My friend Mark Schaffer wrote another exciting post about influencer marketing last week. He suggested that advertising is in decline and consumers are moving away from all forms of ads that interrupt content or programming. He also indicated that influencer marketing is just beginning to kick in too.
I agree. I see this often with my clients.
My daughter Fanny is getting more and more requests from sponsors to write about food and beverage products. Fanny won the Rachael Ray Great American Cookbook Competition, has been on Food Network and Cooking Channel and also is a local celebrity in Wilmington, NC where she lives.
The advertisers want help reaching her audience of passionate food consumers and the benefit of her brand associated with their product.
Influencer Marketing – Doing It Right
If your brand is thinking of working with influencers, here are 8 essential considerations.
- Natural alliance – you need an association with someone who has a brand that resonates with your product category.
- Trust – the influencer needs to have the trust of their audience and evidence of engagement to make the connection useful.
- Entertaining – we want to be entertained, so the content needs to be fun to watch, view or read. If it feels like an infomercial or a commercial, it will be far less effective.
- Consistent – the content needs to be allied with the influencer’s brand. A spiked seltzer brand works with an influencer whose brand is all about quirky and cool. But wouldn’t work with someone stiff and academic.
- Cadence – Influencers who do a lot of sponsorships can dilute their value to advertisers. So, go slow and do a few sponsored posts or you risk turning off viewers. Think of the increased ads in a TV show – they make it impossible to view. Too many sponsored posts can have the same effect of alienating your viewers.
- FTC regulations – Content needs to be identified as #sponsored or #ad. Don’t try and hide the relationship or you can get into trouble.
- Unique Codes- If you have an offer, a unique promotional code allows you to track revenue associated with that offer. It can also help you track engagement and other relevant data points. Brand hashtags can also help.
- Useful Content – Consumers love to learn valuable tips if the sponsored content gives them something new and of value and engagement.
Could influencer marketing be in your future to help build your brand?
Need help with influencer marketing? You can set up a time to chat with me about your marketing challenges using my calendar. Email me jeffslater@themarketingsage.com Call me. 919 720 0995. The conversation is free and we can explore if working together makes sense. Try my new chat feature on my site if you have a quick question.
Photo from Fanny Slater Instagram
