Key factors brands consider when selecting influencers
By Seun Johnson
While influencer advertising has become a powerful and dependable marketing strategy, finding the right influencer who truly aligns with a brand’s objectives remains a major challenge for marketers.
Choosing an influencer goes beyond follower counts. There are key factors that many brands consider before sealing a partnership.
One of these factors is the audience alignment. Before a choice of influencer is made and agreement reached, a brand must establish that the influencer’s audience matches its target market. Their demographics such as age, location, interest and buying behaviour are closely monitored.
For instance, Nike, an American Athletic Footwear and Apparel Corporation collaborates with athletes and fitness influencers who align with their activewear and performance-oriented brand identity, to drive its marketing objectives.
The company significantly boosted brand visibility by strategically partnering with top athletes across various sports, basically through athlete endorsements, signature shoe lines, and sponsorship deals.
This move visibly associates the brand with athletic excellence and iconic moments in sports history, effectively leveraging the athlete’s fame to reach a wider audience and solidify its position as a leading sportswear company. Some of its notable influencers include Michael Jordan’s “Air Jordan” line, Serena Williams’ for tennis apparel, and Cristiano Ronaldo for football boots.
Brands also pay close attention to engagement rates when choosing an influencer. Rather than focusing solely on follower count, they prioritize authentic interactions, knowing that meaningful engagement drives better results.
Having millions of followers is one thing, but generating meaningful engagement is another. Brands cherish likes, comments, shares, and interactions far more than a large audience that remains inactive. Active engagement is what truly makes an influencer impactful.
Glossier, a skin care product company, is a prime example of a brand that heavily utilizes influencer marketing based on engagement rate. The company partners with micro-influencers, people with smaller but more engaging following to drive authenticity and visibility for the brand.
Brands also consider their reputation and value as a key ingredient in influencer marketing. Influencers represent the brands they collaborate with. Hence, it is essential that their personal brand aligns with the company’s values. Any celebrity with a history of controversy or misalignment with brand ethics can wreck a havoc on brand’s reputation and integrity.
In 2015, American Media Personality and Socialite, Kim Kardashian promoted Diclegis, a drug used for morning sickness through her Instagram handle. Kardashian promoted this pharmaceutical without disclosing common harmful side and endorsed the potentially harmful drug with no evidence of actually ever using it.
This eventually erupted into public awareness, dealing a severe and devastating blow to the brand’s reputation.
With the help of social media, the process of selecting influencers is becoming more strategic. Any brand that chooses wisely will undoubtedly benefit from authentic audience connections and improved brand perception which ultimately leads to increased revenues.
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