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• August 22, 2022
• By Joshua Reid
• Advice , Generation Z , Technology
• Collaboration , influence , influencer , internet , online , social , social media , social media influencer

How Can Businesses Collaborate with Social Media Influencers?

As technology advances in the 21^st century, social media has become a prominent way for local and small businesses to advertise their products and services in a society continually searching for the “next best thing.” Social Media’s impact on Millennials and Generation Z can’t be understated, as many grew up with technology at their fingertips. Generation Z has even started small businesses and used the power of social media to market their services. But what about social media influencers?

How can businesses collaborate with social media influencers to “broaden their field of vision?”

People with influence have always been around, but with the rise of social media, influential people have not only grown their following but also demonstrated how social media could be utilized by companies to advertise their favorite products and services or collaborate with other business partners. 

In an article by Business 2 Company titled, “How Social Media Influencers Impact Businesses,” writer Anthony Santiago notes that an entrepreneur’s goal with social media influencers should be to find and attract experts who can promote their products. businesses can use several social media platforms to find social media influencers who can promote their products and services, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Although Facebook and Twitter certainly have their appeal to businesses, Instagram seems to be where many influencers are congregating. 

“One of the ways to be effective in social media is to work with influencers who are experts in your particular brand and who can provide your core customers with the content they need.”

Anthony Santiago

For instance, if businesses are looking to keep their clients and stay up to date on current and upcoming business trends, then collaborating with social media influencers who focus primarily on business, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends would be a good start. According to Santiago, there are three different types of partnerships that businesses could use to work with influencers:

1. Sponsored
2. Guest Blog
3. Brand Ambassador (having influencers who advertise your products and services.)

A sponsored partnership with social media influencers would allow businesses to create specific content tailored to their services and products and have an influencer post the content on their site or social media account. If needed, the business could have the influencer work closely with the company’s marketing team to create content tailored to their clients and potential business partners. 

Even if it’s not a sponsored partnership, having an influencer whose content is specifically for businesses and entrepreneurs could do a lot of good, especially if the company is small. Guest blogs, while helpful, could be ineffective if the writers aren’t bloggers whose content focuses on the business industry. Guest blogs would be a way for companies to advertise their services and products and keep tabs on their competitors. Brand Ambassadors, however, have something like a sponsored partnership.

Instead of just having a partnership with the business, Brand Ambassadors are influencers who advertise your services and products, and might even give a daily update on their use of the services. This type of partnership could be long-lasting if the business and influencer are in agreement. 

“Smart companies recognize that social media influencers should be treated as brand ambassadors rather than as an advertising outlet.”

Audrezet and de Kerviler

In a 2019 article by Harvard Business Review titled, “How Brands Can Build Successful Relationships with Influencers,” writers Alice Audrezet and Gwarlann de Kerviler argue that marketers generally treat “social media as a low-cost advertising channel.” Based on the quote above, companies should recognize that social media influencers have a lot of sway regarding what company’s services and products they promote. If a business wants to expand its “field of vision,” then developing a partnership with an influencer in your niche could be beneficial in the long run.

One example of a business not understanding the necessity of social media influencers but still looking to benefit from them is the case of Marion, a lifestyle influencer on Instagram who, at least in 2019, had 129,000 followers. According to Marion,

“When a brand contacts me, I first look at how the email starts. If it says ‘Hello’ or ‘Dear Blogger,’ I don’t even read it, and I delete the message. My name is Marion and if you follow my blog then you must know that, otherwise you are just looking to send the email to a large amount of people. Then, I look at whether the person has collected information about me and my blog.” (Audrezet and de Kerviler)

Collaborating with social media influencers is a good way for businesses to advertise their products and services to more people. Still, if done in a manner that pulls influencers away, then the company suffers the consequences.

Sources

Audrezet, Alice and de Kerviler. “How Brands Can Build Successful Relationships with Influencers.” Harvard Business Review. Accessed 31 May 2021.

Santiago, Anthony. “How Social Media Influencers Impact Businesses.” Business 2 Community. Accessed 31 May 2021.

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash