Influencer Marketing – What You Need To Know
“Influencer marketing in 2018 will become an integral part of a brand’s marketing mission” said Anand Narayanan, Head of Digital at Panasonic UK. Research has found that 67% of marketers think influencer marketing campaigns have helped them reach a more targeted audience, thus having an overwhelmingly positive affect on their respective businesses.
Tips for brands to succeed in Influencer marketing:
You don’t have to look far to find #ad somewhere in your insta feed. The platform offers brands to communicate with their consumers effectively. This is done through alternative angles for the perfect insta shot, individualistic captions that represent the brand, but most importantly though collaborations. Brands have to be careful in selecting their influencers for partnerships. A good influencer or a brand ambassador will offer their own perspective on the specific product and know just how to communicate with their audience.
Airbnb collaborated with celebrity influencers to increase their reach and maximize exposure. The campaign began in July 2015, when Mariah Carey became the first influencer to book her Malibu accommodation through Airbnb. It was then that Airbnb’s marketing team got in touch with Mariah’s managers and put the strategy in place. Mariah has over 6 million followers on Instagram, posted a picture taken at the luxurious beach house in Malibu that she stayed at. She tagged Airbnb in the picture, as well as the caption. The post received 45,000 likes.
‘Tweet it’ or ‘I read this tweet…’ Have become common conversational phrases. Twitter is where real-time news is delivered and as consequence, it is also where real-time marketing happens. Twitter videos have to be less than two minutes, which these day is plenty time to use an ambassador to share product news. Recently, Google enlisted Chrissy Teigen with a 10 second ad showing virtues of Google Assistant through the eyes of the celeb ambassador, reaching more than 12 million views.
YouTube
The home of the vlogger. YouTube is responsible for launching the careers of countless brand ambassadors, who have made a living reviewing products. The impact is huge! Consumers trust an influencer more than product reviews. Take DevinSuperTramp for example, with more than 4.8 million subscribers on YouTube, their stunt and action sports videos have plenty of product integration in their signature style.
In a recent edit, the crew is seen battling on bouncy houses and floating tubes while being pulled across a lake at high speeds, and they’re snacking on Wendy’s take out at the same time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aoQjKw3eQ0 or MylifeAsEva https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAoMPWcQKA_9Af5YhWdrZgw with 8,562,015 subscribers.
Live Streaming
An interesting feature offered on most social media platforms. Brands can utilise this as an opportunity to engage with their consumers by showcasing events. All from live celebrity interviews to CSR events will engage consumers, even if it is just for a few minutes.
Collaborations
This could amplify your campaign. Working with elite bloggers or vloggers, rather than just one will inevitably help create even more buzz for the brand through the nature of the outreach.
Stay Informed
With any form of marketing or campaign it is vital to follow the latest news in the media. As some platforms are declining in favour, brands can accidentally put themselves or their influencers into sticky situations. A few weeks ago, Snapchat was in the firing line for insensitivity and now Facebook is in the hot seat amid privacy breaches as celebrities and brands are cancelling their accounts.
The avenues of influencer marketing are many, as are the benefits. It is an interesting time of exploring for your brand.
Here at LSPR we offer a 5 day PR and Reputation Management course, 2 day Branding course and a 1 day Influence and Impression Management course to give your brand a head start.