When we discuss influencer marketing and ambassador marketing, we tend to talk about it in relation to social media: You hire influencers to promote your brand across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and more. But there are more ways to integrate influencers across your performance marketing efforts.
The Basics of Influencer Marketing
When we first think of influencer marketing, we turn back to affiliate marketing 101: Influencer marketing does rely on social media, but affiliate marketing relies on a multi-channel approach. While you’ll want to get the most out of their experience in the world of social media, you’re most after their audience.
Influencers are a reliable promoter because of the large audiences they foster. Finding multiple ways to engage with their audience can be a surefire way to improve your brand’s engagement and conversion rates. But the biggest reason, most of all, is that you need to find other ways to build relationships with consumers.
In recent studies, 83% of consumers said they trust recommendations from their peers over traditional advertising; additionally, only 22% of consumers trust brands. So, you can’t spread word of mouth on-the-ground, but you can by using internet personalities. Integrating them across your own channels of communication is another step of putting influencers to good use.
Ways to Incorporate Influencers into Your Email Marketing Strategy
- Use micro-influencers as peers.
Massive influencers don’t have to be your only choice. Higher rates of engagement are actually seen among smaller influencer accounts, known as micro-influencers (1,000–10,000 followers).
Include micro-influencers in your emails to grab the attention of potential and past customers. Recognizing a familiar face or name can be a simple way to get a recipient to click on your email and actually read it.
- Use their product reviews and ratings.
Consumers, especially those from Gen Z, love reading reviews and opinions on products before making a purchase. Influencers work exceptionally well in this way, especially if it’s a product review uploaded to Instagram or YouTube.
If they post a review elsewhere, you can link directly to their content in an email. However, they can even feature a specially written review by an influencer as part of an email blast.
Having someone else speak positively about your products is a simple way to instill more trust in consumers — they’ll feel more comfortable hearing the opinion of someone not directly related to your business.
- Give influencers the stage.
In some cases, it might be worth your time to let your influencers speak for themselves. It might not be the “optimized” approach, but it is a great way to build a human connection with your brand.
Let influencers speak for themselves, deciding what direction they’d like to take with the email — within parameters. They could provide you with specialized video content to share or could write a heartfelt statement to your customer base discussing the faith they have in your products.
Even if it’s not relatable to every one of your customers, it’s another perspective on your business, which can bring a breath of fresh air to customers who feel burdened by seeing the same emails again and again.
- Use any in-house influencers and personalities.
If you’re a company that is run by a persona, now is the time to put them to good use. Certain branded companies have a face beside a mascot; in these cases, it tends to be the founder of the company. Most times, they represent an established character synonymous with the business — sometimes having their surname as the very brand name.
But you don’t have to stop at the face of the company. Have some characters who stand out among your workforce, people who have interesting backgrounds and can tell an exceptional story? Put them to use in your emails! Perform little Q&As or allow them to write about a unique experience that humanizes your internal company. It’s a simple way to talk to consumers without necessarily advertising something.
Putting Your Influencers to Good Use
Rather than relying solely on social media, put your influencers to use across all channels, especially email. Interested in getting started? Begin researching influencers, both small and large, to find a viable group that fits your niche and customer base. After that, sign them on and begin tracking their progress with your affiliate tracking software.
