The world of social media can feel like a jungle to someone that isn’t used to it. With dozens of platforms and other services, it can be hard to figure out where to start and which platforms to focus on, especially if you’re looking to get started with influencer marketing.
That being said, every major platform has been developed with a certain purpose in mind so you need to choose your platforms based on what you are planning to accomplish.
If you’re representing a brand or a company and you want to give exposure to that company, there are five services that you really need to consider using. Out of the following five tools, the first two are a must, the third is almost as important, and the last two are optional.
So let’s get started with the most important influencer marketing tools in 2018:
1. Instagram
Instagram is the number one platform for influencer marketing and a must-have for any brand that’s looking to start marketing their services on social media. In 2017, an incredible 12.9 million brand sponsored posts were posted on Instagram alone, making it the single most influential influencer marketing with large margins.
The image-based format used on influencer and brand profiles combined with the innovative and highly useful video format “Stories,” creates the perfect conditions for anyone looking to sell products and services.
Furthermore, Instagram is growing rapidly and has users of all ages and demographics which means your brand has the potential of reaching out to your specific target group directly.
In other words, if you’re planning to invest in social media marketing for your company, you have to start an Instagram account and you have to spend the time learning how the platform works so that you can use it to maximize your ROI for each campaign.
2. Beatly
Beatly is one of the leading influencer marketing networks in Europe and the easiest way to get started with influencer marketing.
The network is set up in a way that maximizes your result while limiting the amount of work you and your marketing team have to put into each campaign. You can contact us and tell us more about the campaign you want to run, the product you’re interested in selling, and the results you want to accomplish.
Then our automatic system will pair you with a selection of the highest performing influencers with proven track records. Depending on how many influencers you need, youmcan pick and choose between them to find the best ones for you.
After that, we activate the campaign together and help you every step of the way. We run the campaign, collect data, help optimize the project, and finally handle payments and all of the work needed after the campaign is over.
By using Beatly for your influencer marketing campaigns, you will always get good results, even from the very beginning. And, as mentioned, there is really no easier way to get started with influencer marketing than with Beatly’s automated system.
Also, even though the system is highly automated, you will also be in contact with our skilled team that will support and guide you throughout the entire process.
3. YouTube
YouTube is the king of online videos, and lately, the platform has started playing a more prominent role in the influencer marketing industry. Many of the largest influencers these days focus on producing videos and vlogs where they communicate directly to their followers.
This unique relationship and format creates great opportunities for brands looking to market their products. Having a popular influencer talk about and recommend your product in a personal vlog on their page is a great marketing strategy and an increasingly more popular way of using influencer marketing. It’s also the reason why we think it’s one of the most important influencers marketing tools today.
4. Facebook
Naturally, any brand that wants to establish themselves online needs a Facebook page. In many ways, the Facebook page is one of the most fundamental parts of a brand’s online presence. In fact, if your brand does not have a Facebook page, we encourage you to create one immediately.
Generally speaking, there are three reasons why a good Facebook page is so important for your brand.
1. It can be used for influencer marketing purposes, although it’s not as efficient as Instagram or YouTube.
2. Facebook is by far the largest social media platform today which means this is where you can find most of your potential clients.
3. Many people use Facebook to contact businesses via the Messenger app, and without a Facebook page for your brand, it can be hard to create trust among your customers.
5. Twitter
Twitter is another vastly popular social media that is used all over the world by millions of
people. In 2018, Twitter added a feature that allows companies to run ads on the platform which has helped establish Twitter as an up and coming tool for marketing purposes.
Twitter is also a popular platform for news updates and a great way for a brand to connect with other brands and like-minded people by retweets and mentions. Similar to Facebook, Twitter users also tend to have a closer relationship with brands than on other platforms.
All things considered, Twitter is a great influencer marketing tool and an up and coming platform to be reckoned with.
Other Notable Social Media Tools
The above-mentioned services and tools are the five most important for platforms anyone looking to succeed at influencer marketing. However, this list is not exhaustive, and there are other services that you need to consider using as well.
For example, we also suggest you check out the following influencer marketing platforms.
- Snapchat - An immensely popular social media platform that lets users share short, unedited videos from their life. Similar to YouTube and Instagram Stories, Snapchat can be used to sell products and services through influencers.
- Messenger - Facebook’s own messaging platform is a powerful tool that you can use to communicate with customers and other brands, and it should definitely be used. You get access to it automatically by creating a Facebook page or profile.
- LinkedIn - This is the platform for businesses and business people. It’s not really used to market products and services but more so to connect with other businesses and it is often used by individuals to showcase their skills and find work. Use it privately or for your company.
- Skype - Microsoft’s Skype can be used for customer service purposes if you run a smaller company and want your customers to be able to reach you or your team directly. It can also be used within your company to communicate with colleagues.
- Pinterest - If you want to drive traffic to a website or a e-commerce, then Pinterest is one of the most powerful tools you can use. With little effort, you can drive tons of traffic and increase your sales in a short amount of time.
- Slack - This is the leading communication tool for businesses in the world used by NASA and others. In our opinion, this is one of the best ways to keep your team and your influencers up to date on everything that goes on with your campaigns.
If you have any questions or want to get in touch with us, feel free to contact us at team@beatly.com.