A Practical Guide to Influencer Marketing for Small Businesses | Laine White

Can a small business in Birmingham actually work with a local influencer? And if so, how do you even start? In this episode of The Localist, Carrie Rollwagen sits down with Laine White, Marketing Consultant and Innovation Strategist at Uptick Marketing, to answer real audience questions about local influencer marketing. Laine made a semi-viral Instagram post about how small businesses are missing out by not working with local micro influencers, and a massive conversation followed in the comments. Now she is here to break it all down. They cover what makes a business a good fit for influencer marketing, how to reach out without being rude, what follower count matters actually, and what it doesn't, how to think about compensation, the difference between a paid post and an authentic partnership, and how hosting an influencer event can be one of the most cost-effective ways to get started. Plus, an audience Q&A with practical answers to real small-business scenarios. If you have ever seen a local influencer and wondered whether they could help your business, this episode gives you a clear, honest roadmap. 🎥  Watch the Full Episode on YouTube  ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Mentioned in This Episode Uptick Marketing: https://www.uptickmarketing.com Infomedia: https://infomedia.com Hattie O'Hara (One Week in Birmingham) — Localist episode: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/how-influencer-hattie-ohara-built-the-one-week-in-birmingham-brand Bustle Gowns — Localist episode: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/crafting-a-once-in-a-lifetime-experience-with-bustle/ Ohm Jiu Jitsu — Localist episode: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/ohm-jiu-jitsu/ Cala Coffee: https://www.calacoffeeco.com Lady Bird Taco — Localist episode: https://carrierollwagen.com/podcast-episodes/the-magic-behind-ladybird-taco/ Pink Lantern: https://www.instagram.com/pinklanternbham AMA Birmingham: https://amabirmingham.org Randall Porter: https://www.instagram.com/randallporter/ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 💻 Connect with Laine White Laine White is a Marketing Consultant and Innovation Strategist at Uptick Marketing, Infomedia's sister company. She works with local businesses on social media strategy, influencer marketing and brand storytelling. Uptick Marketing: https://www.uptickmarketing.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imlaine_white LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/lainewhite Email Laine: [email protected]  ______________________________________________________________________________________________ 📲 Follow Carrie Rollwagen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crollwagen Website: https://www.carrierollwagen.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/crollwagen  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@crollwagen ______________________________________________________________________________________________  📢 Thanks to Our Sponsor, Infomedia The Localist is sponsored by Infomedia, a Birmingham-based web and digital marketing company that helps small businesses get big results online. Contact Infomedia: https://infomedia.com/contact ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Join Us at Localist Lab Localist Lab is our free live marketing event series for small business owners, held on the third Thursday of most months at Saturn in Avondale. Each session features practical strategies you can use right away, plus free tacos and coffee. See upcoming events and register ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Subscribe to Carrie's Newsletter Get more small business insights, resources and behind-the-scenes updates from Carrie delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for the newsletter