Influencer marketing is one of the most popular advertising strategies today. It takes a real-life approach, enabling people to connect more intimately with brands.Statistics show that influencer marketing-related services grew by 26% in 2021.

The credibility, authenticity, and popularity of influencers make it easy for them to market products, whether it’s for student startups or established brands. Here are four ways you can leverage the power of influencers and grow your brand.

1. Set Goals

Brands use influencer marketing to achieve various objectives: boost sales, enhance their social presence, generate more leads, or get more traffic. It takes patience to see the results. While the ultimate goal of any marketer is making more sales, focus on reaching new customers and creating awareness about your brand. Sales and profitability should be your second objective.

Set real goals that align with the influencer you intend to use. They should have measurable metrics–like the number of people you intend to reach and the sales you want to make (which ultimately determine your revenue). As you set goals, do not forget to factor in how much you intend to spend to achieve them.

1. Filter Influencers

Once you’ve defined your goals, the next step is finding an influencer that will help you achieve them. Identify one or two platforms where your ideal customers hang out and find influencers on those platforms. Look at their following, retweet ratios, Facebook likes, and the shares they get per post. 

However, don’t make the number of followers a big determining factor. An influencer with an average following that’s actively engaged is more effective if their values match yours.

1. Work with the Influencers

Social media influencers also double as content creators. They spend a lot of time researching and putting out great content to keep their fans engaged. They understand it takes a lot of effort to build a loyal fan base. Each influencer wants to show off their best skills and stamp their authority as masters of their trade. 

They will welcome ideas and guidelines that will help them make effective adverts. Work closely with them from the beginning to the end. Discuss how you want your campaigns to look like and what you intend to achieve. 

For instance, if your marketing messages target people looking to buy new cars, be specific about demographics such as your target age groups, gender, and how you’ll monitor engagement. Ensure your offerings align with what the influencer stands for. 

1. Measure Results

Every good marketer uses metrics to measure marketing ROI. When using influencer marketing, do not fall for likes and comments on social media posts. Track the number of visitors the influencer sends to your website, the engagement with your products, and the sales you’ve made.

If you work with multiple influencers, create coupon links that show how much traffic comes from each of them. Assign them unique discount codes to make the process more seamless. You can use social media tools such as Facebook Business Manager to track real-time engagement. You can also ask for daily reports from your team of influencers.