Influencer Marketing for Nonprofits
So you want to get into influencer marketing. You’re in the right place.
All types of organizations, including nonprofits, have traditionally relied on popular figures with massive followings to promote their causes. Influencer marketing is a modern-day version of this form of marketing that doesn’t necessarily always rely on celebrities per se but leverages ‘influential’ content creators with a sizable and engaged audience.
What is influencer marketing?
In influencer marketing, influencers are paid to spread the word about a brand’s products and services. For example, for a makeup brand, an influencer might do a makeover with the products and highlight the positive aspects of the products or brand.
Nonprofits can benefit greatly by using the same strategy. In fact, there are many influencers out there who are only too happy to support a good cause.
The big takeaway with influencers is that they have large numbers of fans or followers who love to watch their content and are eager to hear what they have to say.
Why use influencer marketing for your nonprofit
The answer is, why wouldn’t you?
Influencers have an existing pool of fans who trust their opinions and are willing to align to their causes. Traditional ads can only be so convincing because the average consumer is incredibly media-savvy. They now rely on word-of-mouth recommendations from people they trust instead of ads (which may get blocked anyway).
Last but not least, influencers are working their magic across all major social media accounts. Your nonprofit’s impact on online/digital platforms can be phenomenal with the right type of influencer and the right type of content.
The different types of influencers
Influencers can be categorized into four main types based on their reach and their perceived level of influence:
Top-tier influencers: These are the elite group of influencers that have developed a large following (anywhere above 700K to 800K fans) across all their social media accounts. While they typically work with more prominent brands, influencers at these levels do get behind causes and initiatives that they have a real interest in.
Mid-tier influencers: Mid-tier influencers, as the name suggests, have followings anywhere in the range of 50K to 300K. These influencers are often a good option if you’re looking for a decent following at potentially affordable costs. They may even sometimes work for free.
On a side note, If you’re looking to get some more funds, I have a guide on five income-generating activities for nonprofits that you can find here.
Micro-influencers: It’s easy to brush off micro-influencers (following of less than 10K) as irrelevant. But micro-influencers have substantial community influence. Because they have smaller numbers, their audience is more likely to be genuine fans who are really interested and engaged with whatever the influencer has to say.
Superfans: These are your biggest loyalists who are happy to get involved. It can be amazing to see what super-committed individuals can do to further your cause regardless of numbers within their circles of influence.
The ideal strategy for your nonprofit, just like for a business, is to reach out to all levels of influencers, so you get the most reach.
Tips on developing an effective influencer program
The good news is it’s not rocket science. The first step is to identify influencers.
This is the part that requires strategic thinking and a little bit of work because you want people that are actually good at marketing and getting results. At the same time, there needs to be synergy and alignment.
Shortlist Influencers: Search through social media platforms using tags related to your nonprofit niche and develop a potential list of influencers. Look for solid engagement and growing numbers. Get a sense of the influencers from how they communicate and talk to their audience - does their style fit in with what your nonprofit wants to achieve?
It may be easier to identify superfans in the beginning by combing through your email marketing lists, social media accounts, and event attendance lists to pick out the most engaged and committed followers.
Develop a relationship: Because you’re looking at a potential long-term collaboration, invest some time in getting to know your influencer and building a relationship with them. Engage with them on their content, and comment, like, or share their posts. Once they see that you’re genuine about engaging with them, it’s easier to get to the ‘ask’ stage.
Asking for what you want the right way: Have an initial casual chat with your influencer to discuss your needs before proceeding to pencil down a plan. When you’re starting out, stick to smaller tasks. Given that influencers are generally independent entrepreneurs, they may be time-strapped, so work with the time they have.
It’s best to avoid discussing the budget straight out of the bat unless the influencer wants to have that cleared up in the beginning. The focus here is building a strong relationship.
Mistakes to avoid with influencer marketing
Not choosing the right-fit influencer: The most successful partnerships are built on shared values. Take the time to choose the right influencer for your brand by doing in-depth research into their social media activities, the type of content they post, how often they’re producing content, and how they interact with their followers.
Also, take the time to connect with the influencer for a casual chat so you can get a sense of how well you’re synergizing.
Picking optics over effectiveness: Before you choose an influencer for your brand, it’s vital to look at how effective they are at actually marketing themselves. Look at the consistency of content production, increasing organic reach numbers, and consistently good numbers on engagement (likes, comments, shares).
Being hazy about expectations: Partnerships are created to drive results. Ask yourself what your expectations are in terms of concrete deliverables. Are you looking at increasing your followers/subscribers by ‘x’%, or are you expecting ‘x’ sign-ups, for example.
Get clear so you have a goal to work towards. Discuss your needs with the influencer, brainstorm concepts and ideas, and make sure you’re on the same page before starting your marketing campaigns.
Leveraging influencers is a smart strategy to generate some quick marketing wins for your nonprofit. Pick the right influencers, set clear expectations, and work creatively with your influencer partners to get the best results for your nonprofit.
What’s your biggest challenge with influencer marketing for your nonprofit. Let me know in the comments below, let’s brainstorm together!