A Step by Step Guide for Entrepreneurs, Influencers and Brands
Since starting in the influencer marketing world in 2015, both as an influencer and as a brand, I've learned a ton. Although, influencer marketing is here to stay, it will continue to evolve in 2020 and beyond.
I've learned how to how to leverage who I am as an entrepreneur in influencer marketing, as well as the brand. There are ways for you to connect and create community in multiple ways.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, influencer, brand, or agency, Influencer Marketing Like a Boss will help you with finding influencers, phenomenal platforms, creating and growing campaigns, and the metrics that matter. If you are an influencer, it is important to know your return on investment (ROI) with earned media and results.
Photo Credit: My Canon EOS M100 Timer
The future of influencer marketing will focus on ROI - there is no question.
It's time to get the 411 on Influencer Marketing. Whether you want to evolve with wellness, business, travel, or lifestyle transformation, it's possible.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, traveler, or brand, these tips, tools and technology will inspire you to use influencer marketing in more innovative ways.
Did you know businesses invested over $8 billion dollars in influencer marketing in 2020 according to Business Insider? The biggest focus for brands at 79% of campaigns is Instagram. Are you capitalizing on the opportunities as an influencer and/or as a brand with creating a community?
Don’t be so shocked now why people are growing faster with content, community and collaborations. It takes community now more than ever.
Let’s talk about Influencer Marketing Like a Boss.
Photo Credit: John - Airbnb Experience Houston
Background Insights
I get how you feel in every way. I know what it is like to feel confused and overwhelmed.
My goal is to help equip and empower you in influencer marketing with this series.
2011: Left Corporate (Strategy & Finance Executive role ) barely on Social Media
2013: Start using Facebook for Story Telling and Wellness. Start my Instagram account.
2014: My Wellness & Herbalife business grows 25X on Facebook alone. (not typical, possible)
2015: I begin to figure out my style e.g. lifestyle, wellness, travel for the website & social media
2016: I start influencer marketing both as influencer and as a brand hosting retreats & press trips in Costa Rica and Cuba. I align strategy, structure and systems online and with social media.
2017: First round of online courses & social media automation across FB, IG and Pinterest set up.
Research >50 influencer marketing platforms, expand to online, and set up our own.platform.
2018: Set up 12 themes for blog, podcast, and social media & consistent posting.
2018: Launch influencer marketing for lifestyle transformation (>15,000 influencers + 2500% ROI).
2019: Tying all above to IGTV, videos, lives for launches of courses & events with tips, tools & tech
Expand influencer marketing to >700 million in reach, >25,000 influencers, ROI > 3000% on earned media alone, and campaigns >7 testing on 3+ platforms.
2020: Increase integration across social media including podcast, press, and communities. Aligning influencers to ongoing collabs online to live including travel and brand placements. Have influencers engaging >a year with our programs and experiences online and live.
I am right here with you figuring it out step by step putting one foot in front of the other too.
Shot via Leo Parias at Our Costa Rica Retreat with Marissa @postcardstoseattle
Influencer Marketing 411
Whether you are building your personal brand as an influencer or entrepreneur; as a brand with a community; or both, there are some basics you will want to know.
Regardless of where you are in your experience levels now in social media or influencer marketing, you will get there. If you are an influencer in your early - mid stages .g. <10K, no website, little online presence, you will love sharing on social like a boss.
I didn't get here overnight and I will continue to evolve. If you are further along and thinking of building your brand with influencers, you will love how to build your brand with influencers- sneak peek webinar to the 5+ week course and mastermind.
Photo by Brock Photos in Atlanta
I found the more I simplified and amplified, the better things flowed including alignment and results. Whether this was in 25 min focus windows, scaling with a virtual assistant or a platform, or focusing on an area in a day, I found ways to take aligned action to create community.
Whether this involved finding influencers (or being found as an entrepreneur), phenomenol platforms, creating and growing campaigns, metric matters, and/or creating it. I created a 5 step system I consistently follow.
5 Steps include:
Influencer Insights
Phenomenal Platforms
Creating & Growing Campaigns
Metric Matters
Creating It
When I keep my mindset focused like this, each step leads to results and next milestone. This approach never ends as there is always new and more things to learn.
Starting Point
A great place to start is list out which area you want to focus on first.
Checklist
Influencer 411
Phenomenal Platforms
Creating & Growing Campaigns
Metric Matters
Creating It
As an influencer, this may involve setting up your media kit and bio page on your website. One of my favorite tools to use is Canva. We use this hands on in our online mastermind (which includes 12 themes to create what you love including influencer marketing) and courses, as well as live events.
Perhaps, you are looking to create community with us online and live in collaborations? Depending how far along you are, we have influencer management for influencers who have >25K on their instagram. You may learn more and sign up for a free call.
As a brand, this may include identifying who your ideal influencer is - what niche, area, results, reach, engagement, platform opportunities on their blog, podcast, online courses, live events, and prior monetization results with other brands. Perhaps, you are ready to set up your own influencer marketing platform?
No matter where you are, start. I didn't get here overnight. I kept persevering and persisting through it ALL. Overnight success = years of blood, sweat, and tears you didn't see.
I've got great examples with our Creation Club lifestyle transformation mastermind and the free #14daychallenge.
Influencer Marketing Like a Boss
When I began in social media, I started on Facebook. I knew I wanted to grow on Social Media. I outlined wellness, media, and travel ideas. I implemented whether it was here in Atlanta, or traveling globally on our retreats. I learned from people like Brendon Burchard, Ashley Renne, and Bo Eason.
When I saw the results I got from sharing on FB alone of 25X in one year, my mind immediately went to work. I started asking what if I and we created a community of entrepreneurs, influencers, and coaches sharing on multiple social channels about creating a life and business they love online and live?
I constantly learn and adjust whether via Social Media, Content Creation, Influencer Marketing and Creating a Community. In 2020 so far, we have connected with >15,000 influencers on various platforms, run campaigns monthly, and have incoming applications for media, books, courses, coaching and live events regularly.
I am in over 15+ Facebook communities to increase community and opportunities to serve and receive. On Instagram, I am increasing communities and launches. With podcasting, I now do series in e.g. wellness, business, marketing, and travel. We integrate features like we did recently in social media, and will do in influencer marketing with 52 Perfect Days, Better Marketing, Medium, and Afluencer to name a few.
I regularly revisit overview, platforms, metrics, and results. In addition to this, I am constantly exploring collaborations to start as an influencer to test, placements of brands with our online courses, events and community, and partnerships.
It starts with knowing who you are as an entrepreneur and influencer, and the unique value you offer with your own brand and for others. As a brand, it involves being clear on the type of influencer and focus you want to work with, while being open to trying new things.
Photo by Brooke LarkonUnsplash
Phenomenal Platforms
I am so proud of how far I have come. Don't believe me? Go back to my posts years ago. Not only will your writing improve dramatically with practice, but you will learn from so many tools and writers.
Whether you haven't been on any influencer marketing platforms yet; have tried collabs via Activate, Perlu or are own to name a few ideas; you may increase your opportunities in so many ways.
As an influencer you want to be sure you set up a Media Kit Profile on each platform for success. If you have >25K on Instagram, and want guidance in managing your collabs, setting up on platforms, compiling your media kit, and negotiations, definitely connect on our influencer management.
As a brand, consider if you want to set up your profile on these platforms, create and grow campaigns, or if you want us or someone else to run it. You may want to think about having your own influencer marketing platform as well for online and live event collaborations, like we create and automate.
Additionally, you want to be part of Facebook Groups to have access to opportunities and share your own campaigns. Facebook Groups may be a huge asset for both influencers and brands with influencer marketing.
In the last six months alone - between Oct 2019 - March 2020, I have shared >4 collabs monthly in groups like Press Trip Groups, Influencers Instagram, and She's Wanderful. I have also learned about opportunities ranging from 5-6 figures easily because of these groups.
Photo by Preston Olsen via Weekend Voyagers at Our Cuba Retreat
Creating Campaigns
Creating campaigns involves considering several factors. Is it a brand you want to be aligned to? Do their values match yours? A good gauge is would you do it for free?
As an influencer, you are either applying to campaigns and/or proposing possibilities to brands to work with you. In proposing, do not simply send your media and your rate sheet. As we function as a brand as well, this is the most unattractive thing when there is no mention of reviewing your brand and value.
As an entrepreneur, I get it that you don't want to be taken advantage of, yet consider what stage the brand is in, evaluate other value they offer like exposure, online and live experiences, bonuses and future placements. Be sure to evaluate what you would pay for press, a course, and a retreat. Consider the overall brand mission and vision and what opportunities they may expose you too.
A great example I have recently is of serving as an Airbnb Community Manager in Atlanta. Keep in mind this is not a typical influencer collaboration at all. Yet, I ended up getting a retreat, and Airbnb Adventure to Mexico. Be open and flexible.
As a brand, consider what influencers you are using, the type of campaign, how you will manage the campaign, and what results you want. Are you equipped to do so in-house? Does someone have a passion to learn new skills? What will the cost of learning be to your brand vs. getting help to set you up and train your team like we do?
On the brand side, our campaigns started by e-mailing influencers and getting a list via Fiverr. Our influencer marketing campaigns grew to platforms like HypeMarkets. We launched our Fitness Fuses with Fashion Fundraiser alongside influencers.
I love to travel so I expanded to press trips and retreats in Costa Rica, Cuba, Spain, London and Atlanta, while growing my own social media channels. I expanded my education in influencer marketing by learning about influencer marketing hub, researching >50 platforms, and testing over 25 in various ways. I stretched myself further by setting up our own influencer marketing platform for lifestyle transformation and entrepreneurship.
With campaigns, make sure you know your end result you want. Whether you are an influencer or a brand, set up tools to track like bit.ly's and create reports via tools like People Map or Canva.
You can see how things developed step by step.
Photo by Brett Seeley
Growing Campaigns
Once you start to gain traction on campaigns, it becomes easier and harder at the same time. On one side, some ways you operated and tools you used will continue to work. In comparison, some ways won't. It is important to learn and grow all the time.
As an influencer and entrepreneur, you want to consider bundling your social media channels, blog, podcast, courses, and events like a brand. It gives you more leverage and increases your likelihood for an increased cash flow and long term collaboration and engagement.
As a brand, you want to work with influencers who drive results for you and themselves in earned media and cash flow. The future of influencer marketing in 2020 is moving towards influencers and entrepreneurs that function like a business and offer you multiple media avenues online and live for placement.
An added value component for both influencers and brands is teaming up with brands on other platforms e.g. podcasts, and offering then full media value and placement online and live. This is something we are working on right now.
To grow your influencer, entrepreneur and brand business, you may consider creating a community you place for brands. For example, we do this with wellness, media, and travel. This offers turn key solutions where we implement wellness, media, and retreats including an online component like we have for brands depending what options they choose.
You may be asking how did I figure all this out? It blows my mind too!
#1 Divine Downloads
#2 Believe I Am and We All Are Limitless & Act Accordingly
#3 Extensive Experience in 7+ Industries
#4 Education in Business, Finance, and Wellness
#5 I Love to Learn and Never Stop
Start with where you are. How and where could you grow your campaigns?
Photo by Leo Parias via Costa Rica Retreat
Metric Matters
In many industries I served in, I worked in strategy and finance. As a finance executive in my last full-time Corporate role, I reported to the Board of Directors. They were highly driven on return on investment (ROI).
The future of influencer marketing is rapidly moving towards return on investment in earned media and actual results so get ready. The influencer marketing bubble is bursting as you know it now.
More than ever, community and relationship is important with smaller to larger influencers. No matter whether you are an influencer or brand, you want to be able to show unique value - who you are. You want to share your skill sets and what you offer e.g. video, photography, writing, podcast, placement, online & live events.
Brands - if you aren't getting this upfront - that may not be your ideal influencer. More than ever, longer-term relationships, diversity across channels, reach, engagement, earned media, and actual results and sales will count.
If you want to be an agency, brand or influencer who stands out and gets to >700 million in reach like we have this year and >2500% ROI, you will want to track these metrics and continue to refine your approach.
Influencer Marketing Like a Boss
By now your brain is buzzing on how influencer marketing like a boss may help you. Whether you start with platforms, creating campaigns, or managing metrics, start now. There is no time like the present. Imagine where you could be 90 days or a year from now.
What spoke to you the most on influencers, platforms, creating/growing campaigns and/or metric matters? How could you start or grow in influencer marketing like a boss?
Take the actions boss.
If you love this post, you'll love my like on boss series on creating content.
Influencer Marketing Like a Boss book, visit my Amazon Author page - release date is by 5/31/2020.
Create. Transform. Inspire.
You Were Born to.
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