Why Influencer Marketing Can Expand Your Reach

For nonprofits, social media is a key platform to advertise on, which includes utilizing Influencer Marketing. By partnering with a local blogger or influential person, organizations can connect with a larger target audience that otherwise may be difficult to engage with. It's a known fact that people look to online influencers to help them make informed decisions about which brands, causes, and products they should support.

To capitalize on the opportunity, cultivate genuine relationships with influencers. Reach out and start conversations. It's important to show them your support in advance before soliciting them; like their posts, comment and engage! You don't want to come off like you are simply using them for their following. A great way to connect is to ask them if they know about your nonprofit. Offer them a tour of your facility or do a lunch meetup. Not every influencer is a good fit to highlight your organization, so this is the time to learn more about them and their interests.

Ask yourself:

1. What is your goal of this relationship?

2. Are their followers an audience you'd like to target?

3. What could you offer the influencer?

By partnering with the right individuals; increased awareness, credibility, and fundraising outcomes are more obtainable than ever before. There are also levels to influencers, and regardless if they have one thousand followers or one million, what makes these influential people powerful is their connection to a group of fans is what makes them powerful.

• Nano-influencers: 1,000-10,000 followers

• Micro-influencers: 10,000-50,000 followers (tend to be much more responsive)

• Mid-tier influencers: 50,000-500,000 followers

• Macro-influencers: 500,000-1 million followers

• Mega-Influencers: 1 million+ followers

Now that you have a goal in mind, you’re ready to reach out to your target list of influencers. My best efforts involved Direct Messaging. Design a powerful message to grab their attention, and be direct in what you’re asking. Make sure to include why you’ve approached them, why you think they and your organization would work well together, and what your partnership would include.

Building these relationships takes a little time, but the payoff is mutually beneficial.

---

Author Shannon Fernandez