Empowering Brands and Building Meaningful Connections: The Power of Influencer Marketing

Recently, I had the privilege of attending a presentation by Ashley Walsh , an experienced professional in the field who is an Account Director at North Strategic . During her amazing presentation, Ashley shared her knowledge and expertise regarding Influencer Marketing and its underlying processes.

In the ever-evolving landscape of modern marketing, Influencer Marketing has risen as an important factor in enabling brands to build meaningful relationships with their audiences. This article explores the fundamental reasons behind the importance of influencers, highlights the critical role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Influencer Marketing, shares insights from personal experiences as brand advocates, explores emerging trends, and examines the possibilities for a career in this continuously evolving field.

The rapid growth in the Influencer Marketing industry emphasizes its significant relevance in today's digital landscape. Brands are witnessing substantial returns on investment through their influencer campaigns, sometimes even surpassing the performance of other marketing channels. Consequently, there is an intense eagerness among brands to capitalize on this trend.

Ashley emphasized that Influencer Marketing is central to a brand's overall marketing strategy. The selection of the right influencer carries critical importance, as the chosen individual represents both the brand and themselves. Any mistake in this process can have damaging effects for both. Hence, she advised implementing a comprehensive selection process to identify the most suitable influencer for a brand's goals and values. She discussed her agency's approach to Influencer Marketing.

She mentioned several key components:

Define:?Emphasized the importance of thoroughly understanding the target audience, the specific product or category being promoted, the key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success, and the platform for Influencer Marketing campaign implementation.

Identify:?The selection of suitable influencers focuses on aligning the brand with individuals who possess genuine influence. Factors such as the reach of influencers and their creative capabilities were deemed crucial in this process.

Validate:?Stressed on the significance of employing third-party auditing tools, analyzing location and engagement data, and conducting qualitative and manual research to validate the effectiveness of the influencer campaign. This thorough validation process ensures the campaign's impact and success.

Brief: Providing clear brand guidelines to influencers was highlighted as a vital aspect of the campaign's success. Ashley emphasized the importance of establishing rights, pre-approving concepts, ensuring quality control, and encouraging creativity among the influencers to maintain brand integrity.

Amplify: Discussed various tactics to maximize the impact of the influencer campaign. These tactics include amplification through boosting, dark posting to specific audiences, and optimizing influencer content to achieve campaign success.

In addition, Ashley shared some examples of successful Influencer Marketing:

Example 1:

Challenge:?The objective was to enhance program comprehension among active and potential collectors.

Solution:?The agency developed a comprehensive influencer strategy, utilizing influencers at the celebrity, micro, and nano levels. They integrated influencers into the brand's marketing calendar and amplified content through paid media, including branded social posts and whitelisting on influencers' channels. Additionally, they engaged everyday collectors to become Collector Ambassadors.

Results:?The campaign garnered over 1 million organic influencer impressions, with an impressive average engagement rate of 6.9%. Furthermore, it led to a noticeable increase in retail transactions and reward redemptions, demonstrating that influencers had a broader impact beyond brand awareness. The campaign's success was acknowledged when it won the "influenceTHIS" Award.

Example 2:

Challenge:?The goal was to connect with a younger Canadian audience and inspire creators to utilize the brand's website and online presence products.

Solution:?The agency collaborated with three creators who were already customers of the brand. These creators developed engaging videos that showcased how the brand empowers everyday entrepreneurs. The videos incorporated popular TikTok trends and best practices. The campaign was executed as a Top Feed placement with specific reach and objectives.

Results:?The campaign achieved impressive results, generating over 10 million video views and over 35,000 engagements. A Brand Lift Study demonstrated a significant increase in ad recall (+9.8%) and awareness (+7%).?

Why influencers?

Influence of Online Conversations:?Ashley emphasized that a brand's reputation is not solely shaped by company communications but also by the conversations consumers have with each other online. Collaborating with influencers enables brands to tap into authentic voices with dedicated audiences, humanizing the brand.

Actionable Impact:?She highlighted that 87% of Instagram users took tangible actions after encountering product information on the platform. These actions include following a brand, visiting its website, or purchasing. This statistic serves as a testament to the potential impact and effectiveness of Influencer Marketing.

Comparable ROI:?Ashley shared that 83% of marketers believe Influencer Marketing delivers a return on investment (ROI) close to or even better than other marketing channels. This finding signifies that Influencer Marketing can be a valuable and effective brand strategy.

Dedicated Budgets: 80% of brand marketers said they had a dedicated budget for Influencer Marketing in the last year. This trend highlights the growing recognition and resource allocation towards this marketing approach, further solidifying its importance.

Role of an Influencer:?The speaker discussed influencers' multifaceted roles in shaping consumer thoughts and behaviors. Influencers can increase brand awareness, boost brand affinity and credibility, develop persuasive creative content, and drive conversions.

What are Influencer Tiers?

Nano Influencers:?These influencers have a following of up to 10,000 individuals. They have strong engagement with a motivated and loyal group of followers. Nano influencers are cost-effective and keen to grow their brand partnerships. They often specialize in niche areas or specific categories, allowing brands to target a particular audience.

Micro-Influencers:?This tier includes influencers with a following ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 individuals. Micro-influencers are everyday voices who have built a solid social following. They mostly focus on specific verticals or interest groups, enabling brands to tap into highly engaged and targeted audiences.

Macro Influencers:?Influencers in this tier possess a following of 100,000 or more individuals. They are experienced in collaborating with brand partners and have polished their skills in creating high-quality content. Macro influencers maintain a strong presence across multiple channels, giving brands broader reach and visibility.

Celebrity Influencers:?This category encompasses influencers with a following of 1 million or more individuals. These influencers are widely known for their high profile and mass appeal. However, working with celebrity influencers often has limitations on using their likeness and creative placement. It is important to note that partnering with celebrity influencers requires enormous budgets due to their elevated status and reach.

The Distinction between influencers and advocates:

Influencers: Ashley defined influencers as online personalities engaged through contractual agreements with specified minimum posts or approvals. Careful consideration is given to selecting influencers who align with the brand's values and messaging. Brands have the opportunity to support influencer-generated content by allocating media budget to ensure wider audience reach.?

Advocates: On the other hand, she described advocates as customers who naturally advocate for a brand due to their genuine affinity towards it. Advocates may share their positive experiences, respond to incentives, or be prompted to advocate on behalf of the brand. However, content creation or a specific audience size associated with advocates is not guaranteed. Measuring the impact of advocate conversations can be more challenging since these interactions often occur offline.

Importance of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in Influencer Marketing

Ashley highlighted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) 's massive importance in the Influencer Marketing landscape.?

Customer Demand for Diversity:?She highlighted that a significant majority of millennials, around 70%, are inclined to choose a brand that prominently showcases diversity in their promotional efforts. Furthermore, 57% of consumers exhibit higher brand loyalty towards companies that actively address social inequities. These statistics highlight customers' expectations and appreciation for diversity in brand campaigns.

Recommendations for Inclusive Influencer Marketing:

• Identifying influencers who authentically represent the community you are targeting with your campaign is crucial, ensuring relatability and connection.
• Prioritize inclusivity by intentionally including influencers from equity-deserving groups in your roster. This step promotes diversity and promotes a sense of inclusion.
• Authenticity plays a crucial role in Influencer Marketing. Ensure that the voices and experiences of influencers are genuine and resonate with the audience, enabling trust and relatability.
• Challenge and avoid perpetuating stereotypes in your brand's storytelling. Embrace diverse narratives and perspectives, promoting inclusivity and showcasing the richness of different communities.
• Fair compensation for influencers, regardless of their background, is essential for fostering equity and respecting their valuable contributions to campaigns.

An excellent example of embracing diversity and inclusion in Influencer Marketing campaigns is Nike, Inc. The company actively incorporates influencers from diverse backgrounds across the globe.

Their commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident through the following information provided on their website:

• Nike, Inc. maintains a global corporate workforce where 51% are women, showcasing their dedication to gender diversity.
• Inclusive Leadership education is prioritized within the company, with 45% of Vice Presidents holding credentials in this area.
• Racial and ethnic minorities comprise 38.8% of the corporate workforce, illustrating their commitment to racial and ethnic diversity.
• The company has received high ratings for inclusion and engagement, as reported by their 80,000 employees, reinforcing their supportive and inclusive work environment.
• Recognizing the importance of promoting opportunities for diverse talent, Nike Inc. has invested $10 million in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).

Amplifying Influencer Content

The presentation addressed the growing challenge of declining organic reach on social platforms and the subsequent reliance on paid amplification to expand brand visibility. Several paid media tactics were discussed, including whitelisting/dark posting (amplifying content directly from creators' accounts), brand channel amplification (boosting influencer content from the brand's page), and targeting and optimization (aligning tactics with communication objectives). Notably, 57% of marketers reported that influencer-generated content outperforms professionally produced content.

During the presentation, she discussed some latest trends in Influencer Marketing. Here are two of them:

Priority on Short-Form Video:?These days, platforms increasingly prioritize short-form video content to compete with popular platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Platforms like Pinterest, Reddit, and YouTube are introducing features like Story Pins and YouTube Shorts to meet the growing demand for bite-sized video content. This trend reflects the widespread popularity and high engagement of short-form videos among audiences.

Embracing Authenticity and Imperfections: Influencers and creators are moving away from the traditional curated and flawless aesthetic on social media. Instead, they are opting for more authentic and in-the-moment content, like sharing less filtered content and embracing imperfections. Examples of this trend include Instagram photo dumps, where multiple photos are shared in a single post, and TikTok vlogs that capture raw and genuine moments. This shift reflects the audience's desire for real and relatable content.

These trends provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of influencer marketing and should be considered when analyzing the current industry landscape.

Reflecting on Ashley Walsh's insightful perspectives on influencer marketing, I am reminded of the dedication and effort required to thrive in this field. Building a substantial and engaged audience demands time, creativity, and unwavering commitment. Influencers may make their work appear effortless, enjoyable, and fascinating, but the reality is far from easy.

Ashley's expertise and passion for influencer marketing have sparked my interest. Her discussion on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in influencer marketing has also boosted my awareness of businesses' responsibility in addressing these issues. I have witnessed the impact of advocacy firsthand and observed how brands prioritizing meaningful causes can stimulate a profound response from their target audience.

In the end, I also express my sincere gratitude to Professor Wendy Greenwood for curating such amazing speaker sessions as part of my course. The opportunity to learn from experienced and well-polished professionals in various marketing fields has been amazing. Each speaker brought a wealth of experiences, interests, and expertise from their respective companies, providing exclusive insights that broadened my understanding of the marketing landscape.

#influencermarketing #influencer #marketing #learning #seminar

Image Source:

1.) Free Photo | Medium shot woman influencer marketing. (n.d.). Freepik. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/medium-shot-woman-influencermarketing_45383245.htm#query=influencer%20marketing&position=42&from_view=search&track=ais

2.) Free Photo | Man showing product on camera and filming vlog. (n.d.). Freepik. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/man-showing-product-camera-filming-vlog_20230592.htm#page=5&query=influencer%20marketing%20man&position=16&from_view=search&track=ais

3.) Free Photo | Medium shot woman influencer marketing. (n.d.). Freepik. Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/medium-shot-woman-influencer-marketing_45383251.htm#query=influencer%20marketing&position=24&from_view=search&track=ais