Influencers: who to work with, why and how in the visitor economy. Conversation with travel writer and content creator Claire Robinson from Weekend Candy
Working with the right influencers can help you make sales – but with the growing number of influencers, how do you find the right influencer to work with? What should you expect of them, And what should you be paying them?
According to the Influencer Marketing Hub, an influencer is someone who has the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others because of his or her authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with his or her audience.
In visitor economy marketing 20 years ago, the best form of influencer used to be the media, however, with the development of the internet and social media, people are listening to and following individual people for their specific interests and the niches are getting smaller and smaller.
“I think you’ve got a look at who is your market? Does that influencer talk to your audience? And does the content that they create? That’s the content that you’re going to get. Are you happy with it? And would you be happy with your brand and business being represented by it.”
It used to be about the Mega influencer, celebrities with six and seven-figure followers, but as niche interest areas rise, it is now those micro or nano influencers who can have as little as 1000 followers who can really make a difference to your sales.
Those who have a really engaged following can be really important, especially to small businesses that want a specific customer or who are selling niche products and experiences.
Top tips for working with Influencers in 2024:
> Identify your target audience and find influencers who match your demographics and tone – Look at the influencer’s existing content and audience to see if it aligns.
>Don’t consider it a freebie. Approach it as paying a skilled professional for their service and expertise. Discuss fees upfront.
> Be clear on what content you want the influencer to create and on what channels. Ask how long after the trip or stay you’ll receive the content.
> Consider having the influencer create evergreen content like articles or blogs that live on their website, as this provides valuable backlinks and SEO benefits.
> Look for an influencer who has depth across channels like Instagram, websites, blogs, Facebook etc. rather than just a social media presence.
> Draw up an agreement about usage rights if you want to repurpose the content they create
> Connect on a human level and build an ongoing relationship.
> Understand that quality content takes time and skill.
A huge thanks to Claire Robinson for sharing her knowledge and insight on the podcast.
