Dear Influencers, Are 1 Million Followers Enough?
It is no news that social media marketing has taken over the world and a lot of brands are putting more effort into marketing on social media especially through the influencer marketing channel.
Influencer marketing is a strategy that involves engaging key persons who are seen as influential figures in their specific industry to drive a brand’s message to the larger public through product placements, creating content that resonates with their audience and appeals to the brand’s values and identity amongst others.
some influencers tend to get carried away with large numbers and pay less attention to the quality of the content, the conversion, and the engagement rate. I mean, who doesn’t love large numbers? The higher the number, the greater the chances of recognition right? The question is though, how far can high numbers take you?
I have to admit, in the past, as someone who works in the PR industry, I have been mesmerized by large numbers, not giving much thought to the quality of what was produced and even worse the engagement rate. It’s funny how people tend to dismiss engagement rate and focus solely on the large numbers, but what good does this do for this campaign that you have been working on for months?
Companies and brands have started focusing more on the engagement rate as opposed to the number of followers an influencer has. So, it is very likely that an influencer with 10k followers with an engagement rate of 15% will get picked over an influencer with 20k followers with an engagement rate of 2%.
Engagement rates are metrics that track how actively involved with your content your audience is. Engaged followers interact with the content through likes comments and social sharing. Social media engagement extends beyond the number of followers you have accumulated across social media platforms.
Your engagement with your fans is what will really force people to pay attention to your content and ultimately attract brands. If your followers are commenting on your posts saying how much they love your content, new visitors are naturally inclined to think that if other people enjoy your content, they will too. Social media engagement is so powerful it can offer the same kind of social proof as a testimonial from a satisfied customer. In turn, this makes it more likely for brands to reach out to work with you.
When a brand reaches out to an influencer, their main goal is to drive their message to a larger audience, increase brand visibility, and ultimately achieve conversions. High engagement rate plays a huge role in brand awareness, and ultimately conversion which is why a lot of brands focus on engagement rate as opposed to the number of followers an influencer has.
Every time your content is interacted with on social media, you tend to reach a wider audience. Someone simply following your page won’t always show up on anyone else’s feed, however, if they’re liking, commenting on, or sharing your content, this is what’s going to get you seen by new audiences and of course, brands who are looking to invest in influencer marketing.
As an influencer, you cannot downplay the importance of a high engagement rate, because these brands are not overlooking it and if you want to work with them, you need to ensure that your engagement is top of the books.
The best way to increase your engagement across your social media platforms is to create content that your followers want to engage with. This could be by starting conversations, sharing helpful tips, asking their feedback on certain issues amongst others, and of course, engaging with your audience. Do not underestimate the power of responding to every single comment on your post!
Increasing and maintaining your engagement rate, takes time, effort, and creativity, however, if you are focused on the bigger picture, this will not even matter.
Your engagement holds value, so in a nutshell, 1 million followers are not enough.
Amaka Okosieme is a Communications Strategist, Content Creator, and Lifestyle Enthusiast.
