7 keys to influencer marketing success in 2016

This post originally appeared on OMD Said.

While we’ve seen a massive spike in the number of brands partnering with social influencers over the last year, how many of these apply the rigour needed to make these partnerships valuable? Once you’ve ruled out fake ‘social influencers’, there a few key things to keep in mind for real brands to get real results from real influencers.

1. Use a combination of key long-term partnerships and one-off activations

While a role remains for one-off influencer activations to coincide with product launches and key campaigns, longer term partnerships will pay dividends. When brands form long-term multi-campaign partnerships with influencers, the end results is a more authentic and genuine endorsement.

2. Consider the right audience alongside the right influencer

While brands are quick to identify influencers they think have a good ‘fit’ for their brand, being able to create the right content is just part of the equation. The other big part of working with influencers is… their influence! As such, it’s essential to consider whose built-in audience matches who your brand ultimately wants to be reaching.

3. Investing in amplification is essential to drive impact at scale

Influencers’ own audiences can be sizable, however in order to make the most of your investment in content creation, the content needs to be seen by enough of the right people. Social advertising from your brand profiles and content distribution through the likes Outbrain are effective ways to get more of the right eyeballs on your influencer content.

4. Video content is an essential part of the mix

With Australians’ massive appetite for online video and the rapid rise of ‘vertical video’ on mobile, video content needs to be a key part of influencer strategies. Personal and authentic updates through Snapchat, as well the opportunity for live engagement through Periscope and Facebook Moments present compelling opportunities for brands. 

5. Tailor partnerships for different audience segments

When working with a number of influencers, it’s essential for each to have their own point of difference. Aside from simply ensuring variety, finding influencers with distinct styles and followers enables you to find the right partners resonate with a range of different audience segments.

6. Storytelling is key

By now this should go without saying, but product messaging has to fit effortlessly and organically with the story and lifestyle of your influencer partner. While most consumers trust and are happy to read branded content from influencers they follow, if it’s forced and awkward, consumers will quickly tune out.

7. Measure what matters

Would a blog post from a guy at a media agency be complete without a final point on measurement? While measuring your reach and engagements is important, influencer marketing is ultimately only as valuable as the impact that it can make on your overall marketing goals. If changes to brand perceptions are the name of the game, then brand studies can be put in place to measure the impact here. If sales are important, measuring online sales attributed to click throughs from influencer blog posts is a straightforward way to see the results.