The Power of Influencers How to Use Influencer Marketing in PR

Social media has changed the way we live, including how people are persuaded to buy a product and/or service. Today, purchase intent can come from exposure to engaging content from influencers on social media. 

IZEA found that 62% of consumers trust influencers more than celebrities. So the power of influencers is real, and PR professionals need to adapt.    

The Power of Influencers 

Whether it's on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or even Facebook, influencer marketing is dominating the public relations efforts of many brands. So why is influencer marketing so powerful?   

1. Trusted Voice 

Every brand needs positive branding, which can be achieved through a trusted voice. Influencer marketing can effectively help create a trusted voice.   

Their voice can be trusted because they have built trustworthy and respectful relationships with their followers. They also focus on their respective genres, which leads to high reach and engagement rate on their posts.     

2. Better Engagement 

Today, people would rather get to know a brand through social media than through advertising. 

Social media cannot be separated from engagement. So, it is essential for a brand to get better engagement. Influencer marketing is an effective way to achieve this. 

The influencers will mention the brand in their posts, and the brand can simply repost these in Instagram stories or even Instagram feeds. This can also be done on TikTok. This will increase the brand's engagement rate.    

3. Broader and More Precise Audience  

By hiring the right influencers, your brand can get a wider and more precise audience. Because they have a loyal audience that is interested in specific products and/or services like yours. 

Take advantage of this opportunity and create a great strategy to convert these audiences into your customers.   

4. Better ROI 

PR strategy focuses on generating maximum reach with limited investment. Therefore, it is essential to measure the return on investment (ROI).   

According to Statista, 60% of marketers say that the ROI of influencer marketing is better than traditional advertising. 

How to Use Influencer Marketing in PR? 

Based on the above, it is clear that influencer marketing is a powerful PR tool. However, influencer marketing in PR can be tricky. Here are some tips on how to use influencer marketing in the right way: 

1. Identify the Relevant Influencers 

Conduct in-depth research to find and identify the influencers that align with your PR goals, product and/or service, brand values and tone, and target audience. 

Go to the influencer review platform to look for engaged and collaborative influencers who have a strong influence in your industry.    

2. Think of Influencers as Mini-media Outlets  

Influencers with a high engagement rate have a well-defined focus. They became influencers not because they want to influence, but because they want to share their passion and useful information with the world. 

That's why they don't bounce around from topic to topic. They focus on their niche, develop compelling content, and build relationships with their audience.  

So treat them professionally and feel free to ask some pertinent questions, such as: rate sheet, content schedule, their team, and peak hours. This will help you build a proper PR strategy and a solid partnership.    

3. Let Influencers Be Creative 

In any PR tool, you need to send a clear brief to the relevant parties. In this case, the influencers. However, you cannot completely control how the story is written. It needs personal creativity to be unique.     

Therefore, you need to give the influencers freedom (with some restrictions) to explore and bring their creativity to the table. You can measure their creativity by reviewing their previous brand work. 

Answer these questions: 

Is the creativity original? 

Does it match the brand tone?  

Does it make the product or service relevant to the audience? 

If you are confident they are creative enough, set up a brainstorming session to discuss product or service features and the creative process.  

4. Look for Earned Media Potential 

If you can get more exposure, why not? When you find some appealing influencers, do a quick search engine search to see if they have any media coverage. More is better. 

So when you find these types of influencers, be sure to prioritize them and understand how they plan to promote their work and your product or service. 

Ask if they are willing to include your brand's stories in their pitch story. This does not guarantee that your brand will be covered by the media outlet(s). But this partnership can increase your chances of being mentioned by the media outlet(s) next time.  

5. Invite Influencers to Events 

If your brand is hosting or participating in an event, invite influencers to live stream, share their experiences, and deliver key messages to their audiences. This aims to enliven the event and give their audience a sense of fun.  

6. Evaluate

In any PR tool, it is important to evaluate each partnership and campaign, including influencer marketing. Use analytics tools to measure the success of your collaboration.   

Measure reach, engagement and website traffic to analyze the success and effectiveness of your campaigns. This will help you optimize influencer marketing strategies to achieve your PR goals.     

Influencer marketing is an effective PR tool to increase brand awareness and generate sales through social media. It is a must to identify the right influencers and create a compelling PR strategy with them to achieve your PR goals.