Have you ever encountered someone who spends an inordinate amount of time trying to convince you that they're an influencer? And yet look more closely, and you see they have no real community, zero brand presence and they rarely engage with any of the followers that they do have. The difference between true influencers and those who like to brag about their non-existent influencing cache is that influencers put in the time and the work. They, in other words, walk the walk.
For companies looking to work with influencers, it's critical to keep this in mind. Work with those others trust and to whom audiences might go for answers. Build your brand the right way.
E-A-T
E-A-T is an acronym for Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness. It's what Google uses to gauge the relevance of a website. So basically, upon searching for something, if a page comes up toward the top of the rankings, this means that Google has deemed it a quality page relevant to your search and one that falls in line with this E-A-T acronym.
Now, let's apply this same logic to influencers…Marketers looking to utilize the power of influencers could stand to employ Google's E-A-T methodology in evaluating who they opt to work with.
First off, look for someone connected to your niche. So if you're a beauty salon, odds are you're not going to go with a woodworking influencer—they have to have some expertise in your specific area. And remember, thousands or millions of followers do not equate to expertise. Your audience is looking for viable information, tips and ideas; the influencer needs to know their stuff.
As far as the authority aspect of it goes, investigate which influencers might be trending in your arena. Yes, there are certainly some big-name influencers out there—more in the celebrity realm—but this doesn't mean that they have any true authority and/or influence in your market.
Trustworthiness can be a tricky thing. Too many companies are hiring influencers who ultimately end up doing more harm than good for their brand. It's a balancing act in many ways: finding a voice and person you can trust with your brand reputation and also creating an authentic campaign around that person. In the end, you want to keep it real—people can spot fake a mile away. The best thing a marketer can do is to look for an influencer whose message and style align with that of the target audience.
Here at First Union Lending, we have helped many businesses with their marketing plan. Call today to see what we can do for you!