Tips for a Successful Influencer Campaign
Influencer marketing has become essential for brands, advertisers, and agencies. According to Adweek, an influencer is “an individual who has the power to affect others’ purchase decisions because of his or her authority, knowledge, and relationship with his or her audience or niche.” Influencers are authentic, relatable, and relevant, all qualities that companies hope to be as well.
Influencer marketing isn’t new—it’s been around since the 1890s, when Nancy Green became the face of Aunt Jemima pancake mix. Then fictional characters came in, with the Marlboro Man, Old Spice Guy, and Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World. Today, celebrities are influencers too, such as the Kardashians, Kevin Hart, Steph Curry, and more.
And now the line between “celebrity” and “influencer” has become more blurred. Some millennial and Gen Z influencers become celebrities, like personal trainer Kayla Itsines, beauty blogger Huda Kattan, and internet personality Cameron Dallas.
Brands, advertisers, and agencies all agree that influencer marketing is key in marketing strategies. The only challenge is identifying exactly where and when to utilize it. How do you strategize and execute a successful influencer campaign? Here some tips Adweek provides:
Figure out your budget and own expertise first.
Do you want the influencer to do everything (“managed service”) or can your staff do some of it (“self-service”)? Adweek writes, “If you have the staff, expertise, and operational know-how, is paying an extra fee for managed service beneficial? If your structure allows for successful execution, paying sometimes 5 percent less in fees to use self-service is the better option.”
Decide how you’ll measure the campaign’s success.
It all starts with the brief. Write a thought-provoking and creatively driven brief that clearly spells out your brand and campaign needs. What is the goal of the campaign? If it’s to drive website traffic, write that down and use trackable links. It it’s to change perception or raise awareness about a product or service, provide the terminology you want to be used and set up searches in a social listening tool to see when a shift in conversation occurs.
Get everyone—the social team, the PR/communications team, and the content/creative team—involved with the campaign.
Influencer campaigns don’t have to be assigned to just one team in your agency. You should utilize everyone’s expertise to manage and execute the campaign.
Influencer marketing will continue to grow and be important for companies in 2019, and we’ll see companies putting more time, effort, and money toward it. If you’re interested in learning more about influencer marketing and how North Water Marketing can help you reach your marketing goals, contact us today for a free consultation!
