With the new Facebook algorithm changes, everyone is rushing to learn about influencers, and for good reason.

According to a consumer survey, 54% of women have made a purchase after they saw an influencer posting about it. Forty-five percent of women in the survey have even started following a brand that an influencer has created a sponsored post about. And a study by Google showed that 70% of teenage YouTube audiences are influenced more by YouTubers than by traditional celebrities.

Let’s face it, traditional ads are almost obsolete these days. They cost a lot and tend to fall on deaf ears.

Clearly, influencer marketing is the way to go, but if everyone is participating, how do you beat the competition? How do you make sure that your influencer strategy will truly get the best engagement and reach? And how can you be certain that your campaign will ultimately get you more sales?

Here are a few of the best tips to absolutely smash the competition and out-influence everyone else.

1. Turn your influencers into ambassadors.

Working with influencers to promote your brand will only get you so far. In order to maximize your influencer campaigns, you need to build long-term relationships with each of your influencers. One way to do so is to turn them into true ambassadors for your brand.