As a small business owner, you want to grow your venture on a budget. One way to do so is to use what is known as celebrity endorsements. According to a MarketWatch claim in Social Media Week, a single celebrity endorsement can increase your business sales by close to 4% instantly. It works like a charm! Of course, if the right celebrity is affiliated with your brand, people will have more trust and confidence in what you are selling.
But, as a small business owner, securing a celebrity endorsement may look like a long shot. Most small businesses tend to think of Hollywood and expensive when they think of celebrity endorsements. Well, that is not entirely true. This guide will tell you how to get a celebrity endorsement for small businesses.
What is your budget?
The first step is to set aside the amount of money you would want to spend. Every business branding and marketing should be done on a budget to avoid overspending. Keep in mind that how much you want to spend will determine who you can negotiate with. Today, social media influencers like Youtubers are also top celebrities who can endorse a brand compared to when celebrities were viewed as movie and TV stars. So, as long as you have a reasonable budget to pay for endorsement, you will strike a deal!
Tip: It doesn’t have to be expensive to work. Play your cards right and you will get your return on investments.
Pick the right celebrities
Picking the wrong celebrity for an endorsement will hurt your brand. We have seen a lot of celebrity endorsements gone bad in the past. The likes of John Terry and Umbro, Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Grill and many more. You should be wary of taking your brand down the route.
How do you identify a celebrity who is fit for your brand endorsement? Well, first you have to know who your target audience is and make sure that the celebrity that you pick will resonate well with them. This means that you find a celebrity who is likely to use the product you are selling and whose fans and followers have the same interests. Ensure that the celebrity you are picking is credible enough-their reputation should entice your target audience. They should trust them and view the endorsement as honest. It is also good to work with a celebrity who is passionate about your brand as it will be easier for them to promote a product.
Tip: Check on their track record as well. For example, look at their previous endorsements and their performance.
Work with an entertainment marketing agency
As a small business owner, choosing a celebrity who is fit to endorse and figuring out how they can present it to their audience can be difficult. Luckily, you can outsource the task to experts who can help. You can source exclusive entertainment marketing support to help deliver the ROIs you are looking for in your campaigns. A good partner will have the expertise to seek a celebrity endorsement you can trust and rely on to promote your brand. Remember, gone are the days when people used to sit down and listen to television adverts. Nowadays, when an advert pops out, viewers tend to switch channels or switch to ad-free services.
A good entertainment marketing agency will market your brand to the target audience organically using avenues or experiences they enjoy or are attached to emotionally.
Work with micro-influencers
Micro-influencers are celebrities who tend to have between 1000 and 10000 followers on their social media platforms. As a small business owner, it is better to use micro-influencer for brand promotion for a number of reasons. A micro-influencer may seem to have a small number of followers but, their followers are people that have a common interest and are hyper-engaged in a specific area. If the mini “celebrity” has followers that are interested in your product, a big percentage of the followers will tend to purchase your product or service.
A survey conducted by Experticity found that 82% of customers are likely to buy a product or service recommended to them by a micro-influencer compared to the big guns. In other words, micro-influencer marketing is more authentic. The study found that followers trust and are eager to try products and services from brands that micro-influencers endorse.
There is also the aspect of costs. You might not afford to seal an endorsement deal with high-profile celebrities and they are a good alternative. Micro-influencers are cheaper and with good ROIs.
Tip: Some micro-influencers may not even ask for money. You might only need to compensate them with free products or services to get a deal!
Wrapping up
Celebrity endorsements can help your small business in boosting the sales and growth of your business. For celebrity endorsement campaigns to be effective, you need to work with the right people and experts. Again, you can seek help from a good entertainment marketing agency to strike the right deals and execute successful campaigns.
Leave a Reply