Why You Don’t Need a 'Famous' Influencer to Make Money
Most Brisbane business owners I talk to roll their eyes when I mention the word "influencer." I get it. You probably picture a 20-year-old taking selfies at South Bank, asking for free food in exchange for a 'shoutout' to their followers in America or Sydney.
If that’s what you think influencer marketing is, let me be blunt: for a local tradie, cafe, or professional service, that is a complete waste of your time and money.
But there is a different way to do this that actually works. I’m talking about partnering with people right here in your backyard—the ones who live in Coorparoo, work in Chermside, or run the local footy club in Northgate. When these people tell their friends and followers to use your business, your phone rings.
This isn't about being 'internet famous.' It’s about borrowing the trust someone else has already built to get more local phone calls from people who are ready to buy.
The "Local Legend" Strategy
For a small business in Brisbane, you don't want someone with 100,000 followers. You want someone with 1,000 followers who all live within ten minutes of your shop or service area.
Think about it. If you’re a plumber in Morningside, would you rather have a fashion model with a million followers mention you, or the president of the local junior rugby league club? The club president has the eyes and ears of hundreds of local parents who own homes and need plumbing work. That is where the money is.
Step 1: Finding the Right People (and Avoiding the Time-Wasters)
Stop looking for people with the most followers. Start looking for people with the most local influence. Here is who you should be looking for:
The Local Foodie: Not the ones who travel the world, but the one who only reviews breakfast spots in Brisbane’s northern suburbs. The Community Leader: Presidents of sports clubs, organisers of local charity drives, or the person who runs the "Community News" Facebook group for your suburb. The Complementary Business Owner: If you’re a mortgage broker, the local real estate agent is your best 'influencer.' If you’re a dog groomer, it’s the local vet.
I’ve seen this work for dozens of Brisbane businesses. We worked with a landscaper who didn't go to a marketing agency; he just gave a free garden tidy-up to a well-known local gym owner. The gym owner posted a video of the result, and that landscaper booked out his entire next month within 48 hours.
How to spot a fake
If someone reaches out to you asking for free stuff, check their followers. If most of their followers are from overseas, or if they get 5,000 likes but zero comments from actual locals, delete the email. They won't make you a cent.Step 2: What to Offer (It’s Not Always Cash)
Small business owners often think they can't afford this because they assume it costs thousands of dollars. In the real world of Brisbane small business, it rarely does.
Most local influencers are happy with one of three things:
1. Free Service/Product: You provide your service for free in exchange for them showing the process and the result to their followers. 2. A Discount for Their Tribe: You give them a special code (e.g., "GYM20") that gives their followers a discount. This is great because you can see exactly how many sales they brought in. 3. A Small Fee: Sometimes, for a high-quality local personality, paying a few hundred dollars for a dedicated video is much cheaper and more effective than a newspaper ad that nobody reads.
If you're worried about the cost, remember that this is often a way to get local customers without paying for ads on Google or Facebook, which are getting more expensive every day.
Step 3: The Approach – How to Not Sound Like a Spammer
Don't send a formal, corporate pitch. These are local people. Talk to them like a human.
The "I'm a Fan" Script: "Hey [Name], I’ve been following your page for a while and love what you do for the [Suburb] community. I run a local [Your Business Type] and I’d love to have you try us out. No strings attached, I just think your audience would really value what we do. Would you be open to a chat?"
It’s simple, it’s honest, and it works. Most people are flattered that a local business noticed them.
Step 4: What Do You Actually Want Them to Post?
This is where most businesses get it wrong. They let the influencer just post a photo of their logo. That is useless. People don't care about your logo; they care about how you solve their problems.
Instead, ask for:
The "Behind the Scenes": Show you working. If you're a painter, show the messy room becoming a beautiful one. The Honest Review: Ask them to talk about how easy it was to book with you and how polite your staff were. The "Call to Action": They must tell people what to do next. "Give them a call and mention my name for a free quote."
If you want the best results, you need to make sure your website works on phones so when people click the link in that person's bio, they can actually book you without getting frustrated.
Step 5: Measuring the Results (Will This Make Me Money?)
I’m a big believer in not spending a cent unless you can see what it’s doing for your bank account. To track if your local partnership is working, use these three simple methods:
1. The Promo Code: Give them a unique code. If 10 people use "SARAH10" this month, you know exactly where those customers came from. 2. The "How Did You Hear About Us?" Question: Train your staff (or yourself) to ask every single person who calls. It sounds basic, but it’s the most reliable data you’ll ever get. 3. The Spike in Enquiries: If you usually get 5 calls a week and you get 15 the week the local legend posts about you, you know it worked.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
I’ve seen plenty of Brisbane business owners get burnt by this because they didn't follow these rules:
Don't be a control freak: Let the person speak in their own voice. If you force them to read a script, it will sound fake, and their followers will ignore it. Don't ignore the "Micro" influencers: Someone with 500 very active local followers is worth ten times more than someone with 50,000 random followers.
- Don't forget the follow-up: If someone comments on the influencer's post asking a question, jump in and answer it! That’s a lead sitting right there waiting for you.
Realistic Timelines and Costs
How long until you see results? Usually, you’ll see a burst of interest within 24 to 48 hours of a post going live. However, the real value is the long-term trust. When someone searches for you later and remembers "Oh yeah, the guy from the footy club used them," that's when the sale happens.
In terms of cost, your biggest investment is usually your time and the cost of your service. If you're a pest controller, a $200 treatment for a local influencer might bring in $2,000 worth of new bookings. That’s a win in any business owner’s book.
Summary: Your Action Plan
1. Identify 5 local people who have a decent following in your specific Brisbane suburb. 2. Check their engagement. Are local people actually commenting and talking to them? 3. Send a friendly message offering to let them try your service for free. 4. Agree on a simple post that shows you in action and tells people how to contact you. 5. Track the calls. Ask every new customer how they found you.
Look, I get it—you’re busy. You’ve got a business to run, staff to manage, and a family to see. But spending two hours a week building these local relationships is often more effective than spending $1,000 a month on ads that people just scroll past.
Most of what you read online about influencer marketing is rubbish written for big global brands. For a Brisbane small business, it’s much simpler: find someone local, be helpful, and get recommended.
If you want help finding the right strategy to grow your business and make sure your marketing is actually making you money, we’re here to help. At Local Marketing Group, we focus on what gets the phone ringing, not what looks pretty on a report.
Ready to grow your Brisbane business? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get more customers through your door.