Recap: The Influence of Influencer Marketing
Posted on Feb. 10, 2022 / Subscribe 0
- Jake Hall, a Business Development Manager for FZ and an influencer known as the “Manufacturing Millennial.”
- Antonice Strickland, Senior Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeast Michigan.
- Lindsay Wyskowski, Brand Strategy Director for Identity
Is Ther Power in Numbers?
One of the major questions raised was the question of size and influence, specifically in terms of the number of followers an influencer has and the number of influencers one should use in a campaign. According to Strickland, everything goes back to the campaign itself and the goals of the campaign.
For example, let’s say you are working on a campaign for a new video game, and you would like to use influencers. The Kardashian family has millions of followers on social media, but unfortunately, very few of them are active in the video-gaming world. However, professional Esports teams such as Cloud9, Team SoloMid, and Fnatic do not have as many followers on social media, but this is outweighed by the fact that all their followers are active in the video gaming space and trust them as experts on video games.
The Art of Negotiation
Another question we walked through was negotiation and striking a deal with an influencer. A major theme surrounding negotiation was clarity on every detail and putting everything into writing.
- What content will they be posting?
- What’s the frequency?
- How long will they be a part of the campaign?
- What does compensation look like?
These are questions that should be addressed before you sign on the dotted line.
Furthermore, on compensation, it is possible to pay your influencer in non-monetary ways. For example, if the campaign is about a resort, it is possible to pay your influencer with lodging, food, etc.
Choose Wisely
Social media is famous for its trends, such as the now-ubiquitous hashtag. It is also famous for its variety of platforms, such as Instagram and YouTube. However, just because a trend or platform is popular does not mean that it is a right fit. For example, a major trend in the social media space today is short videos such as those found on Tik Tok. However, would using Tik Tok be a wise choice if you are working on a campaign for a funeral home?
Humor aside, being strategic about what to use and how to use it is a major factor. This will also affect what influencers you may hire. Some influencers work primarily on Instagram, while others are more prevalent on YouTube. This is no different than how a soccer player may not be good at powerlifting, an influencer on YouTube may not be the best fit for a campaign on Instagram.
Finally, let us reflect on that little blue check. If we take a closer look, it is not just a little blue check, but a game changer. No different than fire or the wheel, social media has revolutionized the world as we know it. And with the aid of influencers, we can tap into audiences in ways earlier generations could only dream of.
And it all begins with a little blue check.
Anthony Russo is a member of PRSA Detroit’s Blog Committee. He is a recent graduate from Michigan State University and is currently an MBA student at Wayne State’s Ilitch School of Business.
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