Instagram has a far-reaching effect for brands trying to engage Millennials. Instagram, which delivers an entirely mobile experience, has seen huge growth over the past few years, in part because 60 percent of its active users are Millennials. Due to their very connected nature, Millennial marketing should focus on social media apps, which function primarily on mobile.
Instagram is a natural fit for the Millennial lifestyle. They are the largest group of consumers who use mobile and social media. Their reliance on peers, family, friends and experts to provide trusted information is substantiated in Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer. The survey’s 2018 numbers indicate again that these are the people they most trust, whereas in general, trust among the informed public plunged for the first time by 23 points, making the U.S. market the lowest of all those surveyed.
So there is a great opportunity for companies to use influencer marketing on Instagram. If done correctly, it can have a substantial impact on brand awareness and relationship development, as well as build much-needed trust for the brand. Instagram in particular is a great platform to use to leverage influencers, as there are several on the network that have huge, fiercely loyal Millennial followers.
To get started, here are some general tactics that pertain to developing an influencer marketing campaign for most businesses trying to reach Millennials.
- Find influencers currently on Instagram. You can begin by looking at your brand’s followers. See if anyone regularly posts positive comments about your brand and check the number of followers they have. You can also use the Instagram discover tool. Type in a hashtag relevant to your brand and see where it takes you.
There are a number of companies that will compile a list of influencers based on your needs like Iconosquare or SocialBlade. Much about the influencer’s audience demographics such as size, followers, and following ratio will be provided to help you make a good decision for your brand.
- Narrow your list. Based on your campaign objectives and the market you operate in, you may even be looking for a specialized expert. Your Millennial audience may be better suited to a niche influencer with attentive, targeted followers.
- Prioritize your list of influencers. This step requires a good deal of time and research. You need to carefully consider each influencer’s audience and level of engagement. You’re looking for active keywords that demonstrate intent or suggest action be taken. You’re also reviewing their content as a whole. This will help you determine the impact each influencer can have on a specific audience.
A note of caution — Beware of influencers who have gained anywhere from 5,000 to 20,000 followers in a day. This could be a sign that the influencer bought followers.
- Select your influencer(s) and develop an outreach strategy. Personalize your message and focus on the specific traits she or he represents that you believe fit with your brand. If you are working with a tight budget make sure to stand out from the requests influencers receive regularly.
- Outline your campaign. Provide the influencer with as much information about the campaign as possible. Be prepared to change and modify campaigns to meet the persona of the influencer you’re working with. If you’re working with more than one, you want to have different content for each in case they have overlapping followers.
Instagram’s new algorithm will help keep your content showing up longer now too, which is a plus. The value of leveraging influencers on Instagram is key to a successful relationship with Millennials. The increase in brand familiarity and trusted information will be a driving force behind their decision to purchase.
