- Recognize that mom influencers are as important as traditional media.
- Make sure you do your homework and know who is coming to your booth.
- Follow all the influencers coming to your booth on social media BEFORE the show starts. It demonstrates interest in them and establishes a connection.
- Be there during your appointment time. Really! Treat the appointment as you would any other important meeting.
- Exhibit your product in a way that’s Insta-worthy. Let’s face it, you want them to post your product to Instagram. Take it out of the box and place it in a well-lit area of your booth.
- Encourage the influencer to touch and play with your toys. Offer to photograph or video her playing so that she can post it her social media later.
- Ask the influencer if you can take photos of her to post to your brand’s social channels and make sure you tag her in the post.
- Provide influencers with a list of your brand and product social media channels so it’s easy for them to tag you in their posts.
- Establish a show-specific hashtag so you can measure the results of your influencer outreach against exposure during the show.
- Encourage the influencer to post with the official Toy Fair hashtag so that you gain exposure within the industry.
- Ask the influencer about special posts they do throughout the year like holiday gift guides and seasonal promotions that your products may be a good match for.
- Be ready to answer the question, “How do we work together in the future?” Are you dating, or is it a one night stand? Influencers want to know. You opened the door by inviting them into your brand, you have to be ready to describe what’s next.
- Follow up with a thank you email and make sure they have what they need to share your product with their audience.
- Save their information and remember them during product launches and paid campaigns. They will appreciate the longevity of the relationship and reward you with great posts.
- Challenge the agencies you hire to follow these rules in order to maximize your return on investment.
Bonus tip: Email me, maria@bsmmedia.com if you need additional pointers or help connecting your brand with influencers.
Hope to see you at Toy Fair 2019!
Maria Bailey is CEO of BSM Media , the award winning Marketing to Mom agency and author of “Millennial Moms: 202 Facts Marketers Need to Know to Build Brands and Drives Sales” and soon to be released, “Marketing to Gen Z Moms.”
