Want to learn about influencer marketing for small businesses?

You’re on the right track. 👌

It’s a powerful strategy. 

Don’t believe me? 

According to a recent survey, 89% of marketers find the return on investment (ROI) from influencer marketing better than any other marketing channel. 

👉 That’s a statistic worth noting. 

At Click Analytic, we believe in turning insights into action. 

Join us as we show why influencer marketing for small business is all about creating meaningful, authentic engagement that propels your brand forward. 

With the right approach, small businesses can harness the power of influencers to boost credibility, extend their reach, and significantly enhance their return on investment. 

Let’s roll. 👇

Alright, let’s cut to the chase and talk about why influencer marketing is a big deal for small businesses:

✅ Increased engagement: Influencer collaborations often result in higher engagement rates, as content is seen as more relatable and genuine.

✅ Targeted exposure: Influencers can help you reach your target audience by cutting through the noise to deliver your message directly.

✅ Trust building: Influencers have the power to build trust towards your brand among their followers, leveraging their established relationships.

✅ Content amplification: Get more eyes on your content. Influencers can help amplify your brand’s message, ensuring a broader audience sees it.

✅ SEO boost: Influencer mentions can improve your search engine ranking by creating high-quality backlinks to your site.

✅ Enhanced ROI: More bang for your buck? Yes, please! Influencer marketing can deliver a solid return on investment, making every penny count.

There are many benefits of influencer marketing. 

The best news? 

👉 Any business, regardless of size, can benefit from working with influencers.

Now that you’re convinced, small business influencer marketing is the way to go. How do you start?

Simple, follow these 7 practical steps. 👇

Before diving into influencer marketing, you’ve got to know why you’re jumping in. 

👉 Set clear, measurable goals. 

These goals ensure your small business influencer marketing is effective.

What type of goals can you set?

🎯 Brand awareness (getting your name out there), 

🎯 Lead generation (hello, future customers!), 

🎯 Drive sales (cha-ching!). 

Defining your objectives is step one to success. 

Each goal needs its own strategy, so it is crucial to know what you’re aiming for. Think of it as setting the GPS before you start driving.

💡 Pro tip: Confused about the goals? Look at these essential influencer marketing metrics to point you in the right direction.

Got your goals? Awesome.

Next, you must find influencers.

Finding the perfect influencer is like matchmaking for your brand.

It’s not just about who’s hot right now; it’s about who resonates with your brand’s values and audience. 

Here’s the lowdown on snagging that perfect partner:

✅ Align with brand values: Ensure their ethos jives with yours. Their content should feel like a natural extension of your brand.

✅ Know your audience: The influencer’s followers should mirror your target demographic. It’s about reaching the right eyes, not just the most eyes.

✅ Leverage platforms: Tools like Click Analytic are gold mines. They help you sift through the digital dirt to find those nuggets of influencer gold. These platforms offer deep dives into analytics, ensuring your chosen influencer’s audience aligns with your target market.

✅ Vetting is vital: Don’t skip the background check. Review past collaborations, engagement rates, and authenticity. It’s about quality, consistency, and a genuine connection with their audience. Also, check for fake followers. They can hurt your reputation.

✅ Engagement over followers: A massive follower count doesn’t always equal influence. Look for high engagement rates—they’re a sign of an influencer who truly connects with their audience.

Putting in the legwork upfront ensures your influencer partnerships are fruitful and perfectly aligned with your brand’s mission and goals.

Crafting effective partnerships with influencers is like a dance. 👯

It begins with the proper outreach—personalised, respectful, and transparent about what you admire in their work. 

💡 Pro tip: Use these 5 free influencer marketing email templates to craft the perfect outreach email.

When negotiating, transparency is critical: be upfront about expectations, deliverables, and compensation. 

Authentic collaborations thrive on shared values, so highlight the mutual benefits. 

⚠️ Remember, this is a partnership, not a transaction. 

Respect their creative process and work together to create content that resonates with both your audiences. 

But why go through all this work?

👉 It fosters a strong working relationship that lays the groundwork for future collaborations.

This is where influencer marketing for small business gets tricky. 😑

You must understand the difference between engagement, authenticity, and follower counts.

It doesn’t matter whether you decide to hire a micro-influencer or work with a macro-influencer.

Engagement rates and genuine content always trump follower counts.

Why?

👉 Because they signify real influence and connection. 

High engagement indicates active, interested followers, while authenticity fosters trust and loyalty. 

So, how can you boost engagement rates and authenticity?

✅ Encourage influencers to share their honest opinions and stories.

✅ Opt for content that sparks conversations and resonates on a personal level.

✅ Monitor and engage with the feedback to show that the influencer and your brand value their audience’s input.

This approach ensures deeper, more meaningful connections with the audience.

And guess what?

A deeper connection leads to improved sales. Yes, more money for your small business. 🤑

When planning your influencer marketing budget, it’s crucial to consider the platform and type of influencer you’re interested in partnering with.

Why?

👉 Because these factors significantly influence costs. 

Here’s a breakdown of average influencer marketing costs by platform based on the recent insights for 2024:

💰 Instagram: Influencers on Instagram charge around $10 per 1,000 followers. Instagram is a cost-effective option for new brands.

💰 YouTube: YouTube influencers typically ask for about $20 per 1,000 subscribers for their videos. TouTube provides access to a diverse range of influencers, from niche influencers to those with millions ​of subscribers.

💰 TikTok: TikTok’s unique algorithm and increased exposure rates mean posts here can be three times more expensive than those on Instagram. Estimates suggest nano-influencers (1,000 – 10,000 followers) could charge around $800 per post, with mega-influencers (1,000,000+ followers) charging upwards of $7,000+ per post​.

💰 Facebook: The going rate is about $25 per 1,000 followers per post, which scales based on the influencer’s follower count.

💰 Twitter (now X): Twitter offers the lowest influencer marketing costs among the major platforms, with an average rate of $2 per 1,000 followers per post.

These costs can further fluctuate based on several factors.

Those factors include:

👉 The content’s complexity.

👉 How in demand your influencer is.

👉 Usage rights.

👉 Campaign duration.

👉 Exclusivity.

So, here’s our insider tip when starting with influencer marketing for small business:

Negotiate these elements upfront. It ensures alignment between your campaign goals and budget constraints​​.

All of this sounds like a lot of work.

And the fact is, it is a lot of work.

Yes, there are no shortcuts to influencer marketing success.

Luckily, there’s a solution.

Enter influencer marketing platforms and influencer search engines.

An influencer database, like Click Analytic, uses AI to identify and vet the ideal influencer. The software checks for fake followers, brand alignment, and audience analytics.

These tools can simplify outreach by making it easy to find someone’s Instagram email or monitor the essential influencer marketing KPIs.

So, when you start with influencer marketing, ensure you have the essential influencer marketing tools in your kit.

Finally, ensure you comply with all the laws and regulations around influencer marketing.

After all, you don’t want to end up like Coca-Cola dumping Chiara Ferragni.

Here’s why FTC compliance matters:

The FTC requires clear disclosure of any material connection between influencers and brands. 

This includes financial relationships, gifts, discounts, or any other perks received. The essence is to ensure consumers can identify sponsored content quickly, promoting honesty in advertising.

And how do you tiptoe through the legal red tape as a small business trying influencer marketing? 

You follow these dos and don’ts. 👇

Dos:

✅ Disclose clearly: Make sure your disclosures are upfront and noticeable. 

For visual content like Instagram stories or Snapchat, superimpose the disclosure so viewers don’t miss it. For videos, include the disclosure verbally and in text within the video, not just in the description.

✅ Repeat disclosures in live streams: If you’re live streaming, repeat the disclosure periodically to ensure all viewers know about the brand relationship.

✅ Be specific with hashtags: Use clear and specific hashtags like #ad, #sponsored, or #paidpartnership. Avoid vague terms that might not indicate a sponsored post.

✅ Consider platform tools: Many social media platforms offer tools to label content as sponsored. While useful, ensure these tools meet the FTC’s clear and conspicuous disclosure standard.

✅ Acknowledge all types of relationships: Beyond money, disclose if you received free products or other perks. Even non-financial relationships that might affect the weight or credibility of your endorsement need to be disclosed.

Don’ts:

❌ Don’t bury the disclosure: Avoid hiding your disclosure in a sea of hashtags or at the end of a long caption where it can be easily overlooked.

❌ Don’t use confusing language: Steer clear of ambiguous phrases or shorthand that all your followers might not understand.

❌ Don’t assume knowledge: Don’t presume your audience knows about your brand relationships. Transparency is key, even if you think your endorsement appears unbiased.

❌ Don’t ignore platform-specific requirements: Each social media platform has its nuances. Ensure your disclosures are tailored to be effective across different platforms, considering how content is displayed and consumed.

And there you have it: influencer marketing for small business is a cost-effective marketing strategy. Any brand can work with influencers. Want to try it?

Go on and grab this free trial of our influencer marketing platform. Find influencers and launch your first campaign. Quick and easy.

Still here? Got some burning questions about influencer marketing for small business? Check out these answers.