October Program Recap – Influencer Marketing 101: An Influencer’s Top Tips for PR Pros

Article by Sasha Williams, Account Assistant, Allison Aubuchon Communications

Speaker: Carly Riordan

Socials:

Carly’s Journey

Carly Riordan is a full-time influencer and has been working in this growing field for almost 10 years. She began her influencer journey by blogging as a college freshman due to a need for a creative outlet and expression that could not be judged by a coach or graded by a professor.

During her undergrad years at Georgetown University from 2008 to 2012, Carly created a digital company that was ahead of its time and was able to be at the forefront of social media influencing.

As she entered her senior year, she realized she was earning a decent amount of income from her blog. After graduation, she moved to New York City to work for a tech start-up, but then realized that she earned twice her salary from her blog than she did at the start-up.

In 2013, Carly quit her job at the start-up and took a chance on herself for three months – and has been self-employed since then. Over the years, her full-time job as an influencer has grown and evolved.

Top Takeaways:

Know Your Audience

  • It is important for influencers to consider their audience when choosing what to promote on their page.
  • As PR professionals, it is also important to know the influencer’s audience when pitching them.

How PR Professionals Should Pitch Influencers

  • If you can avoid it, do not send Instagram DMs (direct messages)! Check the influencer’s Instagram bio or website for an email address, and send your pitch directly via email so it does not get lost in DMs.
  • Choose influencers who are authentic and have an authentic audience – and avoid influencers who purchase their likes, comments, and followers.
  • Be transparent about your budget, and make sure you have a sufficient budget for the influencer you are seeking to hire.
  • If an influencer is unfamiliar with a brand, it is important to pitch to the influencer how the partnership will work for them and their audience.

Privacy as an Influencer

  • Being vulnerable as an influencer has helped Carly become a success, but she still maintains privacy with certain aspects of her life. It is important for influencers to determine boundaries for themselves on how much they are willing to share with their followers.