When Belinda Norton-Smith started her b.live. wear brand her main aim was connecting with people searching for great content about living an optimal life.
With her healthy eating, fitness and fashion blog and social profiles fast gaining popularity she soon acquired a dedicated following of 25,000+ on Instagram, along with interest from health and fitness businesses looking to get in front of her audience.
It was no surprise when Jo Clark, Marketing Manager for fisiocrem Australia, one of Australia’s leading pain relief creams, approached Belinda for promotional opportunities.
“When we look at using models in any content or advertising we create, it’s important to find a credible person to represent the brand. All things being equal, we’ll engage the model or personality who has a strong social media presence – that’s why we approached Belinda. The reason is simple – we want to leverage our content or advertising as much as possible,” said Ms Clark.
“It is very difficult for many athletes to earn decent money from the exploitation of their profiles. Conversely, businesses want the biggest bang for their buck and want to ensure they have the right person associated with them. These days it’s all about leverage and getting the brand in front of the right audience,” she said.
“That’s why people like personal trainers can be a perfect fit for promoting fitness brands – the trainer’s audience is the brands target market. To be seen as expert, knowledgeable and authentic is key,” said Ms Clark.
Instagram is fast becoming the go-to social media platform for individuals and brands looking to grow their profiles and become influencers in their chosen field. With higher engagement than other social networks, Instagram offers huge potential to users.
The health and fitness industry is especially prominent on Instagram with scores of influencers building huge followings, attracting tons of business and building partnerships with brands and advertisers such as club owners, fitness industry suppliers and more.
Here’s how to get started:
Engage with brands: Following brands, liking and commenting on photos and developing a rapport is key to being seen by brands. If you’re a fan, let them know. Start a conversation about a product or write a review and send it to them.
Show your support: While having a big following is important to attracting brand partnerships, don’t expect them to come to you based on numbers alone. Companies want to know you’re a longtime supporter of their products and that you genuinely understand and appreciate what they stand for.
For business looking to engage people to promote their goods or services, remember that it’s not all about the numbers – having an enthusiastic, credible and authentic advocate is key.
If that person has 5,000 social media followers and a less credible source has 50,000 followers, go with the smaller number but better engagement.
Article written by Brendon Sinclair for the What’s New in Fitness Magazine, Summer 2015 Edition.