10 Best Practices: Working with Facebook Influencers

Facebook. You probably have an account, your mom probably has an account, heck your grandma probably even has an account. Facebook influencers are a little less well-known. So why is Facebook considered a dying platform? Well, ever since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, Facebook has gotten some bad press, but is it really dying?

According to Statista, no! In fact, Facebook is still the most used social media platform in the world with 2.45 billion (with a B) active monthly users. While Instagram certainly took over as the go-to influencer marketing hub, Facebook is still very much in the game.

So of course, our first tip to working with Facebook influencers is…

1. Don’t write off Facebook!

Facebook is obviously the biggest platform on the internet right now, but it is also the most diverse. Posts can come in the form of images (like Instagram), video (like YouTube), or just plain text (like Twitter). Facebook is a triple-threat meaning Facebook influencers have several options when it comes to what kind of content they share. This is great for influencer marketing because brands can run multiple kinds of campaigns all within one platform. And it seems to be paying off.

According to a survey conducted by influencer marketing company IZEA, 48% of participants were influenced by Facebook when it came to purchasing products. Facebook was also one of the participant’s most popular choices for conducting research on products.

2. Learn how to use Facebook Creators

Much like YouTube Creators, Facebook rolled out Facebook for Creators in November 2017. Meant to empower creators, Facebook released the platform to:

1. Manage content
2. Earn money
3. Engage audiences

When Facebook introduced Facebook for Creators, it became clear that the platform was ready to step into the influencer market. The platform has several features designed to help Facebook influencers create and manage content. The more you know about Facebook for creators, the better you’ll be able to communicate and work with Facebook influencers!

3. Use the Brand Collabs Manager tool

In the summer of 2018, Facebook made waves with its new Brand Collabs Manager. The platform is essentially a giant search engine to complete with other influencer marketing platforms on the market. The brand collabs manager tool allows brands, advertisers, and sponsors to search creators based on their audience. Right now, page admins can apply to be apart of the brand collabs manager tool here.

4. Use Facebook Live

As we mentioned earlier, Facebook has several options when it comes to what kind of content influencers can share. One of the more recent features of Facebook is livestreaming. Facebook has begun to compete with other streaming platforms such as Mixer and Twitch with its platform Facebook Gaming. Non-gaming users can choose to livestream directly on their feeds to any fans that tune in. The livestreams are also recorded and can be posted as videos later. 

Livestreams are a great way to give Facebook influencers creative freedom over their campaigns. In one example, comedian Laura Clery promoted the game app Best Fiends by playing it during a live broadcast, including a link for users to download the app straight from her post. In the video, Laura played one of her eccentric characters Pamela Pupkin, who got into a rather entertaining and chaotic feud with her husband Roger (played by Laura’s real-life husband Stephen) over the game. This allowed Laura to promote the game while still giving her fans what they know and love. 

5. Use photo/video posts

Facebook also allows standard photo and video posts. These are the most eye-catching ways to grab an audience’s attention. The big plus with using photo or video is that it allows the Facebook influencer to have creative freedom over the campaign. Also, if you have a trending video on Instagram, you can download it using an Instagram video downloader and share it on Facebook.

6. Cross-market on linked platforms

Most influencers have followings built on many different platforms. Cross-promoting campaigns across all of your influencer’s platforms helps them gain followers on all platforms and introduces your product to their differing audiences. If you are working with a Facebook influencer that also has a following on Instagram, consider running the same campaign on both platforms! Some other great platforms to cross-promote on include:

• YouTube
• TikTok
• Twitter
• Twitch
• Mixer

7. Don’t forget about giveaways!

Just like on Instagram and YouTube, don’t forget the power of giveaways! Giveaways tend to be a win-win for influencers because their followers engage with their posts and share their content while your brand gets attention from these old and new audiences. 

In this example, My Protein had fitness influencer Jordan Morello host a giveaway on his Facebook page. He gave three steps for users to enter: follow the company’s Facebook page and his own, like the post, and tag one friend in the post’s comments.

He included a fun, simple, eye-catching photo of himself with the products to gain his followers’ attention.

8. Let your Facebook influencers have creative freedom

We’ve said it once and we’ll say it a million more times –let your influencers have creative say! Of course, you can provide guidelines or suggestions of what not to do, but for the most part, your influencers should feel comfortable promoting your product in their own voice. This is because their audience will be able to tell very quickly if a brand deal sounds forced or fake. Although it sometimes seems like the opposite is true, people on social media truly value authenticity. Plus, allowing your influencer to work in their own way will help your brand build a relationship with them that lasts beyond one brand deal. 

9. Find influencers via the Pages feature

A good way to search for influencers while you wait to be accepted into the brand collabs manager tool is through Facebook’s Pages feature. Most Facebook influencers will have a page set up in their name as opposed to a personal account. This is so people can like and follow their page to see content as opposed to sending a friend request. 

To see results from influencers with their own established brands, go to the ‘Pages’ tab, then go to the ‘Categories’ filter section on the left sidebar.

Select ‘Artist, Band, or Public Figure.’ You can also check out the ‘Local Business or Place’ and ‘Entertainment’ categories.

Check out the ‘Groups’ tab as well, since Groups may not have the same organic reach issues that pages and profiles do. Try all this with hashtags too. Start with the more obvious ones, like #mountainclimbing. Go to the ‘Posts’ filter tab to see posts that contain the keyword, then start browsing through the profiles and pages the posts came from.

10. Search Google

Finally, don’t forget about good ole’ Google. Sticking with the mountain climbing example, you could type in searches like:

• Mountain climbing Facebook influencers
• Top mountaineers Facebook
• Facebook mountaineering influencers
• Climbers on Facebook
• Action sports influencers Facebook
• Facebook extreme sports influencers

Now that you know everything you need to work with Facebook influencers, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get marketing!