You’ve done it…
You’ve launched your B2B podcast, secured a few stellar guests, and even got some early episodes under your belt.
But now comes the next big challenge: growing your audience and making your podcast a must-listen in your industry.
Imagine if you could tap into the dedicated followings of influencers who are already trusted voices in your niche…
Stay with us as we reveal a step-by-step guide filled with insider secrets on how to make influencer marketing work for your B2B podcast.
Types of Influencers and Choosing the Right One
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let's clarify the types of influencers you might collaborate with:
- Mega Influencers: These influencers have over 1 million followers. They often include celebrities like actors, musicians, athletes, and other public figures. They are ideal for large enterprise corporations that have the budget and resources, targeting a broad audience with varying characteristics, or luxury brands wanting to create a sense of exclusivity. Their vast reach is ideal for large-scale brand awareness campaigns but can be costly and may not have as high engagement rates as smaller influencers.
- Macro Influencers: With followings between 100,000 to 1 million, these influencers are established personalities within their niches. They offer a targeted approach with substantial reach and are more cost-effective than mega influencers. They are suitable for startups seeking rapid exposure and credibility, nonprofit organizations looking to raise funds and awareness, or hotels and airlines targeting a specific but large audience.
- Micro Influencers: These influencers have between 10,000 to 100,000 followers. They are highly engaged with their niche audiences and provide excellent ROI due to their targeted recommendations and interactions.
- Nano Influencers: With 1,000 to 10,000 followers, nano influencers have a strong connection with their audience, thanks to their close-knit communities. They are perfect for targeting specific demographics and are the most budget-friendly. They work on a small scale, dedicating more time and effort to individual partnerships. This means more tailored content for your brand and personal relationships within niche communities. They are perfect for local businesses targeting specific communities, small businesses with limited budgets, or specialty food businesses reaching a niche audience.
Understanding the types of influencers, from mega to nano, is crucial for brands to choose the right partners. The types of influencers you choose to partner with will determine the reach, engagement, and ROI you get.
Why Use Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool, and brands are already using it to their advantage. According to The 2024 Influencer Marketing Report, almost half of all consumers (49%) make purchases at least once a month because of influencer posts, and almost all consumers (86%) make a purchase inspired by an influencer at least once a year. The influencer marketing industry is expected to grow to $24 billion in 2024, as indicated by the Influencer Marketing Hub's latest research.
Benefits of Influencer Marketing:
- Increased Brand Awareness: Collaborating with an influencer draws a wider audience to your brand. Influencers introduce your brand to new audiences who may not have been familiar with it. The trust influencers hold with their followers enhances your brand's reputation and credibility.
- Precise Audience Targeting: Influencer marketing helps brands with precise audience targeting by connecting them to influencers whose followers align with the brand's target demographic. This ensures your message reaches the right audience.
- Higher Conversions: Social proof is a powerful factor in the likelihood of making a purchase after seeing an influencer campaign. Influencers often share interactive content such as giveaways, challenges, and live sessions that drive engagement and prompt actions like making purchases or signing up for deals.
- Building Trust and Authenticity: Influencers build trust with their followers by sharing personal experiences and opinions that resonate with their audience. Their seemingly unscripted content contrasts with traditional advertisements, making it sound authentic and spontaneous.
Step-by-Step Guide to Influencer Promotion
1. Define Your Listener Persona
Understanding your target audience is the foundation of successful influencer promotion. Create detailed personas that include demographics, interests, and online behaviors. For instance, if your podcast targets tech leaders, your personas might include CTOs, IT managers, and startup founders. Knowing your audience will help you choose the right influencers who can genuinely connect with your listeners.
Example Listener Persona:
- Name: Tech-savvy Tom
- Age: 35
- Occupation: CTO at a mid-sized tech firm
- Interests: Latest tech trends, startup innovations, and leadership strategies
- Online Behavior: Active on LinkedIn, follows tech blogs, listens to industry podcasts
2. Create a Tracker
To keep everything organized, create a Tracker spreadsheet named "Influencer Outreach." This will help you monitor potential influencers, outreach efforts, and outcomes. Ensure that the Tracker includes columns for influencer names, contact details, follower counts, engagement rates, niche, and outreach status.
3. Identify Potential Influencers
Finding the right influencers is key to a successful campaign. Search for influencers who resonate with your listener persona by using specific keywords like “[niche] influencers.” For example, if you have a tech podcast, you might look for “tech influencers,” “IT influencers,” or “software development influencers.” Add these influencers to your Tracker.
Juicy Insight: Cost-Effective Exposure: Many influencers undervalue their audience's reach. This allows you to get significant exposure at a lower cost.
Tools for Finding Influencers:
- Social Media Platforms: Use search and discovery features on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
- Influencer Marketplaces: Platforms like AspireIQ, Upfluence, and Traackr help you find and connect with influencers.
- Google Search: A simple search with niche-specific keywords can yield a list of potential influencers.
4. Set a Budget and Select Influencers
Determine a budget for your initial test—typically between $50-$100. Focus on micro influencers with 10k-100k followers to get the most bang for your buck. Influencers with a smaller but highly engaged audience can provide better ROI than those with larger but less engaged followings.
Example Budget Allocation:
- Micro Influencers (10k-50k followers): Allocate $50
- Micro Influencers (50k-100k followers): Allocate $100
5. Outreach and Negotiation
Reach out to influencers through social media or email, representing yourself as part of the podcast team. Use a standardized message to ensure consistency. Personalize each message to show genuine interest in their content.
Juicy Insight: Tailored Outreach: Using a personal touch in your outreach can significantly increase response rates.
Example Outreach Message:
Hi [Influencer Name],
I’m [Your Name] from [Podcast Name]. We love your content and believe your audience would enjoy our podcast on [Topic]. We’d love to discuss a collaboration. Could you share your rates and availability?
Best,
[Your Name]
6. Review and Negotiate Offers
Collect and review price lists from influencers. Don’t hesitate to negotiate for the best possible deal. Highlight the mutual benefits and potential for long-term collaboration.
Juicy Insight: Negotiation Leverage: Influencers often leave room for negotiation, so don’t settle for the first offer.
Negotiation Tip:
- If an influencer quotes $150, negotiate down to $100 by emphasizing the value of exposure to your targeted audience and the potential for future partnerships.
Example Negotiation Strategy:
- Compare Offers: Use price lists from other influencers to negotiate better rates.
- Offer Additional Incentives: Provide incentives such as bonus payments for high engagement or additional promotional opportunities.
- Emphasize Mutual Benefits: Highlight how the collaboration can benefit the influencer as well, such as exposure to a new audience or future partnership opportunities.
7. Finalize and Make Payment
Choose the best offer and proceed with payment. Payments can be made before or after the post, depending on the agreement. Ensure that payment terms are clear and documented.
Payment Methods:
- Direct Bank Transfer: Ensure a secure and traceable payment process.
- Payment Platforms: Use platforms like PayPal, Venmo, or Stripe for convenience and security.
- Contract Agreements: Draft a simple contract outlining the terms, deliverables, and payment schedule.
8. Provide Content to Influencers
Supply influencers with all necessary details and content for the post. Some may prefer to create part of the content themselves, while others may require you to provide everything. Clear communication about content expectations is essential.
Example: Provide a brief about the podcast, key talking points, and a unique URL with UTM parameters for tracking.
Content Guidelines:
- Campaign Brief: Outline the campaign goals, target audience, key messages, and desired call-to-action.
- Content Samples: Provide examples of previous successful posts or templates to guide the influencer.
- Brand Assets: Supply logos, images, and any other brand materials required for the post.
- UTM Links: Create trackable links to measure the traffic and engagement driven by the influencer's post.
9. Track and Analyze Results
Use UTM links to track clicks and measure the effectiveness of the promotion. Monitor follower counts and download numbers on the day of the promotion across platforms like Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.
Juicy Insight: Engagement Boosting: Engaging with influencer posts can amplify visibility and engagement, making your promotion more effective.
Tracking Tools:
- Google Analytics: Use UTM parameters to track the source of traffic.
- Podcast Hosting Platform: Monitor download statistics.
- Social Media Analytics: Use native analytics tools on social media platforms to track engagement metrics such as likes, comments, and shares.
10. Engage with the Promotion
Boost the visibility of the influencer’s post by liking and commenting on it. Engage with the audience by responding to comments and encouraging discussions.
Example: Leave a comment thanking the influencer and encouraging their followers to check out your podcast.
Engagement Strategies:
- Like and Comment: Actively engage with the influencer's post to boost its visibility in social media algorithms.
- Respond to Comments: Answer questions and engage in conversations with the audience to build a community around your podcast.
- Share the Post: Share the influencer's post on your own social media channels to amplify its reach.
11. Report and Evaluate
Report the results in a meeting. Evaluate the effectiveness and decide whether to continue with the current influencer or explore others. Include metrics such as cost per click, new followers, and engagement rates.
Example Evaluation Metrics:
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): Measure the percentage of people who clicked on the UTM link in the influencer's post.
- Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Calculate the cost incurred for each new follower or podcast subscriber acquired through the influencer campaign.
- Increase in Followers: Track the growth in your podcast's follower count across different platforms.
- Engagement Rate: Evaluate the level of engagement on the influencer's post, including likes, comments, and shares.
Conclusion
Influencer promotion for your B2B podcast isn’t just a trend—it’s a strategic move that can propel your podcast to new heights. By leveraging the power of influencer marketing, you can connect with a broader audience, drive engagement, and establish your podcast as a thought leader in your industry. Influencer marketing is your ticket to making a powerful and lasting impact. Follow these steps, and you'll be well on your way to mastering influencer marketing for your B2B podcast.
- Without a strategic approach to influencer marketing, you might miss out on valuable opportunities to grow your audience.
- Without engaging the right influencers, your promotional efforts may fall flat.
- Without measuring and analyzing your results, you can't improve and optimize your strategy.
In the competitive world of podcasting, bold strategies and informed decisions make all the difference.
Happy podcasting!
