It's hard to ignore the prominence of influencer marketing in today's social media landscape.
There’s no doubt the use of brand ambassadors can lead to higher engagement and stimulate conversation about your brand. But how do you know if collaboration with an influencer is right for your social media strategy? Keep reading to hear Mint’s take.
What is influencer marketing?
According to Influencer Marketing Hub influencer marketing is a ”hybrid between the traditional concept of celebrity endorsement and modern-day content-driven marketing.” These influencers can be in different industries and on social media, such as bloggers, YouTubers, or Instagrammers.
Although these online figures are not offline celebrities, they have high degrees of influence and power over their audiences.
What are the benefits?
Influencer marketing has been pinned as extremely powerful for targeting specific audiences, building brand awareness and organic engagement. In particular, influencer marketing has been superior for reaching the ‘unreachable generation’ of millennials and Gen Z.
Now more than ever audiences are fighting through the ‘noise’ on their newsfeeds to source authentic information about products and services. A 2021 study by Nielsen found that 71% of consumers trust “advertising opinions and product placements from influencers”, the reason being that audiences view these social figures to be their friends and ‘just like them’.
How to make influencer marketing work for your brand
The key thing to keep in mind when navigating the world of influencers is the importance of brand fit. Understanding both the reach and niche is crucial in selecting the right ambassador for your brand.
If your product or service fails to align with the audience of the influencer you’re partnering with it's unlikely you will experience great ROI (return on investment). Keep in mind that this person's audience is likely not interested in your brand, product or service in the first instance; they are only interested in the opinion of the influencer that they follow.
Collaborations will be most effective when the influencer you choose resounds with your brand. As noted by Forbes magazine, successful collaborations occur when both the brand and influencer are authentic and honest about working together - and the audience will be able to spot the difference between a genuine collaboration and one that is not.
A few key ways to source an influencer that aligns with your brand:
- Search for hashtags that are relevant to your niche. This is a great way to stumble across an account that fits your brand. For example, if you’re looking to target health-conscious consumers specifically living in New Zealand hashtags like #HealthyLifestyleNZ and #FitnessNZ, would be good places to start.
- Look for the ones that are already talking about you! There will be people already within your community that have a following and would genuinely like to partner with you. Do this by tracking comments, tags and mentions.
- Social media is a great place to start, but don’t overlook blogs and YouTube channels. Often bloggers and vloggers have very established loyal communities
Add an influencer specific landing page or link on your website so that people can reach out to you. More often than not, if they are reaching out to you directly, their audiences are likely to resonate with your brand. - Most importantly, ensure you understand who your target audience is before you start searching for collaborators.
Shine On’s use of influencers
A prime example of a Kiwi brand that has effectively utilised influencer marketing is Shine On. They partnered with Instagram blogger Justine of @mybalanceproject, whose following appears to be middle-aged, fashion-conscious females that look to Justine for fashion and styling advice. This partnership involved Justine filming a 'styling reel', showing her followers how to wear her favourite Shine On pieces.
As you can see, this content was received well by Justine’s followers who engaged with her posts positively. This collaboration was strengthened by Justine providing an exclusive discount code to her followers.
Shine On recognises that @mybalanceproject is an account that attracts followers who resemble their target audience. This collaboration came across as an authentic one, as it reflected Justine’s fashion-related niche and put Shine On in front of a highly relevant audience.
According to Forbes magazine, influencer marketing has 11x more ROI than traditional forms of media, proving that collaborating with content creators could be a great investment for your brand.
We hope this has given you some ideas for how to source the 'right' person to represent your brand through influencer marketing. If you are looking for more advice on your digital marketing strategy, get in touch with our team of experts today.
