How Influencer Partnerships Can Boost PR Campaigns

It’s virtually impossible to scroll through a social media platform without encountering some form of influencer marketing. The merging of branding and influencer personalities has played a major role in shaping modern marketing methods, and, according to experts, it’s a trend that’s continues to grow. 

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Google search trends reveals the term “influencer” started to gain traction in 2015, and in 2023 influencer marketing is projected to increase by 29% from 2022.

When done effectively, influencer marketing can boost your PR campaigns, increase positive brand exposure, and enhance both the credibility and authority associated with your brand on social media. 

We’ve put together the ultimate guide for PR pros with everything your company needs to know about successful influencer marketing.

Different Types of Influencers 

Influencer marketing is a marketing strategy that involves a brand paying high-visibility social media influencers, people, or organizations to endorse their products or services through informative or promotional content. 

So, what makes someone an influencer? Typically, this is someone with a large online following, a purported expert level of knowledge in their field, or someone with a strong social influence. 

There are, however, different types of influencers to be aware of, including: 

• Nano Influencers: less than 1,000 followers
• Micro Influencers: between 10,000 and 100,000 followers 
• Macro Influencers: 100,000 to 1 million or more followers
• Mega/Celebrity Influencers: celebrities who are also influencers 
• Social Media Influencers: professional content creators that operate exclusively on social media 

The type of influencer you partner with, their online audience, and their niche will all affect the costs of your campaign and results your company can expect. There is no shortage of success stories when it comes to the partnership of influencers with brands and PR campaigns to increase brand awareness. 

For instance, interior design company Bemz was able to increase its clickthrough rate by 41%, skyrocket its conversion rate by 260%, and generate over $1.65 million in new revenue via its influencer marketing campaign. 

As a small company that focuses on personalizing IKEA furniture, Bemz knew they needed real people to advocate for their brand on social media. To achieve this, they partnered with a core group of influencers who match their aesthetic. 

These influencers are regular people with large Instagram and Facebook followings who own IKEA furniture and would use Bemz products in real life. By creating this authentic connection, Bemz has built trust in its brand and highlighted how accessible its products are for everyone. 

Benefits of influencer marketing for brand exposure 

Influencer marketing is one of the most popular and effective ways to boost brand visibility and enhance public perception. But, it’s also a way to earn revenue and access new markets. 

According to a 2023 study, companies get back $4.87 for every $1 they spend on influencer marketing — that’s a major ROI. Furthermore, when you partner with an influencer, you gain access to a whole new subsection of consumers who may be interested in your services. 

How can your company partner with influencers?

If you’ve never developed a relationship with an influencer before, it can be tricky to know where to start. But the process is simple when you follow these four steps.

1. Establish goals and a budget. 

For your company, you should ask and identify the following: What are you trying to achieve by partnering with an influencer? Is it a deeper relationship or sense of trust with consumers? Increased website traffic? The marketing of a particular new PR service? And perhaps most importantly, how much money do you have to spend? 

Knowing what your goals are and how much you have to spend to reach them can help you identify the right type of influencer for your partnership. 

2. Search for collaborators and influencers online. 

When it comes to finding an influencer to represent your brand online, you have a few options. You can send out an open call on social media using hashtags, via blogging platforms, or even on a platform dedicated specifically to finding influencers, such as Influencity or Upfluence Inc. Both of these platforms score well on G2 and Capterra and have been vetted by industry experts.

YouTube is also a great platform to search for potential influencers. You can search by hashtag or keywords and filter results by video, channel, or playlist. There is an extremely high population of professional influencers on the video social media platform, so it can be a great place to discover up-and-coming influencers in your niche. 

3. Choose an influencer with aligned values. 

If you don’t choose a compatible influencer to promote your services or brand, audiences will pick it up, and the results could be messy. When selecting the right influencer(s) for your brand, make sure their core values, ethos, and following all share authentic similarities. 

4. Hire and measure results. 

Once you have found the perfect influencers to partner with, all that’s left to do is draw up a collaborative agreement, implement it, and track the results of the campaign. You can do the latter via a data analysis software program to gain insights into progress and performance. 

Leverage the power of influencers for a PR Boost. 

With one in four people buying from a brand after seeing a celebrity advertisement on social media and the influencer marketing market set to grow to $143 billion by 2030, partnering with the right influencer can be a game changer for your business. By forming paid partnerships with social media influencers, your brand can boost its PR campaigns, access new markets, increase revenue, and cultivate deeper trust with consumers. 

If you want to learn more about maximizing your ROI by partnering with influencers, check out our blog on the do’s and don’ts of influencer marketing. Or, if you’re ready to increase your brand exposure, contact us today or book a one-on-one consultation.

Photo by Plann