Influencers are people, businesses or things that affect buying decisions. You see them in any big business you come in contact with – except, of course, some very giant businesses that are their own authority but that is a feat that isn’t easily pulled off, so, my guess is you will need social media influencers if you really want to boost sales.

Examples of influencers include celebrities, public figures, and authority businesses in a market.

You should already know why influencers are important for your small business, but if you’re still wondering why, here are few reasons;

• Surprisingly, it is way more affordable than traditional marketing
• It can increase your engagement with customers
• They can help your sales go through the roof
• It is more targeted

With these, you see how much you can do with influencers.

Here’s how to increase business growth by using influencers to boost your small business sale.

1. Get an influencer you’d want to work with

Your first step would be to identify social media influencers who would be interested in what you have to bring to the table.
When selecting influencers, you want to watch out for three very important things;

• Authority – A reputation for being as experts in the field
• Reach – Has enough following on their websites or social media channels
• Relevance – Has followers that comprise your target market

2. Decide your Influencer strategy

You have identified those you’d want to engage with, congratulations!. Now, it’s time to build a relationship. No, you’re not asking influencers to help you sell a product, what you’re doing instead is to build a relationship with them, that your influencer’s followers start to perceive your business brand as a brand that has good and genuine stuff.

You have to know exactly what you’d want out of the relationship. Whether having them share your content with their followers, having them review your product, or mentioning your business in their content. These methods have a great way to increase the perception of your brand to your customers – leading to better sales.

3. Pitch

Now it’s time to reach them to work with them. You know this is more of having them endorse your brand; so, don’t feel bad if some of them don’t respond to you. They may just be waiting for positive responses, or buzz about your brand.

Let them know how partnering with you can be of benefit. On your part, you usually wouldn’t have to give them a monetary compensation, but some other things like free products, mentions, and other beneficial services.

Here’s how to pitch your influencers in 4 steps.

• Get their email
• Always address them by name
• Create rapport – Always make it known to them that you are familiar with their work, and link to your favourite if possible.
• Pitch – Tell them your intentions and make it clear what is in it for them

Having influencers help boost your business isn’t rocket science and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. You don’t need people with very large audiences, all you need is people that have just the right audience for your business.

Test the power of social media influencers as part of the ideas to increase sales in your business today!