The Power of Influence

Ahead of the presidential election, celebrities and influencers have made (quite possibly) a bigger political splash than ever before. Whether it includes joining the #NationalVoterRegistrationDay movement or explicitly endorsing a candidate – which, for Taylor Swift, means racking up more than 400,000 users to vote.gov from a singular Instagram post, we’re reminded that the power of influence matters and those who wield it have the power to spark action and sway opinion (according to 19% of young voters).

Why It Matters

Aside from playing a part in a pivotal moment in U.S. political history, the widespread desire for influencers to take a stand on important issues marks a new chapter for the way people consume media. While you likely won’t see the same mobilization for your local shoe store as the general election, there are nano and micro influencers who bring a targeted audience to the table that is much more likely to actually engage with your brand.

If you aren’t using your own version of “influencers,” you might be missing an opportunity. Social media isn’t going anywhere, and it continues to be a powerful source of information, especially in the age of traditional media distrust.

How to Create a More Influential Strategy

• Find an authentic ambassador. Not every influencer is the right one for you. It’s crucial that you find someone who feels like an authentic representation of your brand and vice versa. Followers will sniff out a forced, paid partnership instantly, and they don’t like feeling bamboozled. Look for a true ambassador – someone who already likes or uses your brand, or someone who already creates content that is somewhat related.
• Make a plan and/or contract. The details of your partnership should be written out and agreed upon beforehand. This serves as a protection for you and the influencer. Include deadlines, types of content, frequency and amount of content, compensation and any other related details. Along with an agreement, it’s great to suggest a few ideas or key messages for influencers to reference as they work. The key word here is suggestion.
• Lean in to their creativity and style. Another big piece of authenticity is letting influencers do what they do best. Whatever content they create should look and feel like something they would normally create, not something that came directly from you. While a contract is helpful in ensuring deliverables hit the mark, it shouldn’t be so rigid and spelled out that influencers have no flexibility. Don’t believe us? In a recent influencer panel held at our third annual HodgesCon, a day of training at The Hodges Partnership, all three local Richmond influencers agreed: “The worst thing you can do is give me a script to read from.”