The Power of Influencers
The shift in the social media landscape is already happening – consumers want to follow people, not products. The biggest hurdle? Consumers can sniff out transactional influencer relationships from a mile away. So, it’s crucial to keep your brand as human (and people-focused) as you can be.
Don’t pay for people who are just going to spout your name, if your content creators don’t believe in what you do, people will see through it. A brand story draws people in, excites them, and generates the desire to take action. Creators are the perfect partners to help spread the word, but it’s up to the brand to give them the tools to succeed. Training the influencers like how salespeople are trained is a great method, since you take the time to chat with them about who you are as a brand, your products and why they are unique.
And, the business of influencer marketing just keeps growing, as shown by this infographic from Influencer Marketing Hub:
Influencers can be a great avenue in streamlining such process, but you have to know your audience, and what kinds of influencers they’re tuning into, in order to get the most out of your influencer marketing efforts.
A large portion of a successful influencer approach is creative freedom. In your brand strategy, leave flexibility with the hired creators to allow them to breathe new life into your plans. Having a vision, loose script or goal you set for them is great and SHOULD be included, but expecting them to “fit inside a box” that your brand does not even fit into is a wildly outrageous expectation – and will sour any relationship. Marketers have to treat their influencers as trusted partners. Clear goals and deliverables are critical to keeping everyone on the same page, but creators need the freedom to produce content in their own way.
So, if your brand strategy is ready for:
Reaching relevant and expanded audiences
Building trust and credibility
Help with the cycle of sales
Saving time and resources for new campaign ideas
Then talk about integrating a successful influencer into your overall marketing goals!
