Why Should Local Businesses Team Up with Influencers?

The perks of local businesses diving into the creator economy are immense, ranging from increased brand visibility in your community to boosting your revenue streams.

Stand Out in Your Community

In a world where competition is fierce, and brand awareness can be limited, collaborating with creators can be your secret weapon. They help introduce your brand to locals and showcase why choosing you makes all the difference.

Share Your Brand Story

Creators are master storytellers, adept at weaving your business narrative in an engaging way. Research shows we retain around 70% of information conveyed through stories but only about 10% from raw data. By sharing your brand’s journey, you can forge emotional connections that can enhance sentiment and drive sales.

Boost Your Local SEO

Every business dreams of snagging a top spot on Google Maps and the coveted first page of search results. While many factors influence your site’s ranking, influencers can play a significant role in improving some crucial SEO quality signals:

• Backlinks: High-quality backlinks can elevate your website’s credibility, leading to better rankings. Collaborating with local bloggers can help secure valuable links that drive traffic to your site.

• Reviews: Positive Google reviews can land you in the Map Pack—the top three Google My Business listings appearing in local searches. Influencers can assist in generating authentic and trustworthy reviews, enhancing your position in local searches.

Why Authenticity Matters for Small Businesses in Influencer Partnerships

The most fruitful influencer partnerships stem from genuine relationships and a shared passion for the brand. If influencers are just in it for the paycheck, their messaging will feel hollow.

Seek creators who genuinely use and love your products. Their authentic enthusiasm will resonate with their followers, making them some of the best brand ambassadors.

If you're a newer business, consider sending samples to local influencers and inviting them to try your products. While this may seem like a small investment upfront, the returns can be substantial.

How Affordable is Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses?

Good news—small businesses can definitely afford influencer marketing! In fact, this approach can be very cost-effective if executed wisely. With an average return on investment (ROI) of $6.50 for every dollar spent on influencers, it’s a strategy you should have in your marketing toolkit.

Moreover, collaborating with creators can save you money in other marketing areas. By negotiating content usage rights, you can repurpose their visuals for other channels like paid ads, emails, and your website, eliminating the need for a production team.

Tips for Influencer Marketing on a Budget

Here are some practical strategies to minimize costs while running an influencer marketing campaign:

• Partner with Local Creators: Creators with larger followings tend to charge more. Focus on those with a strong local presence, even if their follower count is smaller. Look for engagement rates rather than sheer numbers.

• Start Small: When launching your first influencer campaign, keep it manageable. Creators produce more authentic content when they feel a connection with the brand. Build those relationships from the outset and scale up as you see success.

• Offer Products and Experiences: Smaller creators may be more than willing to promote your brand in exchange for free products or experiences. For more prominent creators, you might need to include financial compensation.

Free Influencer Marketing Tools for Small Businesses

Leverage free tools to optimize your influencer marketing efforts. Google Sheets is a great option for tracking your creators and measuring the outcomes of your campaigns.

GRIN offers a suite of free resources to help you analyze and select the right influencers, including:

• Web Extension: Quickly access metrics like engagement rates and average likes for each creator on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest.

• Fake Influencer Tool: Ensure you don’t partner with creators whose followers are mainly bots by using this tool to assess credibility.

• Influencer Comparison Tool: If you’re torn between two creators, this tool lets you compare their profiles side by side.

• And so much more!

What Social Platforms Should Local Businesses Use?

Choosing the right social platforms hinges on where your ideal audience hangs out. If your target demographic is in their 50s or 60s, TikTok might not be the ideal choice. Conversely, if you’re targeting Gen Z, you might want to skip Facebook.

Define your target audience and explore which social media platforms they frequent. As a local business, you have unique options. For instance, Nextdoor might not be your first thought for influencer marketing, but many locals seek recommendations for products and services from their neighbors. Partnering with trusted community members can boost your brand’s visibility on this platform.

How to Find Local Influencers

Now for the exciting part—finding the right creators to collaborate with! With a clear idea of your chosen platforms, jump onto the apps and start your search.

Utilize local hashtags like #HoustonProud or #SacramentoStyle. Check location tags from local landmarks where creators might share their photos. Just make sure to avoid tourists and non-local influencers.

You can also find local bloggers by searching for “[city]-area bloggers” on Google.

If you’re exploring niche platforms like Nextdoor, look for active community members who generate significant engagement on their posts.

Regardless of where you search, remember to do your due diligence. Ask yourself:

• Do they align with your niche?

• Would they find your product or service appealing?

• Does their aesthetic resonate with your brand?

• Is their engagement rate strong?

• Do they interact authentically with their audience?

Additionally, keep an eye out for creators already discussing your brand online. If you can recruit genuine fans of your brand, you’ll have some of your best advocates on board. They may even be more willing to collaborate for free products if they truly love what you offer. Check any branded hashtags to see what people are saying about your brand.

How to Reach Out to Influencers as a Small Business

Once you identify the creators you want to collaborate with, start by checking their bio on their social media or blog. If they list an email, that’s your best bet for reaching out.

If they don’t provide an email, see if the platform supports direct messaging. If it does, send them a quick note; if not, check if they have accounts on other platforms that allow messaging.

If you’ve tried all avenues and still can’t reach them, it might be time to explore other prospects on your list.

When you’ve found the best way to contact them, it’s time to draft your outreach message. Here are a few tips:

• Keep It Concise: We’re all busy and don’t have time for lengthy messages. Aim for four sentences max in your initial outreach.

• Personalize Your Note: Use the creator’s name and compliment something specific about their content.

• Introduce Your Brand: Briefly explain who you are, what your business does, and why you think they’d be a great partner.

• Add a Clear CTA: Make it easy for the creator to respond, whether it’s a simple “I’m interested” or sharing their rates.

If they don’t reply immediately, don’t hesitate to follow up. Sending up to two additional messages over time can help gauge their interest. If there’s still no response after the third attempt, it’s best to move on to the next creator on your list.

Key Takeaway: Small Businesses Can Benefit from Influencer Marketing

Partnering with local creators can significantly enhance your brand awareness, expand your content library, boost ROI, and guide potential customers down the marketing funnel. So why wait? Start your influencer marketing journey today!