When it comes to marketing online there’s so many ways it can be done. There’s so many agencies, tools and guides you can sign up for that it’s easy to get frustrated with all the information available to you. In order to help you get back to doing what you love we’re doing the legwork for you. So what is a brand influencer? How can they help your business? And how do you find the best one for you?

What is a brand influencer?

A brand influencer is a person with a following on social media that has established credibility in a specific industry.  Companies hire influencers to represent their brands in a positive light and by doing so will increase the company’s brand awareness and sales. Although similar, an ad with a brand influencer is very different than a celebrity endorsement deal. An example of a celebrity endorsement deal would be Peyton Manning’s deal with Papa John’s, or every famous woman and Flat Tummy Tea. In celebrity endorsement deals company’s use a celebrity’s social status or fame to boost the sales of a product or service. Brand influencers gain notoriety because of what they post online so their followers feel a more personal connection.

Why a brand influencer?

A study conducted by MuseFind stated that 92% of consumers believe a product endorsement from an influencer is more influential than an endorsement from a celebrity. It’s likely that product messages from celebrities are beginning to fall short because celebrities have a reputation of being associated with products and services they don’t actually use. Consumers trust brand influencers. Companies have found that a recommendation from a social-media influencer as much as a recommendation from their best friend.These individuals freelance as bloggers or YouTubers and have an organic following that trust their opinion. From a consumer standpoint they have no reason to be dishonest, and often do not disclose which brands are paying them. They usually review similar products and disclose to their viewers what they consider the best product of a specific category to be. Consumers can relate to the process of spending money on products that don’t work as advertised and they rely on brand influencers to take the guesswork out of what a product is like when used.

Which brand influencer is best for me?

When choosing an influencer for your brand it's important not to focus too much on the number of followers. Think quality over quantity.  Followers matter, but paying thousands of dollars for one advertisement is a waste of money. You can get more bang for your buck if one or more influencers post various content across multiple platforms. The ideal influencer is someone that connects to their audience in a way that speaks to your brand. It should be someone who you believe would enjoy using your product. Someone with an online personality that is genuine and outgoing but also someone you enjoy. They should also be very active on social media. The best brand influencer don’t just post frequently, but will also engage their followers and reshare content. Influencers that do giveaways are favorites among consumers.

“Influencers with a loyal pool of followers can increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your product pages. Traditional outbound marketing is a thing of the past — and influencer marketing is becoming one of the most effective ways to reach new customers.”

— Juliet Carnoy, Marketing Manager at Pixlee

How do I hire a brand influencer?

If you’re looking to take the guesswork out of choosing the right brand influencer for your brand Pixlee is a free tool we recently discovered that lets you identify the top Instagram influencers.  They can also provide you with a weekly report that monitors your Instagram page. Sign up for Pixlee’s Free Instagram Analytics tool here and let us know what you think!

If you want something a little more simple check out Glambassador. It’s a self-serve digital agency that pairs brands with influencers in their niche. Plus, they take the guesswork out of what and how the brand influencer should be compensated. For more information on how their service works or to get started with your first campaign click here!

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Digital Content Connoisseurs, better known as DC² (pronounced DCSquared), is a marketing agency that helps up-and-coming brands, small to medium, make an impact with their target audience and establish brand recognition. Our services include digital marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design and copywriting. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help develop your brand into everything you thought it could be and more.

Brand Influencers

A study conducted by MuseFind stated that 92 percent of consumers believe a product endorsement from an influencer is more influential than an endorsement from a celebrity. Product messages from celebrities are falling short. This is likely because celebrities have a reputation of associating themselves with products and services they don’t use or believe in.  The influencers that consumers trust on social media are comparable to brand ambassadors. They are often bloggers or YouTubers that have garnered a following over time. Some have audiences significantly larger than others, but choosing a brand influencer based on their number of followers would be a mistake. So how do you choose?

When choosing an influencer for your brand it's important to remember quality over quantity.  Followers matter, but paying thousands of dollars for one advertisement is a waste of money. To get more bang for your buck, select several niche influencers across multiple platforms to partner with.  Find an influencer that connects with their audience in a way that speaks to your brand. These influencers will not attempt to dictate the campaign for you. They will follow your direction. Once the foundation of your marketing campaign has been laid, work with the influencer to customize the content for their page.  This will enhance your campaign and provide authenticity by an effective marketing campaign and a long-lasting relationship.

Cross-Promotion

Each social media platform is unique in it’s own way. Most users recognize this, and have more than one social media page. Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. are each used differently by consumers, but instead of doing the same, companies will take shortcuts and repost the same content across the board. Recycling content is not always a bad thing, but when you’re oversaturating your audience with the same message, they grow weary and will unfollow your account.

Because Facebook remains number one in social media among companies and consumers alike (There are currently over 70 million company pages on Facebook, and each day Facebook filters 1.5 billion searches against the 2 trillion posts in its index), a company Facebook page is a no brainer. But what’s next?

If you’re interested in creating another social media page for your business, consider your audience. If your target demographic is comprised of executives and politicians, Instagram is not the place for you. Content for Instagram and Snapchat is being driven by millennials under 35. While Instagram’s story feature is preferred by an older crowd, teens still prefer Snapchat. Twitter is where you will find various CEOs and political figures, and LinkedIn is primarily used for B2B marketing. Researching each social media platform before using helps to ensure your brand's message doesn’t stand out in a negative way.

Once you’ve built up your brand loyalty through social media, start thinking about offline events that your followers can attend. Give consumers a reason to post about their experience with your product or service. Consumers love sharing instagram-worthy photos and videos, which equates to free advertising for you.

Going Live

When you think about throwing an event it's standard to immediately think “budget”. So what if you don’t have a surplus of funds to throw an event? As a new company, throwing your first event doesn’t have to mean breaking the bank. Think small. Think exclusive (which will also help when marketing the next event). Then, create a way for your consumers and followers who aren’t in attendance to still experience the event.

Technology has changed. We’ve cut the cord. Audiences are no longer watching tv and viewing commercials, they’re streaming shows and watching live broadcasts on Facebook and Instagram. Platforms like Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram have made it easier for audiences to talk about their experience at your event using hashtags and geofencing. Use these free features to your benefit. The real-time content on these platforms allows you to extend your reach, enabling you to build a larger following.

It’s important to keep in mind the end goal with all this engagement. Social media is an everyday thing for a lot of us but as a company it’s important to turn your content into direct action. Set key indicators to make sure your campaign is performing the way you intended. Then review your results post-campaign and revise your strategy if you didn’t hit your mark. Monetizing marketing is not an easy feat. If it was, everyone would do it. As times change, we make adjustments so we don’t get left behind, and marketing is no different. Try, fail, learn, adapt, grow and repeat.

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Digital Content Connoisseurs, better known as DC² (pronounced DCSquared), is a marketing agency that helps up-and-coming brands, small to medium, make an impact with their target audience and establish brand recognition. Our services include digital marketing and advertising, graphic design, web design and copywriting. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help develop your brand into everything you thought it could be and more.