How can brands get the most out of working with Influencers?
By Harry Hugo
Co Founder at The Goat Agency
by Harry Hugo - Co Founder at The Goat Agency
Whilst some brands are taking first mover steps in the influencer marketing industry and seeing real business results, there are still many brands left in the dark. Implementing effective influencer campaigns takes insights and you have to understand what content will authentically engage your audience.
Since working with influencers over the past 6 years, I’ve seen brands oversold and under delivered on results so these are some key points on how to get the most out of influencers. Avoid common mistakes and get real business value from your campaign by sticking to the following points;
Step 1
Respect the influencers as content creators
Influencers are a totally different media format to paid, sponsored posts or billboards. They are sentient channels that have built up their following by producing great content that resonates with their audience. So no matter how incredibly creative or amazing your content is, always listen to the influencer and what they think will best engage their audience.
Step 2
Track and collect results throughout the campaign
As your campaign roles out, monitor influencer performance and adapt on an hourly basis. If one influencers content is resonating very well and driving sales, work with them more and adapt your strategy according to results. Being set to a structure or content plan means you can’t optimise - a huge mistake in such a fluctuating channel.
Step 3
Target a specific community
The average Instagram account follows 11.5 accounts from each community they’re interested in. This enables you to reach your relevant audience at several touchpoints and peppering their online conversation with your marketing message. Online communities are then engaged in word of mouth conversations around your brand, driving authentic interest and honest opinions.
Gathering enough data insights on your influencers performance takes time, however, it’s worth it. Understanding your influencers and finding the best pages to incorporate into a long-term strategy will be vital in the initial stages as you delve deeper into the potential of influencers. Those are a few of my top tips in general, but if you want more specific advice on running campaigns,
join me at the Social Media Marketing Awards on the 29th of October for a chat, or alternatively reach out at info@goatagency.com.