Are you new to the world of social media marketing? It can be a very daunting place, with so many new things to learn. If you are a brand or just want to know more about this topic, then please read on… and comment, I want to hear what you have to say!

Also quickly…. if you did not know already – this mama is a brand manager and works for a marketing department, we manage over 80 social media profiles and talk about this topic daily. We are also launching a massive project this year to work with social media influencers. I would like to impart some of my knowledge to you and how it applies to our world on mamas and babbas.

Do I need to be on social media and can I make sales from it?

Yes, you need to be on all platforms, especially in the South African market. Yes you do make sales from social media, online shopping is growing and growing, and is so convenient for mamas. But you have to do it correctly for it to work.

How often must I post?

This is a standard for all brands – 3 to 4 times a week on Facebook, 1/3 times a day on Instagram and Twitter, and if you have a blog, once or twice a week.

I can’t post that much??

The other night Catherine from Following the Bean hosted a fantastic conversation on Instagram Live, about brand reps, part of this conversation delved into content creation.  If you are really new to all of this and not sure what content creation is? Then I suggest quickly googling it.

You need to build up your content, book off a day, a weekend to photograph as many of your products as you can, so you have a stockpile of content to use. It is also important to work on a marketing budget for your products, and include a professional photoshoot. This can be used on your website and other marketing material.

BUT>>>>> what you need to know for 2017…. The predicted trend is real photography, not staged and not stock photography – people are looking for authentic genuine content.

This is where the brand rep or social media influencer comes into play.

Should I work with other mamas?

Trying to work out your content schedule for the next month, let alone three months can be a frightening endeavour, and you may feel overwhelmed by the process. Social media is a hungry beast, and requires to be fed often. This beast does not want fast food, but fine dining.

Working with other mamas/social influencers/brand managers can help you create the much needed content and exposure for your brand.

Some interesting stats from Klear – a social insights company:

92% of people trust recommendations from other people (even if they don’t know them) over brands

93% of marketers said influencer marketing is an effective strategy to build brand awareness

Most cost-effective online customer acquisition methods:

Influencer Marketing 22%

Email Marketing 22%

Organic Reach 19%

Paid Search 10%

Display Advertising 10%

 

Top Social Platforms for Branded Collaborations

Blogs 54%

Instagram 42%

Facebook 33%

Twitter 29%

 

To see the full stats visit their website later once you have finished reading this post. 🙂

 

So now what? How do I go about this whole thing?

Ask yourself these questions:

What do you want to get out of the relationship?

Have you researched that influencer?

Do they match your brand aesthetic?

Is what they stand for, what you stand for?

Are their photos clear, bright and consistent?

Do they take great photos you would want to repost?

How often are they active on social media?

What are the platforms they are active on?

Who is that influencers target market? Are they speaking to your target market, what percentage of their followers will be people that would purchase your items (ask for their stats –it’s important to know)

Have you worked out how many influencers you would work with?

What is the cost of the items vs the ROI from the influencer?

How many posts do you want for the item you have given for the review? For example if I send you x, I would like y amount of posts, placed on Instagram, Twitter.

What is the value of the item I am sending, Vs the amount of posts I get?

Is this person only in it for free stuff?

Will this be a long standing relationship or a once off?

How many followers do they have on each platform?

What is their engagement on their posts?

Do they work with any other brands?

Would you be happy with them working with competitors or similar brands?

Will you be open with them, if you are not happy with anything?

The most important question: Have you worked on a strategy? How many, when, how and what?

What you need to consider on the influencers part:

Would you product work for them?

Do they like bright colours or soft pastels?

Are they minimalists or a hippy at heart?

How do they prefer to their followers?

It is also important for brands to acknowledge that it also takes time and money for the dedicated influencers. These mamas take time out of their day, to photograph style and post edit the photos. In my point of view, time is money. Also consider what it would cost you to hire a professional photographer vs this person doing it for you on a barter deal. Many mamas also purchase additional items to style their photos to make it just perfect, sometimes those items cost more than what is given.

 

Last but not least… why is the influencer you working with, wanting to do this? What is in it for them? You need to ask this question, to ensure you are working with a genuine person, who will be loyal to your brand.

 

If I have left anything out, that should be on this list, let me know, and I will update this list.

So let me end this here, as I am sure you have lots to do, and reading can take lots of time 😉