How to Best Track Influencer Marketing Engagement
When it comes to marketing in the cannabis industry it’s really an uphill battle amongst online restrictions. Google Adwords, boosted Facebook posts, and most online marketing of any kind is restricted in the cannabis world.
Since cannabis is still considered a Schedule 1 drug under the federal government many companies such as Facebook are taking the stance that it is illegal to solicit anything cannabis related – plant touching or not.
One way to boost your online presence without explicitly advertising is through Influencer Marketing.
Influencer Marketing
In our last blog we discussed what Influencer marketing is, this article will expand upon the benefits of influencer marketing and how to track your results and engagement.
According to a poll by Musefind over 92% of consumers trust influencers over a paid advertisement or celebrity endorsements which is great news for those in the cannabis space!
When searching for influencers to represent your brand keep in mind that more followers doesn’t always equal more engagement.
In today’s online world it’s really easy to buy followers for cheap! Scan through an “influencers” 12.5K followers and if they have like metrics that don’t coincide with their follower numbers then they likely bought followers to boost their appearance.
Utilizing “micro influencers” (those with under 5,000 followers) are likely going to be more engaged with their audience especially on a localized level. For cannabis companies, working with local influencers is a great way to get your products in front of the right people.
Ways to Track Influencer Engagement
When you offer an influencer program make sure the terms and conditions of the agreement are clear. How many posts/stories does the person have to provide, who do they tag, what hashtags to use etc… These are all great ways to track engagement and ensure the influencer is fulfilling their side of the agreement.
Besides the number of followers and likes tracking “impressions” on posts is another great way to track ROI on the campaign. Often times the influencer will need to provide you with this data, but if you can make that a term and condition up front you’ll be much better off in the end!
Even if the influencer isn’t producing the number of “likes” you wanted their impressions may be much higher which means people are still seeing their posts without clicking that like button.
Something important to note is that authenticity is key with influencer marketing. Try not to control the messaging! If an influencer loves your products their excitement will show through the posts and other consumers will catch on.
Another great way to track ROI is by using UTM tags by creating specific URL’s for the individual sharing your information. Any time someone clicks on that specific URL you can track the engagement on the back end of your website to see how effective their sharing really is. Specific discount codes and affiliate marketing is another good way to track engagement as that is a direct connection from the influencer to your site.
Tracking your SEO and the source of referrals on the back end of your site also helps you determine where the traffic is coming from. If more people are engaging on your Facebook versus Instagram perhaps tailor your campaign to focus on Facebook promotion to ensure the highest level of ROI.
Utilizing a digital marketing agency to set up and track your Influencer program is the best way to ensure you are properly investing your time and money into the right channels.
Consider Youwho Brand for your next influencer campaign. We have a database of influencers who have provided proven results of engagement across the cannabis industry.
Learn more about our services and how we can help your brand grow here.
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