By Justin Rezvani
Influencer marketing is no longer sitting at the kid’s table. It’s at the head of the table, and it’s ready to carve out its place in marketing.
As the founder of an influencer marketing firm that uses hard data to perfectly pair influencers and brands together, I’ve been a part of the influencer revolution that’s transforming the marketing scene. I know that influencers large and small resonate with their select audiences. Their messages have weight, and their followers enjoy personalized engagement.
Influencer marketing has been edging out traditional marketing over the past few years, and brands that partner with today’s hottest influencers are making their mark and abandoning traditional tactics.
A Voice From the Crowd, Not for It
One of the biggest mistakes in influencer marketing is assuming you need to spend big money to get a celebrity.
If you want to leave your audience with an authentic impression, lesser-known influencers have more impact than celebrities. More than two-thirds of teens on YouTube identify with influencers more than Oscar winners. I’m not talking about a few hundred users, either. Almost three-quarters of online users make purchases based on information they get on social media.
With influencer marketing, you’ll be able to capitalize on the power of social media to deliver an authentic message to your audience. Here are three ways you can get started:
Find Your Audience First
Brands often think they have to seek out their influencers first, but nothing’s further from the truth. When you define your target audience first, you find all sorts of data points you can use to find the right influencer.
When we partnered with the people at Axe, they told us they wanted to connect with their audience of young men. So we used our data-first approach to identify influencers like Rudy Mancuso and Anthony Padilla, who are known for their well-coiffed hair as much as they are for their wit and creativity. Our data told us that Rudy and Anthony were good influencer-matches for Axe, and the massive reach of their posts (which garnered a combined 2.4 million views) proved it.
After you figure out your core audience, you can find an influencer who will inspire conversation. You might even find there’s already an influencer in your audience. Influencers like that are perfect for your company because they’re already talking about your brand.
Align Your Marketing and Business Goals With Creative Influencer Strategies
We build influencer strategies to achieve specific marketing goals without preconceived notions of what will or won’t work. Whatever your objectives are (e.g., brand positioning, generating awareness, driving trials, product considerations, purchase intent, etc.), you can evoke and evolve communication if you keep an open mind.
For instance, traditionally, a feminine hygiene products brand would turn to a female-influencer to endorse its products. But last year, my company used male influencer Keegan Allen to promote a Playtex tampon product, making him the first-ever male representative for this type of brand. His audience consists primarily of women, so it’s a good example of pairing a brand with an influencer’s audience even though he wasn’t an obvious choice for the campaign. The campaign had 16 million unique engagements and was totally built using data rather than “what’s always been done.”
Using influencers in unexpected ways like this happens purposefully. On another occasion, we used LGBT influencers to reposition a large men’s care corporation that was previously seen as an insensitive “bro brand.” The influencers turned the conversation from negative to positive, and the company has reaped the rewards.
Use Influencer Content to Build Up Your (and the Influencer’s) Brands
Influencer marketing isn’t a one-way street. The most successful influencers are genuine brand advocates, have audiences of specific sizes, create high-quality content, and collaborate willingly. Trust flows back and forth, ensuring legitimacy.
Our job as facilitators is to connect brands to the right people. Take Kalani Hilliker, for example. She’s a teen dancer who often resonates with young women. We matched her with CoverGirl, and the beauty brand used her personality to create an influencer chatbot. According to David Jones, former global CEO at Havas Worldwide and founder of You & Mr. Jones, the bot generated 91 percent positive sentiment, and 48 percent of its conversations led to coupon delivery.
Don’t blow your budget on antiquated marketing methods. You owe it to your brand to investigate influencer strategies. It’s a trend on an upward trajectory. And for some organizations, it could mean the difference between a banner year and closing the doors. Take a seat at the head of the table, grab a slice of pie, and join the conversation.
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Justin Rezvani is a first generation American entrepreneur, investor, Forbes’ 30 Under 30, and founder & CEO of theAmplify.