September insights ??

At ThoughtLeaders, we pride ourselves on keeping up with the latest industry trends and news and putting the big messy world of the content into some kind of context. From our podcast to Linkedin, we are constantly sharing important insight about influencer marketing - everything from up-and-coming YouTubers and brands that are killing it with influencer integrations to Instagram drama and up-and-coming trends.

September is in the air - Schools back in session, nights are cooling down, and the creator economy is already prepping for the holiday season. However, while our Pumpkin Spice latte is cooling down, get caught up with everything that happened this last month, especially in regard to the latest influencer marketing news and trends.?

Exciting ThoughtLeaders news - we launched our notification service, SHOUTS!

This new feature will help influencer marketers keep their finger on everything they need to know but honestly don’t have time to track.?

We offer two different types of notifications:

1. Activity checks: Keeping you up to date with the sponsorships you are currently running so you can stop checking your ads (we will do it for you!)
2. Custom recommendations: Real-time alerts about the channels or brands that match what you are looking for based on the filters you chose. In other words, instead of constantly searching for new emerging talents that align with your brand, let the data do it for you.

Benefits of working with Shouts:

• Improve campaign performance?
• Saves time
• Analyze your competitors?
• Discover new YouTubers easily
• Brand tracking

If you are just as excited as we are about this new feature, click here to get even more information.

Not Suitable for YouTube?

You may find this shocking but Dr. Sandra Lee, who is better known as Dr. Pimple Popper, racked up over 7.5M subscribers and her videos reached over 5B views.?

However, it may not come as a surprise that many advertisers don’t want to appear on content that YouTube deems ‘violent’ or ‘graphic’. So, what happens when Youtube pinpoints a channel as unsuitable for advertisers? Can sponsorships save the day, or in this case - the revenue flow??

Demonetization on YouTube is a step the platform can take as a way to punish the creator for violating its monetization policies. As a result, YouTube can instantly turn off ads from your content and suspend you from the YouTube Partner Program. However, there are many cases where what YouTube deems inappropriate doesn’t fully align with what brands feel is too much. In other words, a sponsorship opportunity may still be on the table.?

For example, Black Rifle Coffee is a veteran-owned coffee company that develops “explosive roast profiles with the same mission focus we learned as military members”. This brand has a history of sponsoring creators who touch on topics YouTube may find ‘violent’, such as hunting, guns, and protests. This clearly highlights the dissonance between what YouTube would pinpoint as possibly demonetized content and a channel this specific brand could thrive on.?

Going back to Dr. Pimple Popper - the content on her channel gets an average of 2M views. So, it’s honestly an ideal channel for brands that don’t shy away from risque content and focus on hygiene, cleanliness, and even self-care to sponsor.?

Best newsletters that every creator should be subscribed to?

As a creator, you need to know the latest news and updates on the platforms that you use for your content creation, and getting that information in a way that is simple and user-friendly is ideal. The solution is simple - email newsletters. Obviously, if you are seeing this, you already understand why subscribing to relevant email newsletters is crucial - especially in the ever-changing environment known as the creator economy.?

So, whether you are looking for more creator economy-based newsletters to add to your email inbox or want to make sure you are subscribed to our favorites - here's our top 10 must-read newsletters that will ensure you stay up-to-date:?

1. The week in context: ThoughtLeaders' weekly newsletter. Just in case you didn't know, we also have a newsletter specifically for creators - each week we showcase a brand that is actively looking for new creators to sponsor, share tips and tools you should be using, and leading industry news.?
2. Marketing Brew: Filled with marketing tips, think-pieces, and industry updates - which arrive to your inbox 3 times a week.
3. Tubefilter Top Stories Newsletter: Get the latest news about the creator world, as well as a spotlight on specific influencers that are on the rise (and what they are doing right!).
4. The Publish Press: Gets right to the point about the latest creator news 3 times a week.?
5. The Hustle: Start your morning off on the right foot, in this case, with a newsletter from The Hustle. It covers pretty much everything from business to trends so you can get the latest news quick while drinking your morning coffee.?
6. TL;DR Marketing: too long didn't read - relatable. This newsletter promises to give you all the updates you need in a 'skim-worthy' format.?
7. Buffer's Social Media Newsletter: Buffer is all about providing essential tools and the newsletter is just another great extension to that goal.?
8. Influencer Marketing Hub: This newsletter comes out twice a month and features how-to guides, courses and research reports all related to the influence marketing industry.?
9. Influence Weekly: If you are interested in getting insights about brands, influencers and agencies, make sure to subscribe to this newsletter.?
10. Stacked Marketer: Get all the latest creator economy news in just 7 minutes.?

HelloFresh’s marketing strategy?

Over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people interested in meal delivery kits and the number of meal delivery brands to choose from. However, HelloFresh has secured its spot as the most popular meal kit in the world with over 1B meals delivered in 2021 and 8.5M active customers. So, what’s the secret recipe to their success?

What is HelloFresh??

The main idea is that HelloFresh delivers prepared ingredients needed for a specific meal, enabling the customers to prepare the meal themselves using recipe cards. Customers can choose a plan that works best for their lifestyle, such as family-friendly, pescatarian, quick and easy, fit & wholesome, etc. They can also specify how many people will be eating each meal and how many meals they plan to cook during the week. Each week, you get to choose from a wide selection of recipes and they’ll deliver it to you within that week.?

HelloFresh's marketing strategy

They understand their customers - what they need, what appeals to them, and most importantly, how to reach them. HelloFresh poured a hefty cup of influencer marketing into its marketing strategy and sprinkled in the ever-changing consumer needs - whipping up quite the successful recipe for success.?

HelloFresh’s product and service are ideal for influencer marketing because it's visually appealing and can be promoted in a variety of ways (according to the niche and target audience). HelloFresh’s tactic is to allow the influencer to promote their product in the most authentic way possible, such as sharing a personal element - “I’ve had a busy day with the kids and don’t have the energy to cook a nutritious, filling meal - thankfully, I have a HelloFresh meal waiting to be prepped and cooked”.?

Take a closer look at their influencer marketing strategy:

HelloFresh has appeared on over 2,500 YouTube channels to date. Here are 5 channels that have brought some of the most success to the meal delivery brand and why the collaboration worked (and continues to work) so well.?

1. Rocky Kanaka: HelloFresh has partnered with this channel 7 times and has generated for the brand 40M views. Rocky Kanaka explains that between creating content about animal rescue and actually doing the rescuing/taking care of the homeless pets, making food each day is not a priority - that’s where HelloFresh comes in clutch (and viewers eat that up!).?
2. Nick DiGiovanni: HelloFresh has partnered with Nick DiGiovanni six times over the last two years, with their latest collaboration racking up 3M views. Millions of viewers turn to his channel for food entertainment, which ties in nicely with HelloFresh’s marketing strategy - enabling pretty much anyone to be a ‘chef’ while having fun.??
3. SmarterEveryDay: This general knowledge channel has brought a lot of exposure for HelloFresh - 41.05M total views to be exact. When viewers see SmarterEveryDay promoting HelloFresh’s products, they know the creator has fully explored the brand and its products and can therefore confidently give this company a try.??
4. Romee Strijd: This model/influencer/mother to (soon-to-be) 2 daughters doesn’t have time to cook up an elaborate meal every day that adheres to her a little bit stricter diet (staying healthy during her second pregnancy and bouncing back after giving birth). Romee Strijd promotes the ability to fully customize HelloFresh meal plans according to your lifestyle.?
5. Aspyn and Parker: The meal delivery company has sponsored this channel over 50 times! Aspyn and Parker don’t hold back - they share the hardship of parenthood, the stress of being an influencer, and how they stay afloat. And, their viewers are in the same boat - the ideal audience for HelloFresh.

Last but certainly not least, the meme of the month

If you want to get even more industry news, make sure to sign up for our non-Linkedin newsletter - you can receive the latest weekly updates in your inbox every Friday. Also, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help navigating the world of influencer marketing!?