Influencer Marketing Strategies for the Brand & the Creator

Influencers have completely dominated the marketing space for the last few years. We see no signs that the popularity will decrease anytime soon. In light of that, we may as well talk about influencer marketing strategies. They are all the rage and seem to perform numbers.

Influencer marketing campaigns have become increasingly useful for brands and are great income earners for creators. If you’re a brand owner, we can show you how to build an influencer marketing strategy. If you are an influencer, we will show you how to impress these brands! Your social media experts at Plixi have a lot to cover in this blog post. Let’s get started!

5 Types of Influencers You’ll Find on Instagram

As a multifaceted person, you have many aspects to your personality. Who we follow on Instagram highlights a particular aspect of our personality. One person could have a favorite influencer when it comes to fashion. They could prefer another influencer for food inspiration. 

Even then, there is room for a good pet influencer who has an adorable dog. You can consider some of these if you haven’t decided on a niche. Then, you can go on to think about social media influencer marketing strategies.

1. Health and Fitness Influencer

Getting healthy and fit is a goal that people constantly have. Joining the gym may not be feasible for everyone. Following a fitness influencer and living vicariously through them is quite popular, however. If you create content for the user who desires to get fit, you could attract a fan base.

The possibilities for this avenue of content creation are extensive. You could take the route of being relatable and explain your previous issues with getting fit. Talk about how you aren’t satisfied with your current health or physique. People like to invest in a journey.

You could use personal anecdotes to humanize your health journey. Mention those times that you slip up by eating a cookie. Talk about how you had to force yourself to go to the gym. Then, you can talk about how accomplished you felt when you made the trip. People still value transparency on IG.

If you want followers to regard you as an authority in the field, you could still work the transparency angle. Show your before and after photos. Nothing buttresses your qualifications like showing proof in the pudding. Feel free to incorporate healthy recipes in your social media influencer marketing strategies.

2. Fashion Influencer

The fashion influencing sector is a very popular one. Fashion is such a huge industry, and there seems to be room for everyone’s style. Whatever your taste is, you can find a following that will support you. Finding your core group in a sea of followers can be tricky. You’ll need to know how to make your brand special.

Find people who relate to your body type. Bodies come in all shapes, heights, and sizes. Some clothing items are simply out of the question for some bodies. Find the people who need guidance in finding the best pieces for their bodies. You can try out these pieces for them first, so they don’t have to.

Thrifting and sustainability are in fashion right now. People want to enjoy fashion without all the guilt that comes with it. For some people, this means investing in sustainable clothing. Of course, this could be pricey for some of your followers, especially if they are younger.

Thrifting could be your niche! Talk about the great finds at the local thrift store and how you made certain pieces your own. Imagine the reels you could create showing the different ways to style one piece of clothing. If you are a styling expert, you could even come off as a luxury fashion influencer.

3. Beauty Influencer

Social media has revamped beauty standards. The conventional beauty world had to adjust in response simply. There are spaces for beauty influencers with freckles, wrinkles, birthmarks, and acne. There has to be a space for you, too.

Are you a skincare enthusiast? Think about your main concerns when it comes to skincare. Do you prioritize your skin color or skin conditions? Emphasize that in your content. There are people out there that feel the same, no doubt.

Maybe it’s just about the makeup for you. There are so many Instagram challenges out there just for makeup. You could trendjack your way to some new followers. This is one of those marketing strategies for influencers that has worked out beautifully for creators before you. You could also incorporate fashion influences with your beauty content. They tend to work well together.

4. Pet Influencer

If you’re camera shy, your pet isn’t. You won’t have to worry about the social anxiety of posting if your dog is the star of the show. Pet content tends to be very unoffensive and allows for a wide age group of followers.

These accounts still have the potential to make money on Instagram through brand deals. You just need to know how to edit and curate content that shows your pet in the best light.

5. Lifestyle Influencer

It’s difficult to describe what a lifestyle influencer is. They simply showcase their life online. This life could include content from any other category in this list. Because of that, it allows creators to publish a wide range of content.

However, this freedom can mean that creators cast too wide a net when looking for followers. Some specialization could go a long way.

3. Tactics You Should Be Including in Your Instagram Influencer Strategy

Your Instagram influencer strategy will be unique to you. No two Instagram accounts are the same, so the approaches to growth will differ. Still, there are some general tips that your page can benefit from. That’s no matter what kind of influencer you are. Here are some tips:

1. Leverage Hashtags

Hashtag use isn’t an option on Instagram. It’s a necessity. As long as people use Instagram as a search engine, there will be a need for hashtags. Your hashtags won’t go to waste if you figure out how to use them to your advantage. We love to talk about how hashtags can work for your brand here at Plixi.

A good mixture of popular, niche, and customized hashtags is what you need. Of course, the hashtags you use will differ depending on the post. However, our tips are good for a wide range of content pieces. Feel free to read our article on how to use hashtags on Instagram.

2. Incorporate Reels

Do you like to watch videos on Instagram? Well, lots of people like to watch videos on Instagram. Instagram also likes when lots of people watch these videos. In conclusion, you should be incorporating more reels into your content. 

It’s no secret that some Instagram accounts have reached significant heights because they use reels. The reach from reels is undeniable. Good marketing strategies for social media influencers can’t do without them. 

Reels don’t have to be complex and overly produced to be good. Some creators have successful reels without showing their faces or more than one camera angle. They still manage to make money using reels that are low effort. It could surprise you how well a reel can do with just a good choice of trending audio.

3. Use Call-to-Actions

Try to get people talking in the comments. Inspire conversation wherever you can. Instagram takes note of this and shares your content with more people. You need to learn how to trigger your engagement rate to get Instagram’s attention.

Some creators take the route of clickbait. Don’t feel like you have to do the same. One tactic to inspire commenting and likes is using call-to-actions in the Instagram captions. This is just a way of saying that you ask a question that provokes a response. Their response could be in the form of a comment or a like.

It doesn’t have to be anything complicated. “What do you think about this?” or “Do you feel the same?” are popular. Maybe you’ve seen “Sound off in the comment section.” Your followers probably already have an opinion about your content. All this does inform them that you want to hear what they’re thinking. 

Some of the Best Influencer Marketing Strategies Involve Other People

You must be wondering what we’re talking about. Everything will be clear in a second. Some social media influencer marketing strategies involve you doing your own thing. You don’t need help typing up your hashtags, for example. However, there are some things that you can do online that require a group effort. Yes, if you are a lone ranger, you might not love the idea. Still, we promise that it will be great for your brand. Here are four of the best influencer marketing strategies:

1. Collaboration

Sometimes we are better together. There could be an influencer on IG that has access to the target audience you are trying to access. That same influencer could look up to you for the quality of your content. Do you think the solution is to compete with each other? If you think so, you’d be wrong. 

Instagram allows you to upload joint posts to the platform. This arrangement allows the both of you to capitalize on each other’s strengths. Collaborating with another creator allows both of you to access each other’s following. 

A joint post shows the following: the creator affirms the other creator. Followers see a joint post as one creator vetting and approving the other. Ideally, this should put an Instagram account on the fast track to getting new followers.

Start brainstorming ideas for a joint post. Maybe you both work in niche areas that complement each other. They could be a fitness influencer, while you could be a healthy food content creator. They could focus on travel influencing while you focus on budgeting. There is potential for joint content if you look hard enough.

2. User Generated Content (UGC)

If you sell a product on Instagram, listen up. One of your greatest strengths on this app will be user-generated content (UGC). You can sing the praises of your products all you want. Discerning consumers want to hear from objective sources. This is where you get your existing customers to do some advertising for you. Ultimately, their opinion of your products matters the most. 

They may do this in the form of direct messages. If they are very impressed with your products, they may give you a review in your DMs. This could form the content for a post or reel.

They could take it a step further and make a post themselves. If they tag you in an IG story, make sure you know how to repost an IG story. Make sure you know how to create an Instagram highlight album to keep these reviews. 

3. Giveaways

Who doesn’t love a bit of philanthropy? Your followers definitely love the prospect of getting free things for doing very little. Instagram giveaways are a great way to reach more people than you normally would. Oh, a pro tip is that you can combine this with the collaboration tactic.

People can enter your giveaway by liking a certain post or commenting on it. You can always take it a step further by requiring that they tag someone else and follow the page. All these actions are forms of engagement. 

When you ask entrants to share the post on their stories, you get a free promotion to all their followers. These followers may have never heard of your Instagram page. They may follow you now out of genuine interest, whether they enter the giveaway themselves or not. 

Giveaways are responsible for an influx of new followers. It’s up to you to know what to do to keep them there. You have to make sure your content is high-quality and that you post regularly. You don’t want people to unfollow you because they are sad they didn’t win.

4. Polls

Getting the opinions of your followers is very valuable. If you’re going to spend all this effort creating content, you may as well create what people want to see. Do you know what people want to see? If you don’t, you could just ask them.

This is one of the more straightforward marketing strategies for social media accounts. You can put Instagram polls in your stories and posts. This way, you can just ask your followers what their preferences are in terms of content. 

Maybe they appreciated your fashion tips. Maybe you hooked them with the storytelling in your last travel reel. Or, it could be the transparency in your fitness journey that won them over. To know for sure, a quick Instagram poll would tell you.

What To Include in Your Influencer Marketing Strategy Template

Are you a brand looking to incorporate influencers in your marketing strategy? That is a great idea. Influencer marketing has taken over the Internet. It seems that it’s the only surefire way to increase a brand’s reach. 

This doesn’t mean finding an influencer that aligns with your brand is easy. You’ll need a good influencer marketing strategy template. If you don’t know what to put in your plans to find your ideal influencer, we can help. We can give you four helpful pointers.

1. Solidify Your Campaign Objectives

You need to make sure you know what your objectives are. Do you want to drive sales or expand your reach? Maybe you just want to get your name out there. It’s best to know what you will ask of an influencer before it’s time to negotiate.

2. Narrow Down Your List of Prospective Influencers

The influencers that you choose can make or break your whole campaign. Don’t automatically jump for the influencers with the largest following. Micro-influencers tend to have high engagement rates because they can interact more.

You could reach your marketing goals by collaborating with an influencer with good key performance indicators. This means you need to pay attention to their engagement rate, not just follower count.

Peruse the content they have already uploaded. Are they able to deliver quality content? Do they stick to photo posts, or do they share reels as well? This only works if they have access to your target audience. Always keep your influencer marketing strategy in mind.

3. Collaborate To Create a Content Plan

When you’ve chosen your ideal creator, maintaining a good influencer relationship is key. Pinpoint reasonable deadlines, including edits. Ideally, you should agree on the platforms where you’ll upload content.

4. Track Results

You should always know if you are getting a good return on your investments. You can use Instagram Insights to see the numbers that each post is garnering.

Knowing How To Build an Influencer Marketing Strategy Is Only the First Step

Instagram is a great influencer marketing platform if you know how to use it correctly. While some say it’s all about luck, some credit hard work. If you ask us, it’s about having the right tools in your arsenal. 

A growth site like Plixi will make all the difference for your Instagram page.

Your influencer marketing strategies are great, but it’s difficult to make it on social media platforms without some help. 

Plixi has a propriety AI targeting algorithm. It also has an in-house platform for Instagram influencers. These are all the tools you need to start growing Instagram followers today.