Influencer content is a powerful tool for building your brand awareness, trust, and engagement. It can help you reach new audiences, create authentic stories, and boost your social proof. But how can you make the most of it for your brand development? Here are some of the best ways to use influencer content for your brand.
The first step is to find influencers who align with your brand values, goals, and target market. You want to work with people who have a genuine interest in your product or service, and who can create content that resonates with their followers. Look for influencers who have a high engagement rate, a relevant niche, and a loyal fan base. You can use tools like BuzzSumo, Upfluence, or AspireIQ to research and connect with potential influencers.
The best place to source potential 'influencers' is your follower list. There's undoubtedly someone following you, even if they fall into the 'micro-influencer' category (I dislike that term), who is an excellent fit for your brand. The authenticity is there, and that's THE crucial element when seeking a collaborator. AVOID FORCED SPON-CON, it rarely delivers. Ideally, they’ve already created genuine content reacting to your product. This can be turned into posts, ads, etc; that's the beauty of authentic UGC. While a shoutout from Charli D'Amelio or Champagne Papi would be great, it's unlikely without a big budget or stroke of luck. Seek someone who supports you. The collaboration will be authentic, and they'll ride with you forever.
"My primary recommendation is to focus all efforts on precisely defining the ideal influencer for your brand. Once this number 1 step is achieved, the next move is to utilize platforms like BuzzSumo, Upfluence, or AspireIQ to connect with the perfectly aligned influencers."
Choosing the right influencers is the most important thing in the branding as well as marketing of your brand. The influencer you're choosing should match his/her personality with the brand. If they do not believe in your product/services then it would be difficult to convey the message to the audience and it will also convey the false message.
Understanding the strengths of the platform that the influencer uses is also an important consideration for your brand. For example, if you’re advertising a video game then Twitch or YouTube could be great. If you’re trying to provide a product demonstration where a customer can buy right away, Amazon Live is a good option.
In order to effectively leverage influencer content, it's important to align their values with your brand's to ensure authenticity in endorsements. One way to showcase products is through engaging tutorials, unboxing videos, or day-in-the-life content. Additionally, it's important to encourage influencers to share personal experiences with your brand to establish a genuine connection with their audience. To maximize the impact of influencer collaborations, it's recommended to cross-promote content across various platforms and channels. One effective way to build a community around your brand is to encourage user-generated content inspired by influencer campaigns.
The next step is to collaborate with the influencers on the content creation process. You want to give them some creative freedom and flexibility, but also provide them with clear guidelines and expectations. You can co-create the content by sharing your brand story, vision, and message, and asking for their input and feedback. You can also discuss the format, tone, style, and frequency of the content, and how it will fit into their existing content strategy. Co-creating the content will ensure that it is consistent, relevant, and engaging for both your and their audiences.
In my role as a social media strategist, I emphasize the importance of engaging with influencers who genuinely resonate with our brand values and have already shown an authentic interest in our leaders and brand where partnerships feel natural and not forced. We aim for collaborations where influencers can seamlessly integrate our brand and or campaign messaging so their unique content style is highlighted and not lost. This not only maintains the authenticity of their personal brand but also enhances the credibility and appeal of our own, creating a mutually beneficial relationship and a more impactful reach to our target audience.
In my belief influencer collaboration works best if both the influencer and the brand profit image-wise from the content. If the influencer helps to tell a story in a way the brand never could and the brand enables the influencer to create amazing content. For that to happen co-creation is key. If an influencer becomes just a paid channel, the use is quite suboptimal.
A successful co-creation process strikes a delicate balance between the creative freedom of the influencer and the coherence of the brand. It's not easy, because the influencer's followers need to find the content that makes them tick, the authenticity that makes them believe in him or her, and why they follow this influencer. And don't forget that the influencer's followers are potential customers for the brand. Everything has to be well thought out and well-balanced.
Influencer Takeovers; Allow influencers to take over your brand’s social media for a day to bring a fresh perspective and reach a broader audience.
Co-creating content with other influencers will just expand your brand. By aligning yourself with like-minded people you will be able to stretch your reach far beyond what you may think.
The third step is to repurpose the influencer content for your own channels and platforms. You can use the influencer content as a source of user-generated content (UGC), which can increase your social proof, credibility, and conversions. You can repurpose the influencer content by sharing it on your social media accounts, website, blog, newsletter, or ads. You can also edit, remix, or transform it into different formats, such as videos, podcasts, infographics, or ebooks. Repurposing the influencer content will help you extend its reach, lifespan, and impact.
Perhaps integrate influencer content into interactive elements such as webinars, Q&A sessions, or live events, which can foster deeper interaction with the audience. Also leveraging this content in case studies, testimonials, or behind-the-scenes stories, can enrich your brand's narrative and authenticity. The important thing, I believe, is to enable influencer content to be used for longer and with greater impact.
Content Repurposing, Use influencer content across multiple platforms (e.g., Instagram posts can be repurposed for Facebook or Pinterest). Integrate influencer content into your brand’s website, particularly in sections like testimonials or product pages.
The fourth step is to measure the results of your influencer content campaign. You want to track and analyze the performance of the content, and how it affects your brand awareness, reputation, and growth. You can measure the results by using metrics such as impressions, views, likes, comments, shares, clicks, conversions, or sales. You can also use tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, or Instagram Insights to monitor and report on the data. Measuring the results will help you evaluate the effectiveness of your influencer content strategy, and identify the areas of improvement or optimization.
In my experience, I don't just stop at counting likes and views; I go into what really matters. I check out how people are actually engaging with the content, and what they're feeling about it. I use cool tools like social listening platforms and CRM systems to get the full picture of how the influencer's efforts are shaping up the brand in the eyes of the audience.
The fifth step is to build long-term relationships with the influencers you work with. You want to treat them as partners, not just as vendors, and show them your appreciation and support. You can build long-term relationships by communicating regularly, providing feedback, offering incentives, inviting them to events, or featuring them on your channels. You can also ask them for referrals, testimonials, or reviews, or collaborate with them on new projects or campaigns. Building long-term relationships will help you create a loyal and engaged community of influencers who can advocate for your brand.
Engage with the influencer's audience when they share content related to your brand, fostering community. Giveaway to create excitement and encourage audience participation.
Brand Ambassadorships, Develop long-term relationships with influencers who can serve as brand ambassadors, consistently featuring your products in their content.
Everything is relationship building. People know when you are genuine. There have been many times that I have linked with someone on social media only to recieve a cookie cutter, advertisment response. Those are people, for me, that get an immediate "unfollow". I want to work and communicate with people that truly care about your thoughts and ideas. Not those that just want to sell you their ideas.
The sixth step is to learn from the best practices and examples of other brands who use influencer content effectively. You want to get inspired, motivated, and informed by the successful influencer content campaigns of your competitors, peers, or industry leaders. You can learn from the best by following them on social media, subscribing to their newsletters, or reading their case studies or blogs. You can also join online communities, forums, or groups where you can exchange ideas, tips, or feedback with other brand developers who use influencer content. Learning from the best will help you stay updated, innovative, and competitive in your influencer content marketing.
The wheel has already been created. Creativity is great, however there are influencers on social media that have created massive followings. Obviously they are doing something right. Learning from others and, maybe, adding your personal twist to their tactics only makes sense.
Pre-Web2, brand management was in the hands of marketing departments, with limited consumer input. Web2, with user-generated content and social networks, revolutionized this. It enabled consumers to share their experiences with brands publicly, influencing brand perception. This shift transformed the traditional approach to brand management. It has become increasingly important to have a clear core message woven into a brand narrative, coupled with the provision of authentic products. The clearer and more focused your brand’s message and authenticity are, the stronger its resonance with the right influencers. Clarity and focus in branding facilitate collaboration with influencers, leading to the best influencer content.
Don’t micro manage … influencers audience wants their authentic content - not your version of it. Let the influencer decide how and what to post after you give them the main theme …
Choose the right influencer according to your brand and your industry. Write a complete scenario for him/her and repost in your channel