What's in store for this edition:
How to take advantage of influencer marketing in PR
Influencer PR
Public relations is all about communication with your community and building credibility.
Did you know that…
🕺 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations.
💃 69% of consumers trust what influencers say and recommend.
With stats like these, it’s no wonder many professionals are now looking for the best way to find influencers and learn how to begin working with them.
Influencer (marketing) PR has grown significantly in recent years. However, it is a unique category of PR somewhere between earned media and owned media.
How do I get started with influencers?
Think about your goals.
What’s the purpose? What do you want an influencer to achieve? Knowing this will help you align your influencers with the right activities.Define who you want to reach.
When you know your target audience, you’ll be able to identify which influencers might be compatible.
Ask yourself why you want to build relationships with them.
What exactly do you want them to do for you?Now it’s research time.
The hard part is finding the right influencers, the ones who attract the attention of the customers you want to reach.
If you have trouble finding the right fit, there are various technology tools you can use to evaluate if influencers are a match for your message, but none are a perfect. Traackr, BuzzSumo, and Upfluence are just some of the many, many tools that show who drives specific conversations.Start building a relationship with them.
Have clear, respectful communication.
Remember, they are busy. Make sure your participation request is something that could excite them and is easy to do.
Can you learn what they like to do?
What are their areas of expertise?
Do they prefer promotions or contests?
Are they more likely to write product reviews?
Or maybe, would they like to guest blog on specific topics or participate in your events?Create a campaign.
Keep in mind your goals, your messaging, and the influencer’s style.
They should always be allowed to speak in their own voice. It’s the best way for the message to resonate with their audience.Monitor performance.
Track how content is shared with your audience, from clicks to conversions, and measure sharing and engagement. Use various tools as needed.
If you find an influencer that works well for you, keep them!
Nano-influencers: 500–10k followers
Micro-influencers: 10k–100k followers
Influencers: 100k–500k followers
Mega-influencers: 500k+
Seriously consider working with micro-influencers.
They genuinely connect with their followers, often have higher engagement, and thus can reach their audience more effectively.
Note on industry guidelines: Disclose sponsored content appropriately.
“Word of mouth can be as important, if not more important, for neighbourhood businesses as traditional advertising.”
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Authenticity is key. People crave genuine and authentic connections. Simple video productions tend to get the most response.
Next Episode: What to do when your company has a PR crisis?
Term to Learn
Influencer marketing is a tactic that uses endorsements and product mentions from influencers, or Internet celebrities. This tactic is based on the idea that influencers have built up trust in their communities, so that any recommendation from them can be social proof to potential customers.
FAQ
Q: Are there fake influencers?
A: Unfortunately yes there are. Look for signs of inauthenticity in their presence and interactions. Unusual follower growth, low engagement rate, followers accounts have no profile pictures or inactive accounts, inconsistency in posting, and lack of transparency.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
Hurricane Helene 🌀
Wildly destructive Hurricane Helene has devastated large portions of the southeast, including the mountains of North Carolina. Asheville is facing major communications challenges… in that they cannot communicate. Power line and cell towers are downed. Many are isolated and families unable to learn the fate of loved ones.
💫 Pro Tip: Perhaps you are a company with a product that can be used by the victims of this tragedy. Can you donate a sizable quantity to make a difference?
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Actions and words that you do (or don’t do) now, will be seen in the future.
What can you do?
Perhaps there are charities that you can donate to help in recovery efforts.
Learn from others.
0% Cool : 100% Cringe
🥓 Deadly listeria outbreak linked to Boar’s Head
7 million pounds of meat product recalled and not even a statement from CEO or owners… oh my.
“This is a dark moment in our company’s history but we intend to use this as an opportunity to enhance food safety programs not just for our company, but for the entire industry.”—is signed simply from “Boar’s Head.” A lone company spokesperson has been cited in media reports, and the company refuses to even confirm who the current CEO or chairman is.
PR Week says, “Take ownership of a crisis. If a brand isn’t leading the conversation around their own product recall, they’ve already lost their customer base. Boar’s Head’s only formal statements lacked empathy and updated clarification. And the brand’s leadership’s silence around the outbreak was heard — loud and clear.”
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Use all communication channels you can. Consumers will look to the source for the most up to date information, so you need to provide it.
Attention Seeker of the Week
Snowy
Snowy, a 6 year old Swiss Shepherd, is more than happy to sit in front of you, paw on your lap, staring you down, until she gets the attention that she wants. We see you and all your shiny, white fluffiness, Snowy.
My heart aches💔 for all the beautiful people in Asheville and other areas that Hurricane Helene has affected. Thankfully, all of our friends in the path are all present and accounted for. 🙏
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
