Over recent years, influencer marketing has developed in an unbelievable way.
This new variation of marketing has become a channel in its own right – and a professional one at that. With the right approach and the right relationships, partnerships can be formed that achieve wider and more resilient results than that of just stand-alone advertising.
As businesses start to adapt and consider setting aside budgets for influencer marketing, it’s worth knowing a few tricks of the trade and the developing areas of 2020 to consider when putting this new avenue of marketing into action.
MICRO-INFLUENCERS: Bigger is not necessarily better.
Naturally, you might think the bigger the better when it comes to influencers and their followings, but 2020 is seeing new players enter the field to rule the influencer world. Forget the big shot names that you might find yourself most familiar with and start to dig a little deeper into the influencer pool – you’ll find the power of the micro-influencer.
Smaller followings but arguably greater results; these influencers are not only much more affordable to smaller businesses and brands building their name, but they provide the opportunity to bring in a much more relevant target audience. Micro-influencers are often experts in their field and can promote your product or service to a niche and more responsive following.
BRAND VALUES: The importance of research.
2020 shows no halt in the growth of connectivity and the integration of technology as an integral part of customer journey and relationships, but brand values are often blurred as businesses are distracted by figures such as likes, followers or engagement.
It’s important to be vigilant and research the influencers that you’re considering to be brand representatives; don’t just glance at their profiles but consider their presentation, behaviours and public reception to guarantee they can align with the values of the brand.
LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS: Creating long-term results
Implementing influencer marketing on a campaign-by-campaign basis was common during the early arrival of influencer marketing, but as we enter 2020 it’s important to recognise the need to develop what would traditionally be short-term relationships into long-lasting relationships that provide long-term results.
Whilst short-term relationships with influencers have enabled companies to increase their reach or target new demographics, this has since transformed into little red flags of inauthenticity to the consumer, less effective at developing trust. Nurturing your influencer relationships will not only prove highly beneficial for ROI and customer loyalty but will ultimately provide the opportunity for regular content of your brand.
We can now recognise that in 2020 using more influencers doesn’t necessarily guarantee results but investing in long-term relationships is much better for business.
INTEGRATION: Think bigger than social
Looking back at the arrival of influencer marketing, social media remained the primary purpose and use for this channel. Now, we can integrate influencers in multiple ways to promote business with an effective strategy that will resonate and connect with a broader audience.
Whilst it’s important that our influencers of 2020 continue to maintain a strong social following and online engagement just as before, we can now consider the wider benefits that accompany working with those who also have a hold on other platforms. This could be in the form of a YouTube channel, blog, books or even TV show. You should now be looking to maximise the effectiveness of your influencer relationships with an integrated campaign, that applies influencer marketing not just traditionally on social but across print, online, TV and radio for wider coverage.
