There are few things that influence purchasing decisions of consumers more effectively than an endorsement from a social media icon.

Today, influencers are gaining a foothold in social media as consumers continue to trust Internet celebrities more than advertisers.

Because of this, the influencer campaign is fast becoming the new “it” in social media marketing. On Instagram, this trend is expected to gain more popularity still. A recent study estimated that the average monthly spend of $90 million per month by brands on Instagram for sponsored posts will jump to $200 million per month by 2019.

When 49% of your potential customers rely on recommendations by influencers every time they make a purchase, it’s not hard to see why.

Creators and brands agree that Facebook-owned Instagram is the second-best platform, next to Facebook, for influencer marketing. If you are on Instagram you can add influencer marketing to your campaign strategies by hosting a takeover. Here are some things you’ll want to know about Instagram takeovers.

Defining an Instagram Takeover

An Instagram takeover is a type of influencer marketing, where a key Internet figure takes over a brand’s account temporarily and posts messages of their own.

Image credit: BrandDrivenDigital

Companies benefit because the takeover subtly conveys the influencer’s approval of the brand, thus influencing brand perception and consumer buying decisions.

Influencers also benefit from takeovers because they get their content out to a different audience, providing exposure that elevates their social media standing to a new level.

So, it’s a mutually beneficial marketing campaign that works and works well.

Two Kinds of Instagram Takeover

To start your Instagram takeover campaign, you need to decide how much control you are willing to turn over to your guest Instagrammer. You can give your guest full rein of your account or set a boundary for the takeover.

Full Account Takeover

A full account takeover gives your influencer full access to everything. Your guest can post directly on your account and reply directly to comments from viewers.

This means you will have to share your password and you won’t be able to review your guest’s posts, although it’s assumed that you’ll have a prior agreement on what kind of content to post. You can also ask your guest to email you in advance what he or she plans to post.

A full account takeover will also give your guest access so he can go Live on the account. So, if he’s the kind whose behind-the-scenes work attracts an audience, you’ll greatly benefit from it.

Semi-account Takeover

If you prefer to post the content yourself, you can simply ask your guest to send you the picture or video and then post it yourself.

This option limits the risks but it also limits what your influencer guest can do. So, if your guest has an event, for example, he won’t be able to stream any content Live.

Additionally, your guest will have to reply to comments using his account and that, on the digital screen, won’t look like an authentic takeover. It also takes the fun out of it as it won’t feel like your guest really has taken over your account.

Some brands that are unwilling to give up full control of their account designate a separate Instagram account for takeovers. If you have no problem maintaining multiple Instagram accounts, then this might work for you.

Whether you opt for a full or semi-account takeover campaign, promote the takeover in advance and introduce your guest to your audience.

Take a look at the way this brand announced their Instagram takeover.

Image credit: Shortstack

How to Choose your Influencer?

To minimize risks involved, all you have to do is choose an influencer you trust implicitly and whose values reflect your brand's. Of course, that’s easier said than done. So, here’s some tips on choosing the right Instagrammer guest.

First off, your guest can be an influencer Instagrammer in your niche, a community ambassador or a loyal customer. Some brands even let their employees alternately have a go at it.

To make sure your Instagrammer’s ethics, ideals, and beliefs are aligned with your own brand’s standards, read back posts on his Instagram, including other social media platforms he has.

Also check out how his own audience engages with him or if he’s getting engagements with his posts, and what kind of relationship he has with his audience.

Another important factor to consider would be the number of followers your potential guests have. Whatever your goals are, whether to widen your reach or increase engagement activities around your account, someone with a solid following would significantly help multiply results of your takeover.

Your takeover strategy would also yield a more positive result if you have a large following yourself. If you’re just starting out, consider buying Instagram Followers to kickstart your Instagram presence before engaging in takeover campaigns. Your bought Followers will attract real, genuine Instagram followers. In marketers’ lingo, this tactic is called social proof marketing.

All in all, once you have chosen your guest, let him announce the takeover on his page too.

Image credit: SocialStudioShop

Should you pay your guest? There are no rules regarding compensation of influencers and you can decide whether to pay or not, but statistically speaking, about half of US marketers monetarily reward their influencers.

How to Plan an Instagram Takeover

All marketing campaigns need careful forethought and when you’re planning to host a takeover, first on your action plan should be establishing your goals. Define what you want to achieve with your takeover. Some sample goals would be:

Expand your reach

Grow your audience

Increase engagement

Market a new product

Promote an event

Define your Goals

Defining your goals will help you choose the right influencer for your campaign. If you want to expand your reach, for example, choose an influencer whose followers comprise your target audience.

Create a Hashtag

Next, think of an appropriate hashtag for your takeover campaign. It might be best to include the name of your influencer in the hashtag. That way, if there are perceptible changes in the voice and tone of the post, your audience will know it’s because of a takeover.

In the Instagram takeover example below, Disney got Luke Evans to promote Beauty and the Beast and used his character’s name as the hashtag for the takeover.

Image credit: Wordstream

Find a good hashtag from Instagram Search or find inspiration from RiteTag or some similar app.

Create a Guideline

Set a guideline for your takeover and communicate this with your Instagrammer guest before starting the campaign.

Your guidelines may contain:

the takeover date

the kind of content you want to see: posts, stories, and live broadcasts

how frequent you want the influencer to post in a day

the hashtag you wish to use

the login info for the account

and all other things you wish for the influencer to know

How Long Should it Be?

An Instagram takeover can be as short as a few hours, one day, or as long as one week. The timeline is up to you and should be based on the goals you wish to achieve.

Don’t forget to promote your Instagram takeover and ask your influencer to do the same using the takeover hashtag. Promote the takeover outside of Instagram too. Promote it on your website, on your other social media accounts, forums and everywhere else you can.

Image credit: AlaneHogan

Also, make sure you set up your account as a business so you can access your Instagram Insights and analyze the effectiveness of your takeover once the campaign is finished.

An increase in Followers is a good measure of its effectiveness, even if growing your Followers isn't the goal of your takeover campaign.

Remember, Instagram Followers can also be bought without risk from reputable providers. As long as you're buying high-quality Followers, you'll be able to build your credibility on Instagram and gain more followers as a result.

Leverage An Instagram Takeover Now!

As long as the world is held captive by social media sites and online influencers remain authentic, Instagram marketing trends like takeovers will continue. Take advantage of the influence Internet celebrities wield over your niche and try employing takeovers in your Instagram marketing campaigns.

Aside from benefiting from progressive, modern marketing strategies, following Instagram trends like these will also make your brand all the more relevant on Instagram.

Start collaborating with Instagram influencers today and propel your brand’s Instagram platform to success!

Image credit: BrandDrivenDigital

Date: April 24, 2017 / Categories: Buy Instagram Followers, Guide, Marketing, / Author: Charlie Luck