4 Keys: Leveraging Influencers For A More Effective PR Strategy

---

---

 

Given the changing nature of how the general public consumes news, it is important to utilize new tools and take on new initiatives to connect with your target audience. By tapping into the social media influencer market, you can spread your brand’s message efficiently, quickly, and to a larger audience. Influencers possess an unparalleled ability to combine conventional PR with genuine, authentic connections. Taking advantage of this often untapped potential can spread your brand’s messaging in a natural and compelling way. 

The four key components for successfully implementing influencers into your PR campaign include:

1. Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships
2. Target Hyper-local Influencers
3. Leverage Influencers for Crisis Management
4. Measure and Analyze Impact

Build Mutually Beneficial Relationships 

Reaching out and connecting with influencers can lead to long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial to both your company and the influencer. By providing meaningful ways to weave your brand into their content, you can create a recurring opportunity for collaboration as opposed to a one-time campaign. 

Influencers are always looking out for exciting news, events or products to share with their followers. Offering something to influencers beyond monetary compensation, such as exclusive access to a product or live event, early releases, or co-created content, will help propel this mutually beneficial relationship. 

Target Hyper-local Influencers

By targeting local, niche influencers, you can create a more effective plan of outreach to reach a specific audience. Hyper-local influencers often have a more genuine connection with their followers, which also leads to a stronger sense of credibility. 

Rather than connecting with a larger influencer that might have an audience with varying interests, targeting an influencer with a niche audience will be more likely to guarantee that you will be able to reach the members of your exact demographics.

For example, if you’re looking to facilitate media presence at a local event for your company, directing outreach to local influencers who typically post about interesting events in their area is more beneficial than an influencer with perhaps a larger following, with followers across the globe.

Leverage Influencers for Crisis Management

In the face of adversity, influencers can play a vital role in helping maintain your brand’s positive image. Having a portfolio of influencers who are familiar with your brand identity can be a huge plus. Being able to connect with these familiar influencers who are supportive of your brand can help you reestablish and maintain your brand image while sharing your company’s messaging. 

Measuring and Analyzing Impact 

Unlike some other aspects of PR, collaborations with influencers can help your brand set and exceed specific campaign objectives. Utilizing the engagement analysis and audience demographics tools on social media platforms can help you understand which influencers delivered the most effective results. Your team can then take these tools into consideration when evaluating how effective a specific influencer’s outreach will be. By looking at their past engagement, you can find the right influencers to make use of in your outreach. 

With hyper-local influencers, utilizing influencers for crisis management, mutually beneficial relationships, and making use of measuring and analyzing the impact, you can tap into all of the diverse capabilities influencers hold. By considering these four key points, your company can effectively leverage influencers to enhance your PR strategy. Remember that these strategies should be tailored to fit your specific industry, target audience, and brand goals.

---

---