Why Should You Care About Influencer Marketing?

Earlier this year I partnered with Traackr on research into enterprise brands and their use/views into influencer marketing. Based on this research, Brian Solis wrote an exceptional report, called Influence 2.0: The Future of Influencer Marketing.

This report remains an important collection of trends and insights because influencer marketing is one of the most profound opportunities for enterprise organizations to transform their customer relationships. The research and report by Brian Solis outlines the failures as well as go forward best practices for implementing an evolved approach to brand and influencer relationships, which Brian calls Influence 2.0.

In the case of the influencer marketing consulting we provide at our agency, the relationships built with influencers and the role of content, or "confluence" as Traackr calls it, are at the core of marketing that is better quality, has greater reach, credibility and impact.

Some of the most important influencer marketing trends from the Influence 2.0 report include:

The difference between influencer marketing maturity of B2C companies and their B2B counterparts was striking. Especially that 48% of B2C influencer marketing programs are ongoing compared to only 11% for B2B companies. Longer sales cycles require more content with B2B buyers and with 80% of respondents rating content marketing as most impacted by influencer marketing, I think we’ll see a significant shift with B2B companies moving to ongoing programs. Content co-created between B2B brands and influencers is highly effective with the high demands for peer and expert information amongst business buyers.

How influencer marketing stands out

Most companies are still experimenting and not integrating influencer content across digital channels. Including trusted industry experts in brand content increases reach to new communities, adds credibility to brand message and inspires participating influencers to share - all while growing the brand and influencer relationship. Other strategies don’t come close to that level of trust with consumers.

How influencer marketing will become a cross functional discipline that will expand beyond marketing

Incorporating industry experts can add a credible voice and expertise to customer service, talent acquisition, brand, PR and other relationship based communications between enterprise brands and their audiences. To that end, it is essential that influencer relationships are managed with a dynamic platform offering identification, engagement, management and analytics features.

The future of influencer marketing and how brands can shift into influencer relations

A strategic approach to influencer engagement focuses on the relationship with the brand and community over the long term. Influence is a value exchange between brands and influencers at different stages. Enterprise brands that can scale their ability to connect with influencers will also be able to impart influence on niche influencers, making the brand even more influential.

Long term relationships with a small group of influencers vs. working temporarily with a wide variety of talent

While it is possible to engage creators transactionally for short term projects, it is longer term relationships with influencers that drive the best quality engagement and advocacy. When you pay an influencer for their craft, they care about the brand short term. When you build a relationship with an influencer based on shared values, they care about the brand for the long term.

The best ways for brands to co-create with influencers

Virtually any kind of content brands create for their audiences can involve collaboration with influencers including text, images, audio and video online and with offline communications. The best ways brands can co-create with influencers is to find the opportunities where brand values and influencer values intersect for their distinct audiences. When brands collaborate in ways that contribute to furthering the interests of participating influencers while also advancing their own goals, everybody wins, especially the audience.

Advice for brands on how to use influencer marketing going forward

It’s important to think strategically about where working with influencers fits in brand content and communications. A holistic and strategic view will bring enterprise marketers out of the depths of short term, transactional influencer engagement and surface it to an always on approach that grows relationships. When influencers genuinely care about the common goals with brands, it inspires a level of advocacy and scalable quality content you can’t buy.

Check out the report here or if you like interactive infographics, our friends at Ceros made one for us using data and influencer quotes here.

LEARN MORE ABOUT INFLUENCER MARKETING AT THESE EVENTS

If you are attending the Content Marketing World conference in Cleveland, be sure to register for the session: Big Brand Influencer Marketing on Sept 6 at 11:20am.

I will also give a keynote on B2B influencer marketing at the Influencer Marketing Days conference in New York on September 26th.

Are you a B2B marketer in Boston? Then you won't want to miss "From Why to ROI: B2B Influencer Marketing Case Studies for Success" which I am presenting at the MarketingProfs B2B Forum on Oct 4th.

But what about influencer marketing and ABM? I have you covered! I will be presenting on that topic at Dreamforce in San Francisco, November 7th.

But wait, there's more! I will also be keynoting Pubcon on the topic of influencer marketing and search marketing November 9th in Las Vegas.

I hope to see you at one or more of these events in 2017. It's a great year for influencer marketing and 2018 and on will be even better.