The rise of the influencer is no secret. These days, we all know someone who has built their own brand and become a household name on social media.
But what about the brands that partner with those influencers? What does it take for them to succeed in this new landscape?
In this post, we’ll take a look at the rise of the brand-creator partnership and how brands are taking advantage of this new model.
We’ll also explore what it takes for brands to successfully partner with influencers, including how to choose the right influencer and capitalize on your investment.
Social media influencers are making their mark.
Influencers are gaining (even more) popularity in 2023. They’re not just for selfies anymore, but rather, they’re becoming an important part of brand marketing strategies. Their roles in the industry have evolved from being passive targets of advertising to being active participants in the brand ecosystem.
Influencers can help brands reach new audiences. Influencers are great at attracting younger consumers and building a community around your product by sharing it with their followers who trust their opinions. And because influencers are often fans themselves, they can be very effective at explaining why your product is so cool or trendy.
Today’s consumers demand authenticity.
Today’s consumers are aware that “authenticity” is a thing. They want to know the person behind the brand, and they want to know that they are getting real products and real information. They don’t want to be sold—they want to be grown through relationships with people who share their values.
We call this the “brand-creator partnership.” We believe it’s not just for consumer brands anymore; it can apply just as easily in B2B marketing as well. Because of this, B2B brands need to be thinking about how they can partner with experts in their field for the upcoming year.
These expert partners can help you do everything from creating content that’s more relevant and interesting to your audience and getting it in front of them. They may also be able to help you create an influencer program that can drive awareness, leads and sales.
Let the brand and influencer get creative.
Let's face it: Influencers are creative people. You most likely know one or several, and if you don't, I'll give you a hint: They're the ones who keep all your photos from being just another pretty face in a sea of selfies on Instagram. (Is that enough of a hint? Well, I'm running out of time.)
Brands also have their own brand of creativity—and not just when it comes to making an ad campaign that leaves consumers asking, "What did they need me for?" but inside their offices as well.
There's nothing wrong with this. The ability to think outside the box is an essential skill for any business to have these days. But what happens when these two parties come together? Do they clash like oil and water? Or do they collaborate like peanut butter and jelly?
How can both sides get what they want without compromising each other's visions? If brands truly want influencers' help in reaching new audiences—and if influencers really are willing to play ball—then they need each other more than ever before.
How to Choose the Right Influencer and Capitalize on Your Investment
Let’s start with the basics: What is influencer marketing? Influencer marketing is a form of branded content where a brand works with influential people to create and distribute content related to their product or service. Influencers are social media personalities with a following. They can be bloggers, YouTube stars, Instagrammers or even celebrities. The idea behind influencer marketing is that when these people promote your brand, their audience will take notice and want to learn more about it as well.
The influencer marketing process has three main steps: Find the best influencers for your brand and product. Work with them to create content that will resonate with their audience. Distribute that content across all of your target market’s social channels. The goal of influencer marketing is to create content that will resonate with your audience.
So, before you begin working with an influencer, you should know what kind of content they typically share and how often they do so.
For example, if they post daily videos on YouTube or Instagram Stories, then it might be hard for them to collaborate on a campaign that only produces one piece of video content each month. Once you have a good idea of what your influencer creates, you can start to determine the best way to work with them.
If their content works well with yours, then it’s likely they will be interested in partnering with you. After all, they’ll be a part of a campaign that makes them more visible and allows them to expand their reach. If they don’t have content that works well with yours, then it might be worth considering another influencer who does.
To find an influencer that will best work with your brand and help you increase your own brand awareness (and revenue), you want to look for someone who is already influential on social media, but also someone who might be able to reach new audiences.
You can use a platform like influencer.com to find someone who matches your brand and audience, or you can reach out to a blogger that has written about something similar to your product. You’ll want to make sure that the influencer you choose is comfortable with promoting a brand other than their own (because they are often paid by brands on social media).
Conclusion
We’re living in a new era of marketing, where influencers can reach massive audiences and build their own brands. In fact, they have the power to turn consumers into brand-creators.
In order for brands to succeed with influencers, they need to focus on authenticity rather than just pushing products at consumers. And if you want to work with influencers as brand creators? Make sure you let them get creative!
Get in on the 2023 waiting list of The Event Planner Expo where we will have industry influencers GALORE ready for you to network and partner with!
