Instagram’s popularity has made it a powerful tool for increasing your brand. In fact, 81 percent of survey respondents used the platform to research a product or service before making a purchase. Want to make sure your business comes up in that research? Keep reading to figure out how paid partnerships can help your brand.
So…what exactly is a paid partnership?
A paid partnership is when an influencer is paid to post content in support of a brand. The content can vary widely depending on influencer preferences and your own marketing needs. Fashion influencers may get the most engagement from a carousel post modeling your look while beauty influencers may find more success from posting a story or reel reviewing a product. Some of these partnerships include giveaways to winners who follow, like, and share a post.
Extend your reach
I’m here to tell ya, an Instagram influencer can be a better bang for your buck when compared to traditional advertising. While a billboard on the freeway might get your name out there, there’s no telling if the people seeing the billboard are your target audience. What if you could channel that message specifically to people who are actually interested in your product or services? That is the magic of an influencer audience!
People who follow influencers follow specifically for the content they’re posting. If that content aligns with your brand, that can translate to not only a new audience for you but an audience full of people who might actually use your services. What’s more, influencers tend to have very loyal followings and the right endorsement can help increase trust in your brand.
Increase brand awareness
I don’t know about you, but I fall down Instagram rabbit holes all. the. time. The highly interactive nature of the ‘gram provides a seamless experience for a user to keep exploring. A hashtag can send me to a post that can send me to a profile and before I know it, I’ve scrolled all the way back to 2017. Instagram’s user experience sends a lot of traffic to profiles, which can be a super-effective way to make sure potential customers know what you’re all about!
To increase your brand awareness, it is important to intentionally curate your business profile. Here’s what I look for in a quick scan of a new business profile:
- An interesting profile picture (think a professional headshot that emphasizes your products or services!) can highlight your offerings.
- One or two consistent, well-timed stories can help your increased traffic understand what kind of content they’re in for if they follow you!
- Your bio should provide a quick elevator pitch about who your services are for, while your link should direct users to where they can contact you.
- Most importantly, your feed should include a variety of aesthetics that are in line with your brand. The feed is what is going to keep people scrolling, so make sure it’s interesting! A corporate branding photoshoot can help ensure an aesthetic and informative feed. Your photographer will ensure you have plenty of photos that will make sure you get noticed.
Paid partnerships with influencers are another way to highlight your brand in this box of tools that IG already gives you.
Grow your social following
This one’s a no-brainer: when more users are clicking your profile, more users are clicking that “follow” button! Increasing your follower count means you have a captive audience where you get to control your message. Ultimately, followers are a great way to generate new leads for your business.
Have you used paid partnerships before? I’d love to hear about it! Comment on my Instagram: @kristinamanness.