Influencer marketing has become one of the hottest areas in digital marketing over the past few years. As more brands realize the power of partnering with social media influencers, the demand for influencer marketing professionals has skyrocketed. If you’re interested in breaking into this exciting field, here is a guide on how to get a job in influencer marketing.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing involves partnering with influential people on social media to promote your brand and products. It relies on leveraging the followers and credibility of social media influencers to spread brand awareness and drive sales.
Some key benefits of influencer marketing include:
- Increased brand awareness and reach
- Improved brand credibility and trust
- Higher conversion rates and sales
- Cost-effectiveness compared to other forms of marketing
- Creative and authentic branded content
Top social media platforms used in influencer campaigns include Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter. Today, influencer marketing is widely considered one of the most effective online customer acquisition strategies.
What Does an Influencer Marketing Job Involve?
An influencer marketing job may involve responsibilities such as:
- Identifying and vetting potential influencer partners that match the brand’s goals, values, and target audience
- Reaching out to and establishing relationships with relevant influencers
- Negotiating influencer contracts and fees
- Developing influencer briefing documents outlining campaign strategies, deliverables, timelines, and branding guidelines
- Collaborating with influencers to conceptualize and develop engaging branded content
- Managing communications and providing ongoing support to influencer partners
- Measuring and analyzing campaign performance using key metrics like engagement, clicks, conversions, etc.
- Continuously optimizing campaigns to improve results
- Maintaining thorough campaign records and preparing progress reports
- Staying on top of influencer marketing trends, tools, and best practices
Influencer marketing professionals work closely with social media influencers, marketing, PR, and creative teams to execute successful campaigns. Excellent communication skills and an ability to build strong working relationships are essential. The work also requires creativity, strategic thinking, attention to detail, and analytical skills.
What Skills Do I Need?
Here are some of the key skills required for influencer marketing jobs:
- Communication and Interpersonal Skills – You’ll need to interface extensively with influencer talent and internal teams, so communication and relationship-building skills are vital.
- Creativity – Great influencer campaigns are creative and engaging. You’ll need creative chops to conceptualize content ideas and storytelling narratives.
- Social Media Expertise – Thorough knowledge of each social platform’s unique features, algorithms, analytics, communities and influencer landscapes is a must.
- Negotiation Skills – You’ll negotiate rates, deliverables, rights, and usage licenses with influencer teams.
- Analytics – expertise in monitoring and analyzing campaign performance metrics will allow you to optimize efforts.
- Project Management – juggling multiple influencers and campaigns requires stellar project management abilities.
- Strategic Thinking – you need to see the big picture and make smart decisions to meet overarching goals.
What Kind of Education or Background Do I Need?
While you don’t need a specific degree or qualification to succeed in influencer marketing, the following education and backgrounds can be helpful:
- A bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, public relations, advertising, journalism, or a related field
- Coursework or training in social media marketing
- Internship experience in a digital marketing or social media role
- Work experience in public relations, account management, content creation/strategy, or community management
- Existing knowledge of influencer platforms from personal usage
You can get a head start on some of the required capabilities even before landing an influencer marketing role. For example, grow your personal social media channels to become better versed in each platform. Take online courses in social media marketing. Stay on top of influencer marketing news and innovations. Develop a passion for branded storytelling and creative content development.
How Do I Start Getting Influencer Marketing Experience?
Here are some tips for gaining that all-important first experience in influencer marketing:
- Complete internships at agencies or brands to get hands-on experience managing influencer campaigns.
- Take on an assistant role supporting influencer marketing managers to learn the ropes.
- Offer to help influencers you follow with content creation and community engagement in exchange for mentoring.
- Manage influencer campaigns for a personal blog, small business, or nonprofit to build your portfolio.
- Enroll in training programs focused specifically on influencer marketing.
- Join industry associations like the Influencer Marketing Council to gain access to resources and training.
- Follow influencer marketing thought leaders online and stay on top of latest trends.
- Consider taking an entry-level role in a related field like social media marketing or PR to get crossover experience.
Treat any opportunity to get involved in influencer marketing, even unpaid, as a valuable chance to gain skills and make connections in the industry.
What Entry-Level Influencer Marketing Jobs Should I Look For?
When you’re just starting out, look for roles like:
- Influencer Marketing Assistant
- Influencer Marketing Coordinator
- Social Media Specialist
- Digital Marketing Specialist
- PR Assistant
- Communications Assistant
- Content Marketing Assistant
- Social Media Intern
- Marketing Intern
Entry-level roles will allow you to learn on the job from experienced influencer marketing professionals. Pay close attention to the required qualifications so you can tailor your resume and highlight relevant skills and experience.
How Can I Expand My Skills and Experience?
Here are some tips for maximizing your skills once in an influencer marketing role:
- Shadow team members in different specialties like PR, social media, and analytics to understand how functions intersect.
- Volunteer for special projects outside your regular responsibilities.
- Ask managers what skills you need to develop to be considered for promotion.
- Attend webinars and events to stay on top of the latest influencer marketing strategies.
- Read blogs, case studies, and books by leaders in the industry.
- Follow influencers and brands running innovative campaigns.
- Familiarize yourself inside and out with each social media platform.
- Learn how to use influencer marketing tools and technologies.
- Consider getting an industry certification, like the Influencer Marketing Certification from the Influencer Marketing Council.
Never stop learning. Influencer marketing changes rapidly, so continuing education is a must.
How Can I Advance My Influencer Marketing Career?
To move up into more senior influencer marketing roles, you’ll need to:
- Achieve stellar results and KPIs on your campaigns
- Master hard skills like contract negotiations, budget management, and performance analysis
- Develop sharp strategic thinking abilities
- Gain proficiency managing larger-scale, high-profile campaigns
- Build your industry reputation by publishing articles, speaking at events, etc.
- Consider getting an advanced degree in marketing, business, or communications
- Pursue professional certifications
- Build relationships with key players at brands, agencies, and platforms
- Collaborate with influential, high-profile creators
- Mentor and manage junior team members
With a solid track record of campaign success, leadership capabilities, industry connections, and specialized expertise – the sky’s the limit in influencer marketing!
Conclusion
Breaking into the exciting field of influencer marketing is very achievable for those with the right blend of creative and analytical skills. Gain relevant education and experience through classes, internships, and assistant roles. Continually expand your skills and connections. Be a thought leader. Achieve stellar campaign results for your brands. With persistence and dedication to mastering both the art and science of influencer marketing, you can build a rewarding, high-growth career as an influencer marketing pro.