As a marketer, you know the power of word of mouth. This is especially true for Hispanics, who rely on friends and family for advice on which products and services to buy. In the digital age, a great way to get the word out is by working with influencers trusted by your audience.
There are many benefits to working with influencers as cited by a recent study by eMarketer. These benefits include above-average earned media value, particularly in the consumer packaged goods category.
When marketing to Hispanics, it’s important to include influencers to help increase reach and build engagement in a cost effective way. To some, that may equate a product shout out or review, an endorsement by way of blog post, an Instagram placement, or even a tweet.
Here are 5 do’s and don’ts when working working with influencers:
Selecting the right influencers
Do: Look for influencers who share the same values as your brand or service, and begin establishing relationships with potential brand advocates who maintain a respectable following. Reach and engagement are important, so long term research and relationship building is key here. Using a content and influencer marketing networks like Contenido Latino is also helpful for reaching and vetting Hispanic influencers and their following.
Don’t: Hire celebrities with a large following who have nothing to do with your promotion. We’ve found that working with bloggers and web-celebs can be more effective than seeking a celebrity endorsement.
Being open and transparent
Do: Maintain transparency with audiences. Nothing makes brands more relatable and credible than honesty. Having influencers misrepresent themselves or their experience with your brand or service can be detrimental to their reputation and will lead to less than favorable results for your campaign.
Don’t: Lie about a product endorsement or hide payments. Influencers act as message multipliers with a built in and engaged audience, so advise them to be candid with their followers about paid endorsements. Recently the FTC published an endorsement guide to help clearly communicate the level of involvement or compensation an influencer has when promoting via their social channels.
Determining a timeline
Do: Creating content can be a lengthy process, so give your team and selected influencers plenty of time to collaborate. A social post might appear to be a quick message or update but the process to post quality content may be longer than assumed. Allow enough time in the production schedule to go through the proper steps. This may include researching and connecting with selected influencers, aligning on work expectations and compensation, producing and delivering assets for review, and reviews and approvals from the proper parties. Be mindful of third parties like managers or agents that may work as an intermediary throughout communications.
Don’t: Rush into a partnership that creates more stress than it alleviates. If the selected influencer works independently, keep in mind personal commitments too. Make the process clear to the influencer so that they know the road ahead and reasons for specific timelines.
Figuring out a fair compensation
Do: Make the terms easy to follow and fair for the influencer. Be specific. User generated content, an endorsement, sponsored content, co-created branded content, product placements, and product reviews all vary in commitment and level of effort, which should be reflected in the compensation for the collaboration.
Don’t: Expect free endorsements or more content than you agreed on. Getting paid for social media work can be considered fun but remember it’s big business. When entering an agreement, be clear about what you expect regarding number of tweets, Instagram posts, blog posts, etc. Influencers that have previously worked with brands may have a list of services they are comfortable performing that include pricing and whether the messaging is in English, Spanish or both.
Measuring success
Do: Use tools for analytics and monitor web activity. Define the goal and work through a strategy that includes key performance indicators relevant to your brand. If possible, communicate to the contracted influencers the importance of their specific role. You might be surprised hear enthusiasm and pride when they create their collaborative piece.
Don’t: Expect influencers to know what you are trying to accomplish. Often times we get caught up in the romance of these long term relationships without ever communicating expectations. Influencer marketing can help raise awareness, drive traffic, generate impressions, and more, so the appropriate methods of capturing the data should be in place.
There is a very rich ecosystem of Hispanic influencers, and you can leverage many of them to help you spread the word about the products and services you sell. Influencers can be a great addition to your digital marketing mix, especially when you have earned each other’s trust and have a mutually beneficial relationship.
