, Facebook, Instagram, a newsletter, etc.
2. Medium: paid ads, email campaigns, social media campaigns, etc.
3. Name: the name of the specific campaign you’re tracking – you can
label it by influencer
4. Term: for paid keywords (mainly for Google Ads, not your influencer
strategy)
5. Content: to differentiate items like ad content

It may sound intimidating, but you can build these links easily with Google’s
Campaign URL Builder.
Say you’re doing an Instagram influencer campaign with an influencer named Emily
Emison (yes, I made this name up). An example of a finalized URL might be:
http://www.yoursite.com/?utm_source=instagram&utm_
medium=influencer&utm_campaign=emily-emison
They look pretty ugly, so you can easily shorten it using bit.ly. So it can look
something like:
https://bit.ly/2pT9Zux
Then you can give this link to Emily Emison to include in her sponsored content.
Whenever someone clicks it, it’ll be tracked in your Google Analytics account.
Voilà!
Other Influencer Program Tracking Ideas
Custom landing pages: Lead users to a special landing page just for your
influencer program campaign. This way, you can specially tailor the messaging to
better connect with users and get them to perform whatever action you’re looking
for, from signing up for a demo to buying a specific item.
Discount codes: If you’re an ecommerce company, create discount codes for each
influencer and campaign so that you know precisely where those sales came from.
Even if you’re not ecommerce, you can use these codes to have users sign up for
certain things, like a free demo, premium content, or other offering.
Affiliate links: If you’re using an affiliate marketing model, affiliate links will track
the activity of each influencer. Special affiliate marketing platforms will typically
provide you with this link and tracking capabilities.
Branded hashtags: Create unique hashtags for your influencer program campaigns
so you can keep track of how often they’re used. Say you want to boost brand
awareness while holding a contest: you can have users make a post with the
hashtag as part of their entry into the contest.
PRO TIP
Once you have all this beautiful user and activity data, you can use
it to follow-up on your new leads and convert them to customers.
Strategies like email marketing and remarketing on social media are
great for this.
Avoid Getting Tricked by

Fake Influencers
I’m not gonna lie to you: there are a lot of hustlers and scammers out there. This
comes mainly in the form of users who buy fake followers on social media.
This is more of an issue than you might realize, with big brands like Unilever
cracking down on influencer fraud.
The good news is that it’s fairly simple not to fall prey to them.
You just have to make sure you give your research and vetting
process enough time and resources.
It may seem like it’s taking a lot of time – because it will – but that will prove
invaluable in the end. If you’re stressing about this part of your influencer campaign
strategy, but don’t have a large budget for a turnkey platform or full-service agency,
it may make sense to try using ‘freemium’ tools.
These are tools that offer free features to start, and you can start paying for
upgraded services and more bandwidth when you’re confident it’s a good choice.
Check out Chapter 7, where we discuss some options for choosing a

solid influencer marketing platform or app.
There are also some quick tools to help you make sure your best candidates don’t
have fake followers, like the Instagram audit tool from HypeAuditor.
Just pop in the username of any Instagram account larger than 1,000 followers, and
it gives you a report on how authentic their account is.
Influencer Marketing Hub has a simplified version that gives you rating scores.
Take a look at this example of beauty mega-influencer Huda Kattan’s Instagram

account.
You can see that her scores aren’t particularly special (though they’re certainly not
bad).
And when you click ‘View Audience Report,’ you can find more details, including
their current follower growth rate, audience insights like their age range and
location, and what their audience is interested in.
If you want a more in-depth report, HypeAuditor offers the first report for free. Then
you can buy reports for about $2 each, with the cost decreasing for larger bundles.
Other paid tools include FakeCheck.co and Social Audit Pro. You can also try the
free tool IG Audit.
Regardless of how you go about it, don’t flush your hard-earned

money down the toilet with a fake influencer.
▸ There you have it! A big list of strategies and tips for developing an influencer
marketing strategy that’s set up for success.
Now, let’s talk about how to conduct influencer outreach to get the attention of
your favorite influencers and start building lasting relationships with them.
6. Tips for Influencer Outreach 101
Even if you’ve got an awesome strategy to hit the ground running, your efforts will
ultimately fall flat if you can’t get the attention of good influencers.
This is especially true in today’s fast-swipe, full-inbox world of social media – where
you only have a few words and a few seconds to show how credible and worthy
you are.
Not only do your influencer outreach tactics determine whether

or not you’ll even get a response from your ideal influencers, but
they also lay the foundation for the future of your relationship.
That’s why you need to have your influencer marketing outreach strategy down
before you dive in. That means knowing what you’re looking for (at least in general)
before you reach out, and communicating that in a personal, clear, and appealing
way.
If you’ve decided to let a full-service agency manage your influencer marketing

efforts, they’ll handle all the influencer outreach steps for you. Huzzah!
But if you’re doing some or all of it yourself, this chapter is for you.
In this chapter, we’ll discuss influencer outreach strategies and tips, including:
ǳǳ How to start building a relationship as soon as possible
ǳǳ Some helpful influencer marketing outreach templates
ǳǳ How to create a clear, goal-oriented campaign brief

Start Building a Relationship ASAP

As we discussed in Chapter 1’s intro to influencer marketing, strong relationships
are at the heart of this marketing medium.
When you build real, authentic relationships with influencers,

you’re opening the door for more mutual efforts. And when these
efforts are mutual, it’s less like work and more like partnerships.
Take it from Karolis Rimkus, a successful dropshipping entrepreneur who built a

trusted brand with the help of influencers:
“I tried a few methods. There was a method where

I asked straight-up: ‘How can we work together?
What’s your price and how can you help me? And
how can I help you?’ That was not the best thing
I’ve done.
What worked for me was trying to make an authentic

conversation. I would say, ‘Your content is great. I
saw you went to an industry conference a week ago. Karolis Rimkus
How was it?’ And just talk to them. Dropshipping
When you start talking, some of them ask you to go entrepreneur
straight to the point. Some actually talk to you as a

friend, and it’s much easier to ask for something
afterwards when you have a sincere conversation
with them.”
As the icing on the e-cake, this authenticity spreads into your

sponsored content. The influencer’s audience will see that they
truly enjoy working with you, which will give your brand lasting
returns.
Here are some tips to start building relationships with potential influencers. You can
start these today, even if you’re not quite ready to take official influencer outreach
steps.
Learn More About Them
Try to really ‘get to know them’ apart from vetting things like follower counts, post
quality, and the quality of their social media engagement across accounts.
What values can you glean from their accounts? What do they stand for and
gravitate toward? Try to see the person behind the posts, as opposed to some
numbers on a dashboard.
Start with Small-Scale Interactions
As you do your research and find more candidates, follow them on their social
media platforms. Subscribe to their blog. Periodically share and leave comments
on their posts, and respond if they ask questions to start a discussion among their
audience.
Show respect and interest in their work, and let them know you think they’re
great. If you have mutual contacts, see if you can get that contact to introduce you.
Influencer Marketing
Outreach Templates
Once you’ve warmed up your ideal candidates and laid down the key goals and
guidelines of your overall program, it’s time to start your influencer outreach.
Here are some quick tips for outreach, as well as some influencer outreach
templates you can use for your initial messages.
REMEMBER
These outreach email templates are just that – templates. So please

tweak and mix-and-match them according to your own personality,
communication style, and goals. Keep it authentic for lasting
relationships!
Influencer Outreach Tips
My #1 tip is to make each message as personalized as possible – don’t just copy

and paste the same generic message to every person you reach out to.
Include their name, brand, and some things that stand out about
their online presence. If you have a specific type of partnership in
mind, include it in your first message.
Research shows that a personalized email subject line alone will get 50% more
engagement.
Here are some more influencer outreach tips:
ǳǳ Tell them what you have in common, whether it’s a shared interest in
vegan food, a common audience that’s passionate about new tech, or a
background in jewelry making.
ǳǳ Tell them why you’d value working with them. Show them what
makes them special and unique, and why you chose them over the
other options.
ǳǳ Leave the conversation open-ended so that you’re making a request

instead of a demand. Suggest your ideal collaboration, but give them
the opportunity to share their own ideas.
ǳǳ Follow-up 5–7 days after sending your first influencer outreach

message if you haven’t gotten a response. Chances are, they’re busy
and they need you to set yourself apart from the clutter.
ǳǳ Know when to cut your losses. Sending a couple of follow-up emails

is fine, but it’s a slippery slope toward becoming a pest. If they haven’t
engaged with your attempts, move on to the next opportunities.
ǳǳ Look at it as a networking opportunity. Even if they’re not interested

now, be cordial and keep the relationship warm. You never know if it
could develop into something later.
Influencer Outreach Email Template Ideas
Gifting for Review or Mention
Subject line: Collaboration Opportunity with a New [your product/service

type] Brand
Hi [influencer’s name],
I’m [your name] from [your company]. I’ve been following your [blog,
Instagram, YouTube, etc.] for about a year now and I love your work!
It seems to me that we both share a passion for [common ground].
Overall, I think my brand really aligns with yours, and that your audience
would be a great fit for [your product]. I’d be glad to send you one for free in
exchange for a [review/mention] on your [blog, Instagram, YouTube, etc.].
Please let me know if you’re interested.
Thanks,
[your name]
Brand Ambassador
Subject line: [Influencer’s Name], would you like to be our brand

ambassador?
I’m [your name] from [your company]. I’ve been following your [blog,
Instagram, YouTube, etc.] and I’m consistently impressed with it.
What sticks out to me most is your [name 2–3 positive traits].
I’m looking for brand ambassadors that really fit with my brand. I think you’d
make a fantastic partner!
As an ambassador, you can expect to:

ǳǳ Receive [your products/services] for free
ǳǳ Discuss them on your [blog, Instagram, YouTube, etc.]
ǳǳ Get an extra commission for [sales, new leads, social media growth, etc.]
ǳǳ Work with us for a few months to start, then extend if we both love it
The terms are flexible, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
Would you be interested in working with us?
Thanks,
[your name]
Product or Collection Collaboration
Subject line: Let’s build something together! [Influencer’s Name] + [Your

Company]
I’m [your name] from [your company]. We’re dreaming up a new [product/
collection type], and we’ve been hoping to partner with an expert influencer
who wants to help us develop it and make it their own.
I’ve been following your [blog, Instagram, YouTube, etc.] and I think you’d be
the perfect fit.
Here’s how the process would work:

ǳǳ We’ll ask for your unfiltered input on designing and producing the
[product/collection]
ǳǳ It will be released as YOUR exclusive line – you can even name it
[influencer’s name] if you like
ǳǳ You’ll receive 10% of all sales!
Do you have some time this week to chat about what this partnership could
look like?
Look forward to hearing from you,
[your name]
PRO TIP
If you have trouble finding email addresses of promising influencers,

try free tools like Hunter.io or ContactOut.
Create a Clear, Goal-Oriented

Campaign Brief
Once you’ve gotten their attention and interest from your initial influencer
outreach tactics, send a campaign brief that clearly states your goals, rules, and
requirements for the partnership.
As we mentioned in Chapter 2’s discussion on types of influencer marketing

campaigns, it’s mission-critical that you give your influencer creative freedom to
craft the details of their content.
Our theme of authenticity and relationships is coming back – if

you control too much of the content, the influencer’s audience
will know it’s staged. And that can damage your credibility faster
than you might think.
Another key to focus on is setting goals.
Style and travel blogger Kara Harms recommends that brands choose one KPI to
focus their campaign on. When she can use this approach with her own clients, she
feels better positioned to help the brand succeed.
“Set one, clear KPI you want to hit in your influencer

marketing campaign. If a brand partner doesn’t have
a clear KPI, I always ask them to set one for me.
Why? Because knowing the one goal my partner

has means I can structure content in a way that will
help them hit that goal.
While everyone would love to make a lot of

Kara Harms conversions, new email signups, grow social media
Whimsy Soul following, earn millions of impressions and get a
lot of swipe-ups all in one campaign, that’s just not
possible. Be realistic and set one KPI.”
In addition to your main KPI, your campaign brief should also include:
ǳǳ Key points about your product or service that you want to convey in the
post(s)
ǳǳ Your desired posting dates and requirements, for example: they must
post on a specific date/time, or within 2 weeks of receiving the product
ǳǳ The deliverables you expect, which could look like:
◦ 1 Instagram post including a photo of a product. The caption must

include company @tag and campaign #hashtag – posted January 5
◦ 1 Instagram story including a product in use, as well as verbal

mention of product name – posted January 10
◦ 1 blog post reviewing the product, including product photo and

special discount code HOORAY123 – posted January 15
ǳǳ General direction on what you want and don’t want – a dos and don’ts
list can be handy for this
ǳǳ Some visuals to give an example of what you’re looking for
ǳǳ An overview of your approval process, if you choose to review their

content before they’re allowed to post
ǳǳ A reminder of FTC regulations, including a requirement that they use

labels like #ad, #sponsored, or something similar
ǳǳ Other details to include in the content, like your brand’s relevant social
media handles, trackable links, and branded hashtags (which we
discussed in Chapter 5’s influencer strategy)
ǳǳ A bit of personalization – change each brief to address the influencer

by name and note any details from your discussions
ǳǳ Contact information for the person your influencer will be working with
the most
In general, your campaign brief should be crystal clear in outlining how the
partnership will work for both of you. This way, everyone’s on the same page, and
there are fewer opportunities for missed marks and misunderstandings.
▸ All righty then! Now that you have some influencer outreach best practices
and strategies, let’s look at some of the top influencer marketing platforms and
apps that can help you find influencers and manage different aspects of your
campaigns.
7. Top Influencer Marketing Platforms and Apps 114
An influencer marketing platform is an online tool that connects brands and

agencies with different types of influencers to promote specific products or
services.
Essentially, an influencer platform makes it really easy to do

influencer marketing.
However, for those who don’t use an influencer marketing platform, the process
can be quite tedious and lengthy.
In these cases, finding influencers might involve manually sifting through databases
and spreadsheets, Googling obscure things like ‘food bloggers in South America
with an MBA,’ and quite often, pulling your hair out in desperation as you aimlessly
scroll through Instagram.
(Well… hopefully not the last one.)
But really, it’s a lot of work. Which is why it makes a lot of sense to spring for an
influencer marketing platform if you have the ability to do so.
In this chapter, we’ll cover:
ǳǳ How an influencer marketing platform works
ǳǳ Some of the best influencer marketing platforms
ǳǳ How to tell if you need a platform-specific app
ǳǳ Some of the best apps for Instagram, Snapchat, and more
Shall we?
How Does an Influencer Marketing

Platform Work?
ǳǳ The brand signs up for an account on the platform.
ǳǳ The brand searches the platform’s database to find influencers with the
right audience to promote a specific product or service.
ǳǳ The brand picks a circle of influencers and submits a proposal.
ǳǳ The influencer sees the proposal and decides whether or not they want
to work with the brand.
ǳǳ The influencer who accepts the proposal creates promotional content

for the brand.
ǳǳ The platform supplies statistics to help the brand measure the impact of
content created by the influencer.
If you’re new in the influencer marketing space, an influencer

platform can help ease your entry, helping you set up solid
campaigns without getting in over your head.
If you’re already working with influencers, you’ll appreciate how easy your life has
become using a top influencer marketing platform.
NOTE
If you’re a small company and you want to get as many free mentions
as possible, using an influencer platform could backfire. Once you
create a campaign and place an offer on the platform, you reduce your
chances of getting free mentions.
This is because, if you reach out to an influencer who’s already signed

up for a platform where you posted, they may have seen your post
already. So you face the risk of that influencer knowing there’s money
on the table. For this reason, I recommend sticking with your direct
approach first (if you plan that route), then switching to a platform
once it slows down.
Best Influencer Marketing Platforms
ǳǳ Upfluence
ǳǳ Traackr
ǳǳ Buzzoole
ǳǳ NeoReach
Let’s take a closer look at what these top influencer marketing platforms offer.
Upfluence
Upfluence is one of the leading self-service influencer marketing platforms. It allows

you to search influencers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and
even blogs.
Once you sign up, Upfluence gives you complete access to

influencers’ personal contact details. Also, you get the ability to
manage your favorite influencers into lists.
Besides all that functionality, Upfluence’s content-rich database will not disappoint.
Its algorithm indexes 500 million+ content items, and analyzes each one for
engagement and reach. That means you can use any imaginable keyword to
search for influencers, and even drill down your search to long-tail terms.
In addition, you get access to helpful tools for computing an influencer’s followers
per platform, most recent social media posts, and their relevance and influence
scores.
Set up a free, no-risk demo and see if Upfluence works for you. If you decide to
sign up, you can chat with an account manager to start the purchase process.
Traackr
Traackr is a social media influencer platform that connects you with influencers of
all sizes around the world, helping you build lasting relationships and creating a
campaign strategy that works.
Its discovery function offers a variety of options to search and filter by: influencer
age, social channels, locations, keyword, and more. If there’s an influencer who isn’t
registered in Traackr’s database, you can manually add their username, and Traackr
goes out and finds all of their social profiles.
Another unique aspect of Traackr is that it allows you to organize

influencers based on how close you are with them. The feature is
dubbed the ‘relationship stage.’
If it’s someone who has posted about your brand and mentioned it positively, you
will put them under ‘Advocate.’ Once you’ve set up campaigns in Traackr, you can
segment influencers into these, too.
In general, Traackr is a good fit for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and large
organizations. Access to the influencer platform is granted through multiyear or
annual subscriptions.
To find out if Traackr is right for your business and get pricing for your needs,
schedule a call with their sales team.
Buzzoole
Buzzoole is a technology-powered influencer marketing platform that uses robust

data and artificial intelligence (called GAIIA) to manage, measure, and automate
investments with influencers.
It’s one of the few platforms that allow brands to source and analyze data
directly through an influencer’s social login. Besides that, you get an automated
planning tool that enables you to pick content creators and optimize budgets
against key performance indicators (KPIs).
Additionally, the platform lets you approve content, manage legal licensing
of visuals, decide payments, and more. Brands can then sit back and see the
influence happen; content is published and social sharing gets the word out.
You can see your branded updates, along with all the related
performance metrics. Real-time insights and measurements
ensure you get in-depth campaign reports with full transparency.
Buzzoole follows a cost-per-post (CPP) business model. Expect to pay on the basis
of content created by the influencers (of course, you get to determine the maximum
dollar amount you’d like to spend).
Plus, you can decide if you want to gain social traction, connect with popular
bloggers to increase your company’s exposure, or a balance of both.
NeoReach
DISCLAIMER
Jesse here. I’m the founder of NeoReach. It’s true… I’m a bit biased
that NeoReach is awesome. But I’ll give it as much of an accurate and
honest review as I give the others. In the end, this ebook is here to
help you find the best influencer marketing program for your unique
needs. I’ll survive (somehow) if NeoReach isn’t your choice.
NeoReach is another top influencer marketing platform with a database of more

than 3 million experts – and it offers a significant level of detail on each of them.
It allows you to effortlessly search its listings or upload and manage your own using
more than 40 unique filters.
You can narrow down your search based on profile performance, keywords, social
channels, and audience demographics like language, gender, location, and more.
NeoReach isn’t just limited to influencer discovery, though. It

also offers all the tools you need to manage your influencer
relationships, contracts, notes, and historical campaign data.
The NeoReach dashboard serves as a centralized hub for communications, with a

messaging function that makes it easy for everyone on your team to gain insight
into the entire influencer relationship.
Additionally, you receive communications from NeoReach itself, courtesy of the AI

that leverages your performance data along with brand affinity searches.
NeoReach costs $399 a month for growing teams. Large agencies and brands can
contact NeoReach directly for a quote. But before you sign up, you can test out
NeoReach for 14 days through its risk-free trial.
Verdict
Top influencer marketing platforms exist to help companies

efficiently manage influencer partnerships.
Criteria like audience size, social traction, industry, and content expertise can be
matched with the results presented through intuitive dashboards.
If you want someone else to perform the outreach, there are even talent agencies
like Shine Influencers and IZEA who can gather a relevant social squad for you.
Do I Need a Platform-Specific
Influencer Marketing App?
A platform-specific influencer app offers a direct way for

businesses to communicate and collaborate with influencers on
a certain platform, such as on Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, or
YouTube.
It makes sense for most brands to use a fully-featured influencer app that allows
them to look for influential people across several social media channels.
However, you may want to find experts on a specific platform.
Perhaps you just want to run promotions on Instagram.
Maybe you’re already doing well using Facebook and Twitter for business, but want
to partner with a Snapchat influencer to gain traction on the multimedia messaging
app.
That’s where a platform-specific influencer app comes in.

Best Influencer Marketing Apps for

Instagram, Snapchat & Other Platforms
ǳǳ iFluenz (Instagram)
ǳǳ Fanbytes (Snapchat)
ǳǳ Famebit (YouTube)
ǳǳ Klear (Twitter)
Let’s explore their features together.
iFluenz
iFluenz is one of the few micro-influencer platforms out there that connects brands
with Instagram influencers of all sizes.
With more than 20,000 registered influencers reaching an audience of more than
500 million followers on Instagram, you’re likely to find the right fit to promote your
brand’s product or service.
They do more than just spread the word though; they prompt
action among a wide range of demographics.
The platform allows you to build campaigns around your offerings and pre-select
influencers after it matches them to your campaign based on the industry, audience
demographics, engagement, and other factors.
You the receive proposals from influencers, which you can preview, negotiate,
accept, or deny. Additionally, iFluenz allows you to track the influencer’s
performance in real time, and you can also decide only to buy the influencer’s
content.
You can review the registered influencers free of charge and launch an influencer
marketing campaign on Instagram for as low as $1. There are no upfront or monthly
fees, so you only pay for what you need.
Fanbytes
Fanbytes is all about using Snapchat for business via influencer

marketing campaigns. It helps you partner with Snapchat
influencers who create ‘sandwich ads’ on your behalf.
No, I’m not talking about lunch (unfortunately).

A sandwich ad is a 4-panel story where the advertising is sandwiched between

a short series of videos featuring an introduction from an influencer, followed by
some comments. The last panel features a call-to-action (CTA) of some sort, with
snapcodes and/or swipes to encourage the viewer to explore additional offers or
content.
The ad displays for a maximum time of 40 seconds, with each of the 4 panels
getting a 10-second run time. The format – short videos that go back and forth
with an interactive element at the end – is ideal for brands that are marketing to
Generation Z.
Additionally, Fanbytes presents you with ‘Fanbytes scores’ of different influences –

the higher the score, the more quality engagement you’ll get from their followers.
Fanbytes stays away from a monthly subscription model. Instead, you work with
influencers on a campaign-by-campaign basis, doing whatever your budget allows
for each one.
What’s good about Fanbytes is that there’s no wasted campaign

spend: it charges you on a cost-per-completed-view model. If
users leave halfway through the advert, there’s no charge.
FameBit
FameBit is YouTube’s branded influencer app. It connects you

with the right YouTube creators to enable the production of
branded content that reaches the right viewers and inspires
action.
You can choose from a range of criteria to filter results, such as audience gender,
creator’s country, channel category, and more. Search results reveal quick stats for
each YouTuber, including their reach (which displays the overall user base across all
channels).
One of FameBit’s strongest areas is campaign management. It offers several tools

to facilitate communications between influencers and brands, which are neatly
organized based on what stage of dialogue you’re at: Pending Approval, Proposal,
Production, etc.
Perhaps the best part is that when you pick a YouTuber for a
specific campaign, FameBit creates a unique trackable link.
This link can be used alongside the content to direct people to a landing page, a
social page to follow, or any other goal you’ve set. It also makes it easy to track an
influencer’s performance and attribute direct ROI to their efforts.
It doesn’t cost anything to get started on FameBit.
The influencer marketing platform charges a 10% fee on top of what you pay to
YouTube influencers. So if you agree to pay $150 to a creator, you’d have to pay
$165 in total to launch the campaign.
Klear
Klear (formerly known as Twtrland) is an effective and efficient influencer marketing

tool for researching influencers on Twitter.
It lets you filter by audience size, location, influencer gender, skills (selected from
the 50,000+ categories the Klear AI has classified them into), and more. Once
you’ve finished your search, you can dive deeper into each influencer’s stats to
gain more insight into their social influence and reach.
Klear also displays an ‘engagement level’ for each influencer, which offers a plain
assessment (like Outstanding, Average, etc.) along with real numbers to show the
average for each engagement type.
You also get an overall influence score for Twitter and a few other channels.
Additionally, Klear lets you see the ‘True Reach’ of an influencer account. True
Reach is a number the Klear algorithm determines based on the historical data
associated with each profile on the platform.
Klear is ideal for brands and agencies that are looking for an
industry-leading Twitter influencer app to build, measure, and
scale their campaigns.
You can sign up for a free demo to see how it works. Once you do, a product
specialist will contact you to learn about your goals and share information on
Klear’s capabilities.
▸ Obviously, not every influencer marketing platform in this roundup is right for
every brand. But hopefully, this answers the question of how an influencer app
works – and shows you how many tools are available to help you identify and
work with influencers.
In the next chapters, we’ll take you through the mechanisms of working with
influencers on different platforms, mainly Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
8. Working with Instagram Influencers 133
When you’re just getting started in the influencer marketing game, it can be
challenging to figure out which social channel you should be focusing on.
With over 1 billion monthly active users, Instagram is one medium

you should definitely explore.
Instagram influencer marketing may just be the golden ticket that provides your
company with access to a huge pool of new prospects. And lots of brands are
learning how to make money on Instagram.
According to the influencer marketing agency Mediakix, over $1 billion was spent
on Instagram influencer marketing in 2017, and the figure is expected to cross the
$2 billion mark by 2019.
Source
This shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Instagram influencers are highly creative
individuals who infuse their work with a narrative and backstory, offering a perfect
balance between style and substance.
And as the Instagram algorithm continues to lower the organic

reach of some brands, we only expect the demand for Instagram
influencers to increase significantly.
ǳǳ Instagram’s secrets to success
ǳǳ The most popular types of Instagram influencer partnerships
ǳǳ How to find Instagram influencers
ǳǳ 3 successful Instagram influencer marketing examples

Instagram’s Secrets
to Influencer Success
So, what makes Instagram influencer marketing so effective?
Well, a lot of it has to do with authenticity.
Instagram influencers post not just about the positives… but about the negatives,
too. Influencers who are comfortable sharing their real opinions can gain people’s
trust. As humans, we naturally seek authenticity, and those who give it to us
enter our circle of trust.
Another big reason why companies partner with Instagram influencers is creativity.
Instagram influencers will not only create suitable posts for your
brand, but they can also offer fresh ideas for your campaign.
Let’s say you’re a travel agency, and you want to reach more people on Instagram.
In the past, if you were to sponsor a backpacker or travel enthusiast to document

their experiences in a certain location, you’d probably just receive a few generic
snaps to post later. At most, they’d make a slideshow if they really wanted to
impress.
But today, Instagram influencers will document every aspect of their journey, in real
time. They let their creative juices flow, and put together breathtaking visuals
that take us to new realities.
Needless to say, an Instagram influencer can be a powerful way to raise awareness

about your brand.
Pro-dropshipper James Holt also advocates for Instagram influencer marketing

when just starting out.
“My advice to everyone is to start with Instagram

influencers instead of Facebook ads.
Transitioning later is easy once you have the data

to create a lookalike audience in your Facebook ad
campaigns.
My first two Shopify stores never made a sale. Only

once I took the time to learn from real experts,
James Holt
invest in an existing store, and do Instagram
Dropshipping
shoutouts (instead of messing around with Facebook
entrepreneur
ads) did I make my first sale.
It took a little time, but once that first sale came, it

wasn’t just one sale – the sales notifications on my
phone started going off like crazy!”
Most Popular Instagram Partnerships

When you start looking into partnering with any influencer Instagram has to offer,
you’ll discover that there are multiple ways to work with them. Here are the most
popular types of Instagram partnerships.
Instagram Stories
Instagram Stories may be one of the

most valuable features available to
allow influencers as well as partnering
brands to get more personal with – and
organically increase – their audience.
A lot of what goes out on Stories seems

more believable. It’s not as fake or as
polished; it feels more genuine, and
that’s why Stories are great for real
life, ‘in-the-moment’ content.
Plus, Instagram influencers don’t need

to constrain Stories to the look and feel
of the feed.
Another unique aspect of Instagram

Stories is the ‘swipe up’ feature.
It provides influencers with an

opportunity to immediately link to a
company-specific landing page, rather
than inconveniently telling people to
follow the link in their bio when they’re
looking at standard in-feed posts.
This feature has been a real asset

for ecommerce brands that want to
implement Instagram shopping.
Though the feature was first introduced on Snapchat, top

influencers are now publishing twice as many Instagram Stories
as Snapchat Stories, making Instagram Stories one of the best
avenues for Instagram influencer partnerships.
Sponsored Posts
Paying influencers or giving them free samples in exchange for sponsored posts is
the most common type of Instagram influencer partnership.
From soft mentions to in-depth reviews and alternative uses, influencers are able
to shine a spotlight on companies, leveraging the trust they’ve already gained to
inspire their audience to try the company or its offering out for themselves.
Here is an example of this partnership between an Instagram influencer and an ice

cream brand.
Most brands using this influencer partnership model pay

influencers upfront for creating sponsored content.
However, if you’re simply gifting your items to influencers, they’re not legally
obligated to endorse you. Unless of course, there’s a legally binding contract in
place specifying that the compensation is limited to free products.
If you don’t have any such agreement and are only giving away
products with the hope that Instagram influencers would post
about them, it can go the other way as well.
NOTE ON SPONSORED POSTS
It’s crucial for both brands and influencers to disclose their partnership
according to the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines. This can be
done by using the hashtag #sponsored or #ad.
Instagram Live Takeovers
Brands can invite influencers to engage

with their existing audience in real
time using Instagram Live. Taking
over a brand’s account and doing a
live broadcast is perfect for creating
exclusivity and sharing personal
experiences with your audiences.
Additionally, Instagram Live takeovers

are an excellent strategy for businesses
looking to interact with their followers in
a fun and interesting way.
For example, it allows people to

interact or ask questions via comments.
Influencers can use filters and also
invite friends and viewers to join them
in the takeover.
Besides all that, you can download and save your Instagram Live
video to your camera roll once it ends.
You can then publish it on another social media channel or save it as an Instagram
Story to make the broadcast available for another 24 hours.
While many companies are using

Instagram Live as part of their influencer
marketing partnerships, it still offers
authenticity, helping keep sponsored
content from ‘coming off’ as sponsored.
When people see influencers talking

about a brand’s product live, it feels
less like sponsorship and more like
just another day in the life of the
influencer.
PRO TIP
To increase the number of viewers watching your Instagram Live takeover,

ask your influencer to promote your upcoming broadcast on their social
media pages and encourage their audience to watch and follow you.
Which type of Instagram influencer partnership is right for your business?
The good news is that you don’t have to pick one over the others. You can get
started with one to see if it works. Then, change course if you’re not satisfied with
the results. Brands can also try a mix of Instagram influencer partnerships all at once.
How to Find Instagram Influencers

Now comes the step of finding the right Instagram influencer.
This is easily one of the most difficult parts of influencer marketing, whether it’s for
Instagram or another social channel.
In fact, 67.6% of marketers acknowledge that finding the right influencers is their
biggest influencer marketing challenge.
Where do you begin? What should you be looking for in Instagram influencers?
What’s the most effective way to go about an Instagram search?
All that’s made easier by wide availability of influencer marketing

tools specifically created to connect you with the right Instagram
influencers. But let’s assume you’re working this without their
help.
Determine Ideal Types of Influencers
First of all, you need to determine what type of influencer will be ideal for your
campaign.
The vast majority of smaller brands should look at micro-influencers and perhaps
a couple of macro-influencers.
If you’re a cosmetic brand, you might think Kendall Jenner at first, but trust me –
there are way better options if you know how to find them. And often, the opinions
of those a little closer to home are more believable and transparent.
The best micro-influencers on Instagram may be masters of their craft. They are
trusted because they’ve demonstrated immense knowledge of their industry,
but they’re mainly individuals like you and me rather than high-profile singers,
actresses, or runway models.
By identifying your ideal influencer, you’ll find it easier to narrow

down the best Instagrammers for your brand from an Instagram
influencers list.
If you don’t have an Instagram influencers list, don’t worry. There are several ways
to find these potential influencers.
Use Relevant Hashtags
One of the best ways to find relevant influencers is to conduct an

Instagram hashtag search.
For example, searching for the hashtag #foodblogger will lead you to the many
influencers associated with that hashtag.
One of the search results is an image of Victoria Da Corte, a lifestyle and food
blogger with more than 10,000 followers. She could be an ideal influencer
for a trendy local bistro that focuses on fresh, colorful meals with a beautiful
presentation.
Victoria also has a website, and a quick look at her Instagram feed reveals she has
collaborated with a variety of food brands and eateries.
All of these details show that she can be an excellent choice for an influencer
marketing campaign if her values and Instagram presence align with your brand.
If you want some hashtag inspiration, head over to Chapter 4 where

there are some nice, big hashtag lists to help you learn how to find
influencers in your industry, including influencers in the key industries
of beauty, fitness, fashion, food, and travel.
Use Google
You can also use Google to find relevant influencers.
To give an example, if you’re in the business of men’s clothing, you can search for
‘men’s Instagram fashion micro-influencers.’
Here’s what Google displays for this search:
Many websites have curated lists of influencers in this category who are present
on Instagram. It’s in these lists that you can find the right influencer to partner with.
For instance, if you click on the third result in the list – Top 20 Menswear Micro-
Influencers Every Dapper Guy Should Know – you go to Dealspotr. The site
presents you with a list of Instagram influencers for this niche.
3 Successful Instagram Influencer

Marketing Examples
If you’re interested in running an Instagram influencer campaign for yourself, take
inspiration from these three real-world examples.
1. Gillette’s Gillette Venus Campaign
Safety razor and personal care brand Gillette partnered with several beauty
influencers to promote its new shaving line ‘Gillette Venus.’
The campaign had a unique twist – the Instagram influencers used their feeds to
drive traffic to a longer video of the product. Their content featured the new line
being used in a variety of settings, with close-ups.
Also, Gillette associated the campaign with a catchy hashtag #ChooseToSmooth.

The influencers used in this campaign achieved an engagement

rate of 2.2% on average and reached over 476,000 people.
If you search for the hashtag #ChooseToSmooth on Instagram, you’ll notice that
most of the influencers who took part in Gillette’s initiative are micro-influencers.
Their authenticity and creativity were the keys behind the success of the Gillette
Venus campaign.
2. Glossier
Beauty and makeup brand Glossier has been collaborating with Instagram
influencers since its inception.
Born out of the heavily-trafficked IntoTheGloss blog that Emily Weiss (the founder)
opened in 2010, Glossier has managed to create an engaged community of micro-
influencers who’re busy endorsing the brand’s products on Instagram – and in real
life – in exchange for a combination of product credits and a monetary commission.
80% of Glossier sales and growth comes from peer-to-peer

recommendations, which goes to show that women on Instagram
are not necessarily relying on celebs or high-profile influencers
for recommendations.
Speaking to Fast Company, Emily revealed that Glossier believes in the power of
individuals. And if many individuals are rooting for your brand, then their impact is
equivalent to 10 Kardashians.
So while it gave Glossier a great joy seeing Kim Instagramming their body wash,
the company gets much more excited about seeing the power of the people
magnify and multiply.
Glossier also runs an ambassador program that has skyrocketed in recent years. It
began with 11 women (serving as micro-influencers for the brand) and has grown to
more than 500.
Micro-influencers have been extremely effective for Glossier, offering honest

reviews and insights that people need before they commit to buying from a brand.
3. American Rag
Holidays are a prime opportunity for clothing retailers to capture massive dollars as
consumers look to layer up for the colder weather and buy gifts for their loved ones.
During the fall season in 2016, American Rag (a Macy’s brand) used micro-
influencers to let consumers know how to stay warm and comfy.
Instagram influencers for American Rag used captions that talked about the new
line being exclusively available at Macy’s, along with sharing images of their
flannels, jackets, and other layers to demonstrate a seasonal vibe.
The campaign enjoyed an engagement rate of 5.7% and

generated over 30,000 likes.
By teaming up with relevant influencers in the fall season, the brand was able to
reach its target audience in time for seasonable shopping.
Bonus: Instagram Influencer Pro Tips with Karolis Rimkus
Here’s a masterclass video featuring Karolis Rimkus, a dropshipper who leveraged

the power of Instagram influencers to build and grow his brand.
Karolis talks about the dos and don’ts of approaching micro-influencers on

Instagram, whether shout-outs or free products work better for influencer
partnerships, and more.
▸ Instagram offers incredible opportunities for brands of any shape, size, and
industry, but it isn’t the only channel that’s capable of maximizing your outreach.
In the next two chapters, we’ll tell you how to achieve the same effect with
YouTube and Facebook influencers.
9. Working with YouTube Influencers 153
Social media isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? Social media influence!
When I wrote that line, I took some liberties from a scene in The Social Network
(you know, that movie about Facebook). It’s the scene where Sean Parker tries to
convince Mark Zuckerberg about the potential of his then-small platform.
“A million dollars isn’t cool. You know what’s cool? A billion dollars!”
You can see Sean’s eyes gleaming with excitement at the future that Facebook had
in the world of social networking.
When it comes to influencer marketing, I think marketers and brands should gleam
with similar excitement: excitement at the opportunity a YouTube influencer has,
especially when appealing to millennials and niche audiences.
But these aren’t the only audiences YouTube is successful in

reaching. Brands across all industries and niches are quickly
discovering how to make money on YouTube with influencer
marketing.
ǳǳ The rise of YouTube
ǳǳ Some of the most popular types of YouTube influencer partnerships
ǳǳ How to find the right YouTube influencers
ǳǳ 3 successful YouTube influencer marketing examples

The Rise of YouTube

There are plenty of benefits to working directly with a YouTube influencer:
ǳǳ When it comes to video content, a YouTube influencer is a trendsetter

that social media users trust to identify the hottest products and trends.
ǳǳ Most YouTube creators are highly selective when choosing brands to

partner with, adding a level of authenticity to sponsored content.
ǳǳ YouTube influencers listen to and interact with their audiences,

cultivating communities that are more like friendships than fanships.
Source
Also, YouTube influencers are changing perspectives across more industries than
you’d think.
A study conducted by Carat, Nielsen, and YouTube found that beauty brands were
the first to partner with YouTube influencers, with 86% of the top 200 videos in the
beauty category coming from influencers (not brands).
But what’s intriguing about Carat’s finding is just how far YouTube influencers
stretch beyond this particular niche.
Carat tested nine more categories including snacks, auto, and toys. Across all nine
of them, working with a YouTube influencer caused an uplift in brand affinity as
well as consumers’ purchase intent.
So the idea that YouTube influencer marketing is purely for the female audience
who are looking at beauty and cosmetic brands simply isn’t true.
Ultimately, a YouTube influencer’s impact on marketing is worth

paying attention to, because the next generation of audiences is
picking up on their branded content across multiple industries.
And YouTube is making its own contributions, continuously working on nurturing

influencers of all sizes. For instance, it launched a ‘Merchandise’ feature that allows
influencers to sell to audiences directly.
Creators with more than 10k subscribers can offer merchandise like phone cases,
T-shirts, hats, or any of over 20 different items that make sense for their channel.
Additionally, it has a dedicated creators program in place that allows influencers to

make great videos, find their audience, and grow their channel on YouTube.
Most Popular YouTube Partnerships
Partnering with YouTube influencers offers several advantages.

But to carry out a YouTube influencer marketing campaign, it’s
crucial to think about the different kinds of collaboration possible.
Let’s dive into the most popular YouTube partnerships that you can consider to
promote your products, initiatives, and brand.
Unboxing Videos
Unboxing videos – that show YouTubers unwrapping products for the first time as
they analyze the features – are a hit on YouTube.
Google’s research found that one-fifth of consumers has watched unboxing

videos on the platform.
Because they portray the product experience without using

marketing lingo and buzzwords, they are generally regarded as
objective, unvarnished, and honest.
Here’s an example:
This unboxing video features a micro-influencer on YouTube unboxing a GoPro

Hero7. It’s close to 25k pageviews and has received over 130 comments, many of
which are from people who are planning to buy the product.
For all kinds of businesses, working with top YouTube influencers

on unboxing videos can ultimately drive up brand engagement
and result in people taking profitable actions like shares, sign-
ups, and sales.
How-to Guides and Tutorials

Where would YouTube be without the power of the ‘how-to’?
These videos have an advantage in the sense that they’re almost timeless –
they only become outdated if the activity explained in the video changes or its
‘educational value’ goes out-of-date.
Some of the most popular educational videos, tutorials, and how-

tos include software upgrades, mobile troubleshooting, makeup,
and fitness.
Here’s an example of a how-to:
On YouTube, you’d notice that you’d notice that micro-influencers like Louie post
many of the how-tos. Louie has just 17k subscribers, but his video has raked in
over 3.5 million views. That’s the power of the how-to tutorial.
Brands can partner with YouTube influencers like Louie to provide educational and
thought-provoking content to their target audiences.
Comedy and Sketches

Many YouTube influencers create comedy and sketch content to keep their viewers
amused. Of course, everyone’s sense of humor is unique, but there are so many
content creators in this video genre that you’re sure to find someone who matches
your branding.
These can go from full-on productions with a proper setup to impromptu skits in
someone’s living room.
Comedy and sketch videos are among some of the most talked-about, often
making their way onto Twitter, Facebook, and even mobile-based channels like
WhatsApp. Which means they’re usually a go-to method for brands and people
who are trying to master viral marketing.
Here’s one by Lauris Beinerts:
Lauris is a micro-influencer with less than 100k subscribers, but due to the viral
nature of this videos, he gets a significant amount of views and engagement.
That said, it’s important to set realistic expectations, as not every sketch put on
YouTube goes viral. Unfortunately.
Product Reviews
Nowadays, it’s ideal for people to turn to YouTube when they’re considering buying
a product. They want to know what others think about the item that interests them.
Research has frequently shown that people are more likely to buy
a product if they see positive reviews online.
It clearly depends on the product, but YouTube videos are the perfect medium for
many different items. Audiences find it so much easier to make a purchase decision
if they can see how a product works and if it has any shortcomings.
Straightforward and transparent: product reviews are just that. A YouTube influencer
talks about products from brands and what they think of them.
Some of the most popular product review videos are about technology, but reviews
can be about anything, really… from hotels to the latest model of Mercedes Benz.
Most of these partnerships involve brands sponsoring the YouTube

creator. Sponsored YouTube content looks a bit more in-depth
than other channels, giving audiences an opportunity for longer
engagement with a piece of content.
Ultimately, the perfect partnership will be the one where you pay or give free
products to a YouTuber who then creates (or co-creates) valuable content that
aligns with your goals.
How to Find YouTube Influencers

We all know the popular YouTubers who started early and have now gained a pop-
culture icon status with younger audiences. Everything they upload gets tons of
engagement, and their influence extends far beyond the platform, to conferences
and even Hollywood flicks.
Talent agencies manage many of these mega-stars, but for

brands, finding micro-influencers (YouTubers with smaller
audiences) is now more achievable than ever.
Use the following tips to ensure that you connect with a YouTube influencer who’s
the right fit for your brand.
Use Google
Start with Google to find a targeted YouTube influencers list that can steer you
onto the right path. If you’re unsure of who exactly you should be contacting, this
process will be useful.
As you go through the YouTube influencers list, you’ll be able to better visualize
how partnering with certain YouTubers may or may not be beneficial.
Here are some search strings to help you get started:
ǳǳ List of [your industry name] influencers on YouTube
ǳǳ YouTube [your industry name]
ǳǳ [your industry name] influencers to follow on YouTube
ǳǳ best [industry name] YouTubers to follow

To explain through an example, if you sell wearables and other similar gadgets, you
can search for ‘tech influencers on YouTube’ to find potential partners for unboxing,
product review, and other types of videos.
Here’s what Google returns for this search:
Most of these sites will present you with a relevant list of tech
influencers who you can narrow down based on how closely
they align with your goals.
Don’t just stop at the first page! Explore 4-6 pages for each search you conduct to
ensure you’re not missing out on any good results.
Just because some YouTubers haven’t made it to the lists on the front page doesn’t
mean you shouldn’t consider them for influencer marketing. In fact, they might
be in the early phase of their career, which makes them an ideal fit for a lucrative
YouTube influencer marketing partnership.
Search YouTube
A YouTube search is different from a Google search in that it doesn’t present you
with the same helpful curated articles and lists as Google does. With YouTube,
you’re better off conducting individual searches for videos and channels.
As in the case of Google, you can narrow down your search. Click the ‘Filter’ option
in the top right corner to do so. Try filters like:
ǳǳ ‘Type: Video’ to browse videos that have crossed a certain threshold

for the creator or have gone viral.
ǳǳ ‘Type: Channel’ to search by creator.
ǳǳ ‘Sort by: View count’ – go past the popular videos and channels, as
high-profile influencers most likely own these. Look for videos and
channels with views between thousands and tens of thousands.
What Else?
Apart from using YouTube and Google to find YouTube influencers, you can get in
touch with a talent management agency that manages micro-influencers, such as
Socially Powerful.
These agencies reach out to their network of YouTubers, find

relevant talent, finalize deals on your behalf, and help to line up
the best YouTube influencers for your brand.
Finally, you can use a self-service influencer platform like FameBit to receive
proposals directly from YouTube influencers. Go to Chapter 7 for more insight on
how influencer marketing platforms work.
3 Successful YouTube
Influencer Marketing Examples
Thinking about trying your hand at YouTube influencer marketing? Now is the
perfect time to leap. Here are three real-world examples to inspire you.
1. Try The World’s Brand Awareness Campaign
Food box brand Try The World wanted to drive brand awareness for its range of
subscription boxes. Instead of working with a high-profile influencer, the brand
decided to collaborate with several micro-influencers.
One of them was Tyler, who runs a travel agency.

Tyler, who has more than 50,000 subscribers, posted an unboxing video featuring
two subscription boxes from Try The World.
The video managed to get more than 20,000 views and resulted
in a high level of engagement – more than 200 people left
comments.
What’s more: many of those who saw the video noted that they intend to buy Try
The World’s subscription boxes.
2. Society6’s Female Millennial Market Drive
Society6, an online store and community that lets artists sell their artwork through
various products, wanted to tap into the millennial women demographic who are in
college and conscious about fashion.
For the purpose, Society6 partnered with both renowned

lifestyle influencers and smaller YouTubers on this campaign.
These influencers published videos that showcased the many products available at
Society6’s online store, which millennial women can use to spruce up their dorms.
They wanted to portray the idea that these offerings are perfect for personalizing a
small living space.
Here’s one from Katherout, a micro-influencer with around 100,000 subscribers.
The majority of the videos posted by micro-influencers like

Katherout for Society6’s YouTube campaign got less than 50,000
video views. However, these videos accounted for 31% of the
total campaign reach collectively.
Not bad, if you consider that these brands could recruit these smaller YouTubers at
a much lower rate than high-profile influencers in the same industry.
3. Aunt Jackie’s Black History Month Campaign

Every year, as Black History Month is celebrated across the US, companies like
Aunt Jackie use the power of storytelling to cultivate people’s deeper interest in
black history.
This year, the haircare brand partnered with NaturallyCurly, a YouTube channel run
by natural-haired micro-influencers. NaturallyCurly’s Alex and Gerilyn made a video
in which they style their hair with Aunt Jackie’s products while taking a quiz on
Black History Month.
The video generated over 20,000 views. More than 80 people left comments.
I’d say that was a success.
▸ A YouTube influencer can be an ideal partner for any brand aiming to promote
its product or service via video, and there are so many opportunities to leverage
creativity, authenticity, and organic relationships.
Now that you’ve got an idea of how to make YouTube work for your brand, we’ll
take a look at how Facebook influencers can help brands achieve similar goals.
10. Working with Facebook Influencers 171
Ah, Facebook. Some might argue that it’s the patron saint of social media as we
know it today, giving birth to social media’s massive explosion of popularity. (Sure,
there was MySpace… but that was just a primer.)
Some might also argue that Facebook is slowly dying as more popular platforms
catch up and close the gaps that the new, ‘digital native’ generation prefers in its
online experiences.
While Instagram is the undisputed influencer marketing king, it

would be foolish to write Facebook off as a platform that’s not
worth examining.
Especially after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it could seem like Facebook’s
tarnished reputation is hurting its performance. But if you look at the numbers from
Statista, its user base continues to steadily grow with around 30 to 50 million new
users per quarter.
Source
Influencer marketing studies are also showing that Facebook’s doing just fine.
A 2018 survey by influencer marketing company IZEA showed that for 48% of
participants, Facebook impacted their decisions to buy a product or service.
Facebook was also one of the most popular social media platforms for researching
their purchase decisions.
The bottom line is that plenty of companies still use influencer

marketing to make money on Facebook.
So I say: march forward with your Facebook influencer marketing campaigns! If it’s
a good fit for your brand, of course.
ǳǳ Facebook’s new Brand Collabs Manager tool for influencer marketing
ǳǳ Some of the most popular types of Facebook influencer partnerships
ǳǳ How to find the right Facebook social influencers
ǳǳ 3 successful Facebook influencer marketing examples

Facebook’s New Influencer Tool:

Brand Collabs Manager
In summer of 2018, Facebook made a splash on the influencer marketing scene
when it announced its new Brand Collabs Manager.
Essentially, it’s an influencer search engine that was created to

compete with the other major influencer marketing platforms in
the game.
The fact that the biggest social media platform in the world is creating a special
influencer marketing tool makes a very clear statement: influencer marketing is
huge, and it’s here to stay.
Facebook recognizes the multi-billion-dollar opportunity, and has started competing

for its slice of the influencer marketing pie.
As of October 2018, Brand Collabs Manager is only operating on a limited scope in

the US, with new brands and creators added to a waitlist when they sign up.
Travel and photography influencer Laurence Norah agrees that Facebook has
some slack to pick up in the influencer marketing game, and it’s working hard to try
and do so. This is especially true with the platform’s continuous algorithm changes
that have impacted the organic reach that influencers can get on their pages, giving
some influencers a tough time in seeing results.
“Facebook has started to more fully embrace

content creators, after largely ignoring them for
nearly the full lifetime of the platform.
New tools are in place for content creators to use,

and also to help them monetize their content –
something Facebook has long shied away from,
despite competition from platforms such as Youtube
which have native monetization options.
Laurence Norah
So I think more content creators will start to use
Finding the Universe
Facebook as a primary platform.
Facebook Groups are looking to be a big change that has started to be felt in 2018
– the lack of organic reach on pages has left influencers searching for a new way
to reach audiences, and Groups seems to be the way to do that – with a focus on
community rather than the individual.”
Looking back to November 2017, Facebook launched Facebook for Creators (yep,
basically the same as YouTube for Creators). This move made it apparent that
Facebook was already working on nurturing the influencer space.
Facebook says the tool is for passionate and talented video-

makers who wish to ‘level up.’ If that doesn’t say, ‘Influencers, use
this to make more money!’ – I don’t know what does.
Most Popular Facebook Partnerships

One notably successful influencer marketing tactic is Facebook Live, where users
can stream live video broadcasts from wherever they are.
In comparison to other social channels, Facebook offers more

content diversity because a post doesn’t require any visuals.
Whereas Instagram posts need a photo or video and YouTube is
inherently videos, users can post all kinds of pre-existing content
on Facebook.
This can manifest as sharing and reposting a brand’s web page, blog post, branded
video, or some other type of content they didn’t create.
But generally, the whole point of using an influencer is letting them put their unique
spin on it, so a simple reshare usually isn’t the case.
Apart from these details, Facebook influencer options are generally the same as
Instagram: influencers can post regular photos and videos they’ve created, along
with temporary Facebook Stories that can also contain photos and videos.
Let’s look at these a bit closer.

Facebook Live
You can have an influencer promote your product or service inside one of their
Facebook Live broadcasts, whether they give it a brief name-drop or show
themselves using it in action.
Viral comedian Laura Clery promoted the game app Best Fiends by playing it
during a live broadcast, including a link for users to download the app straight from
her post.
By the way, this is another testament to how important it is to let influencers have
creative freedom. In the video, Laura played one of her eccentric characters Pamela
Pupkin, who got into a rather entertaining and chaotic feud with her husband Roger
(played by Laura’s real-life husband Stephen) over the game.
This shtick allowed Laura to promote the game while still giving
her fans what they know and love.
Standard Photo or Video Posts
On Facebook, you’ll find all kinds of influencer marketing

examples like the ones we talked about in Chapter 2. Tactics
like reviews, mentions, competitions, and giveaways can all be
executed with standard Facebook posts.
In this example, Vital Proteins had fitness influencer Jordan Morello host a
giveaway on his Facebook page. He gave three steps for users to enter: follow
the company’s Facebook page, like the post, and tag two friends in the post’s
comments.
He included a fun, simple,

eye-catching GIF of himself
with the products to gain his
followers’ attention.
How to Find Facebook Influencers
Just like your other searches, your quest for Facebook

influencers should start with the good ol’ search bar. Type in
keywords for the types of products or services you’re offering, or
words that describe your brand and goals.
Say you have a travel gear ecommerce brand that’s releasing a new line of
mountain climbing accessories. Start with typing ‘mountain climbing’ into the search
bar.
Use Facebook’s filter options to view the results by ten categories:
ǳǳ All ǳǳ Pages
ǳǳ Posts ǳǳ Places
ǳǳ People ǳǳ Groups
ǳǳ Photos ǳǳ Apps
ǳǳ Videos ǳǳ Events
To see results from influencers with their own established brands, go to the ‘Pages’
tab, then go to the ‘Categories’ filter section on the left sidebar.
Select ‘Artist, Band, or Public Figure.’ You can also check out the ‘Local Business or
Place’ and ‘Entertainment’ categories.
And as we mentioned earlier, check out the ‘Groups’ tab as well, since Groups may
not have the same organic reach issues that pages and profiles do.
Try all this with hashtags too. Start with the more obvious ones, like
#mountainclimbing. Go to the ‘Posts’ filter tab to see posts that contain the
keyword, then start browsing through the profiles and pages the posts came from.
Use Google
Never forget that Google is your friend.
Sticking with the mountain climbing example, you could type in searches like:
ǳǳ Mountain climbing Facebook influencers
ǳǳ Top mountaineers Facebook
ǳǳ Facebook mountaineering influencers
ǳǳ Climbers on Facebook
ǳǳ Action sports influencers Facebook
ǳǳ Facebook extreme sports influencers

Your post will likely lead you to media outside of Facebook, like
blogs and Instagram. Check those out too!
These links might lead you to an influencer who’s also active on Facebook. Or
you might fall so in love that you decide to work with them based on their other
platforms.
3 Successful Facebook
Influencer Marketing Examples
The overall success of your Facebook influencer marketing campaign will come
down to strategy and execution.
If you’re short on ideas, take inspiration from the following campaigns that didn’t
feature top-tier influencers but still managed to make noise.
1. HelloFresh’s Facebook Live Cooking Party
Meal-kit delivery service leader HelloFresh understands that people want to have
fun while preparing their food. And, they want to cook that food well, so that the
homemade meal matches up with the delicious-looking mockups online.
With that in mind, the brand started hosting a live cooking show
series where audiences prepare food at the same time as the
hosts.
The show regularly features HelloFresh’s head chef and occasional appearances
from micro-influencers.
Here’s a video featuring a special guest mom and her 4-year-old son.
This particular video got over 50 comments and 17,000 views.

Audiences were also able to ask questions on the fly, and get pro
tips from the chef and the host in real-time.
While live-streamed interviews and newscasts are fun because of the interaction,
the appearance of smaller, friendly, and relatable personalities offers the legitimacy
that viewers love and crave.
2. SoFabFood’s Creative Recipes Drive
SoFabFood, a group of diverse, self-taught home chefs who share family-friendly

recipes, approached micro-influencers on Facebook to promote healthy cooking.
The brand wanted to mix

influencers’ creativity with the
different food items it regularly
featured in its recipes. So
influencers were required to make
something unique out of the food
staples in addition to showing
their healthy sides.
Blogger Sara of Tastefulventure,

for example, posted a back-to-
school morning recipe featuring a
cinnamon turmeric smoothie.
When organizing campaigns like these, avoid constraining

influencers to the brand’s vision alone. Give them the liberty to
explore and enjoy your products thoroughly.
3. Loeffler Randall’s ‘Cool Girls Doing Cool Things’

Campaign
High-end footwear and accessory brand Loeffler Randall is a favorite amongst

fashion insiders, bloggers, and artists, courtesy of the company’s vow to involving
social media influencers in its campaigns.
The brand’s program ‘LR Ambassadors’ includes a diverse group

of painters, writers, and fashionistas living dynamic lives. In
addition to profiling the ambassadors on the official blog, Loeffler
Randall has them post content on Facebook and other social
media channels.
Influencers, in turn, post the hashtag #LRambassador to let people know that
they’re associated with the brand.
Here’s an example of one such influencer:

Could I Have That is a lifestyle blog run by Samantha Wennerstrom. She’s an LR

Ambassador who posts about Loeffler Randall’s new and upcoming line of products
across different social media channels, piquing users’ interest in the brand’s
offerings.
Overall, there are pages and pages of successful Facebook

influencer marketing campaigns. They’re a testament to the
possibilities the platform provides.
Go Forth and Influence!

Alas, our time together has come to a close.
In this ebook, we’ve hit all the ins and outs of influencer marketing, including:
ǳǳ A definition of influencer marketing and why it’s so successful
ǳǳ Current trends and considerations, as well as the legal and ethical

issues you’ll encounter
ǳǳ Top types of influencer marketing campaigns and examples of what

they look like in real life
ǳǳ What a micro-influencer is, and why you should work with them over
mega-influencers and high-profile celebs
ǳǳ How to find influencers in your industry, from Google searches to

hashtags to industry-specific niches
ǳǳ Tips for building, managing, and tracking a solid influencer marketing

strategy to identify your ROI
ǳǳ Tips and templates for reaching out to promising influencers, as well as

building lasting relationships
ǳǳ Some of the most popular and effective platforms and apps to help you
along the way
ǳǳ Channel-specific tips for influencer marketing on Instagram, YouTube,

and Facebook
As you start gearing up your influencer marketing efforts, remember to focus on

finding authentic and engaging partners that really complement what you stand
for as a brand.
Be as specific as possible with setting goals and setting up ways to track them, so
you can be on top of your results and know when you’re winning or you need to
readjust.
Above all, have some fun! Make new friends and let your brand’s personality shine.
The world of influencer marketing is growing and evolving really

quickly as brands across the globe realize the incredible power
that these influencers hold in their fingertips – literally.
At first glance, it might seem like a ‘pay to play’ game where only the big spenders
are succeeding.
But no matter how big or famous your brand is – and no matter how big your
budget is – there will always be an opportunity waiting for brands with the
persistence, savvy, and creativity to make it work.
Is your brand one of them?

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Table of Contents

1. What Is Influencer Marketing?

2. 6 Top Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns

3. Why You Should Choose Micro-Influencers

5. How to Build a Winning Influencer Strategy

6. Tips for Influencer Outreach

7. Top Influencer Marketing Platforms and Apps

9. Working with YouTube Influencers

10. Working with Facebook Influencers

Research compiled by HubSpot showed that 90% of people surveyed believe

That’s because social influence is one of the most powerful

As society-based, communal creatures, it speaks to the heart of who we are, and

A 2018 survey by the Association of National Advertisers shows

At the core of the phenomenon is the power of relationships: how effectively an

“Influencer marketing, when used to its best

This is a radical departure from the current media

Welcome to the age of influence, where anyone

In this chapter, we’ll discuss:

ǳǳ A brief influencer marketing definition

ǳǳ Why it’s so effective in today’s consumer landscape

ǳǳ Influencer marketing trends and considerations to keep in mind

ǳǳ How to make sure you’re following laws and regulations

Influencer Marketing: A Definition

Simply put, a social media influencer is an individual with an online presence on

In influencer marketing, brands hire – or otherwise partner with – these digital

But in the end, you can think of it as using influential people

We’ll discuss the concept of smaller, more relevant audiences in

Why Influencer Marketing Is Effective

That’s around double the engagement.

So why is influencer marketing effective?

ǳǳ Brands can reach more relevant audiences

ǳǳ Consumers willingly follow influencers, as opposed to ‘unwelcome’ ads’

“Many of Oberlo’s most successful merchants turn to

It’s generally cheaper than advertising, and helps

An added benefit of using influencer marketing is that

Influencer Marketing Trends

And if you’ve ever tracked business performance using a chart,

▸ Because it will be so common, so too will influencer marketing platforms and

▸ Brands will place a bigger priority on securing long-term social media

▸ Fortune 500 companies will give influencer marketing opportunities a much

A Closer Look at Emma Chamberlain’s Influence

This might not seem important to anyone whose main business

Some food for thought.

Legal and Ethical Issues

In these letters, the FTC wrote:

“The FTC’s Endorsement Guides state that if there is a ‘material

More simply, you must clearly and openly disclaim when

The tricky thing is: there are currently no hard-and-fast rules

As you’re starting out, here are some general rules to follow:

1. Ultimately, each brand is responsible for what its influencers say. So

5. On image-only platforms like Snapchat, superimpose your disclosures

To learn more about the FTC’s ‘truth-in-advertisements’ guidelines,

Which is part of what makes influencer marketing campaigns so fun. Brands

Stay tuned for Chapter 5, where we’ll outline compensation models as

In this chapter, we’ll cover six types of influencer marketing campaigns:

3. Competitions and giveaways

4. Product and content collaborations

6. ‘Takeovers’ on your platforms

Depending on the influencer’s channel(s) you’ve agreed on, the

Here’s a classy Instagram influencer marketing example from Carl Thompson,

One of the most common influencer marketing examples of

3. Competitions and Giveaways

Typically, brands offer a free product or service for the influencer

Benefits of Working with