And successful businesses have latched onto this revolution in marketing efforts that feel genuinely organic. Globally, businesses spent an estimated 16.4 billion dollars on influencer marketing in 2022 alone.¹ It’s a massive market that comes with astronomical potential.

But in a world of big campaigns and bigger budgets, there’s one aspect of influencer marketing that doesn’t have to be enormous: an influencer’s following.

Welcome to the era of the micro influencer.

What is a micro influencer?

So what is an influencer anyway? When the average person thinks of an influencer, they likely picture a YouTube celebrity sensation or a wildly successful TikTok creator with the population of a small country wrapped around their finger. But these days, influencers come in all shapes and sizes.

Micro influencers are online personalities whose followings range from 10,000 to 100,000.² Some brands may shy away from these “small fry” contenders, but the truth is that micro influencers can deliver in ways that household names can’t.

Types of influencers

The number of followers that constitutes a “class” of influencer varies depending on the source. However, in general, influencers can be grouped into the following four categories:

• Nano influencer – These small-scale social media figures have fewer than 10,000 followers (but ideally more than 1,000).
• Micro influencer – These smaller influencers have managed to amass 10,000 to 100,000 followers.
• Macro influencer – These up-and-comers have between 100,000 and 1 million online followers.
• Mega influencer – These are the global icons; mega influencers boast more than 1 million followers.

At under 100,000 followers, micro influencers sit in the “Goldilocks zone.” They’re not so unknown that no one’s paying attention to them, but they’re not untouchable big shots either. There’s an approachability about them that allows brands of any size to experiment with influencer marketing in the future or present.

6 rewards businesses can reap working with micro influencers

There’s a reason that partnering with micro-influencers is one of our 8 influencer marketing trends for brands to watch. Scratch that—there are actually 6 reasons why the majority of brands today prefer to work with micro influencers.³

#1 Micro influencers cover niche markets

When macro and mega influencers reach superstar status, they inevitably appeal to the broadest possible audience. But micro influencers still cater to a specific crowd.

Think of it this way: There’s simply no way that all 18 million of an influencer’s followers will share interests that align with a brand’s campaign. However, there is a high likelihood that the 12,000 users who follow a micro influencer will respond well to a sponsored product that fits into the influencer’s niche.

Ultimately, views and impressions mean nothing if they’re not culled from the right people. Let’s imagine two scenarios where a power tool brand takes on influencer marketing:

• Scenario 1 – The tool company teams up with a soccer player with 22 million followers. The sponsored content post receives 1.8 million impressions from sports fans around the world.
• Scenario 2 – The tool company partners with a DIY micro influencer with 35,000 followers. The sponsored content post receives 20,000 impressions from enthusiastic carpenters.

While the numbers in the first scenario may make it seem like a more successful campaign, there’s more to the story:

• Even though there’s likely some overlap between soccer fans and power tool users, many of those impressions will be wasted on an audience that isn’t invested in the product to begin with.
• On the other hand, the company can nearly guarantee that the vast majority of the micro influencer’s followers will be interested in power tools.

#2 Users engage more with micro influencers

Mega influencers are celebrities. When social media users comment on a famous person’s post, they don’t expect a response. They might hope or pray for one, but the odds aren’t in their favor.

However, micro influencers feel approachable and relatable to their followers. They’re not international supermodels or popstars; they’re regular, down-to-Earth people.

Perhaps this approachability is what causes users to engage with micro influencers’ posts about 60% more than they do with macro influencers.⁴

And because the communities surrounding micro influencers are smaller, users don’t simply comment to engage with the influencer; often, they also communicate with each other. These extra likes and comments give the sponsored post an organic boost, which can help it perform even better.

#3 Micro influencers come across as more authentic

Over the years, consumers have become accustomed to the influencer marketing strategy. When social media users see a macro influencer hawking a product, they recognize that it’s an influencer doing what they do best: Endorsing a product for a paycheck.

Micro influencers don’t suffer from this stigma. They’re seen as experts in their field—experts who would only recommend a product if they genuinely like it. Brands can lean on this built-in trust to tap into their target audience.

#4 Campaigns are more cost-effective

A single social media post from a mega influencer can cost more than $10,000—often much, much more.⁵

Micro influencers, alternatively, may charge as little as $100 for a feed post.5 Many small-scale creators will even accept products as payment. The difference is night and day: micro influencers are much more affordable.

And in addition to this numbers game, there are two more potential hazards involved with mega-influencer partnerships:

• High-risk investments – When companies spend an eye-watering number on landing a partnership with one mega-influencer, they put all their eggs in one basket. If the influencer does something to have their account suspended or gets mixed in a PR scandal, that investment disappears.
• Trying out new approaches – Another benefit of the lower cost? The ability to experiment and take risks. For example, brands could run A/B testing by teaming up with 20 smaller influencers and giving them all different instructions. Once the performance results of each post come in, identifying the best possible course of action for the rest of the campaign is easy.

Ultimately, micro influencer’s more accessible price tag means brands can partner with dozens of creators to cast a wider net—all for less than a single macro or mega influencer. In this way, working with smaller accounts lets businesses hedge their bets all while diversifying their marketing strategy and creativity.

#5 Communication is straightforward

For all but the biggest brands, catching a mega influencer’s attention can be next to impossible. These social media superstars often have managers, assistants or legal professionals who sift through partnership requests on their behalf, so brands may never negotiate directly with the influencer. Requests can sit unread for weeks, and responses can be slow.

Coordinating with micro influencers is much easier. Since their inboxes aren’t flooded with emails, brands can hear back much sooner. Many micro influencers will even answer DMs from businesses. Micro influencers are typically small-scale creators who may not make a living off of their craft, so they’re more likely to meet any interest from a brand with excitement.

Without a manager or assistant in the middle, brands have a direct and open line of communication with their hired micro influencers. From there, providing updates, giving feedback, and planning future campaigns becomes effortless.

#6 Relationships can blossom

In the same vein, micro influencers tend to have fewer ongoing brand deals. This relative freedom allows them to dedicate more time and effort to one brand.

Through this care and attention to detail, genuine relationships can form. Micro influencers who may have been unaware of a brand can suddenly become its most ardent supporter. One sponsored post turns into a series of videos, and an influencer becomes a brand ambassador.

These long-term partnerships are a win-win for influencers and brands:

• Influencers gain credibility by teaming up with an established company.
• The company builds familiarity among an influencer’s loyal followers.

And, if the micro influencer ever explodes in popularity, they’ll bring their favorite brand along with them.

Power Digital: Make a massive impact with a micro influencer campaign

Micro influencers offer brands of every size and stripe access to influencer marketing at an affordable rate. But for most businesses, the most challenging part of micro influencer partnerships is the needle-in-a-haystack task of finding them.

Unlike mega influencers, small-scale creators aren’t household names. It takes a team of seasoned professionals—an influencer marketing agency—to locate and recruit the best micro influencers for a brand.

At Power Digital, we go beyond the duties of your average digital marketing agency. We analyze your current strategies, match you with the right influencers, then assess and tweak the campaign to perfection so you can reach hundreds of thousands of consumers.

To find out more about our influencer marketing services, drop us a line today.

Sources:

1. Statista. Influencer marketing market size worldwide from 2016 to 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092819/global-influencer-market-size/
2. Forbes. Macro-Influencers Vs. Micro-Influencers: The Great Social Media Debate. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/03/01/macro-influencers-vs-micro-influencers-the-great-social-media-debate/
3. Digital Marketing Institute. 20 Surprising Influencer Marketing Statistics. https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you
4. Forbes. Micro-Influencers: When Smaller Is Better. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/06/02/micro-influencers-when-smaller-is-better/
5. Shopify. Influencer Pricing: How Much Should You Pay? https://www.shopify.com/blog/influencer-pricing

The post What Is a Micro Influencer? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

When it comes to paid social, a down-market typically has some advertisers dial down on budgets. Advertisers that stay the course will reap the rewards as advertising typically becomes cheaper and more effective during an economic slowdown.

Paid social aside, brand marketing organizations should look to organic activities for revenue growth. Yes, we said that. The digital customer journey is sprawling and doesn’t begin or end in a direct response ad served neatly from the product catalog. Many of your competitors will pull back during a down-market. If you keep building your social activities thoughtfully, you’ll not only maintain or win over market share and audiences but prop your brand up for success post-recession. Here’s how:

TikTok as a Revenue Engine

Last call for brands to go vertical – the time is now to adapt to an all-Reels and all-TikTok strategy. Why? Analyzing Black Friday/Cyber Monday data derived from Power Digital’s proprietary platform, nova, TikTok’s CPMs stood at -53% lower than the Meta CPM, while brands increased spend by +170% YoY. For some industries, like fashion and beauty, sales conversions on TikTok are up to six times higher compared to other industries.

Others are noticing the selling power of a TikTok feed, too. So expect more mobile e-comm platforms to mimic the TikTok scroll format. For example, Amazon’s testing a TikTok-style feed called Inspire. Start thinking about how to incorporate the endless video scroll into your social (and sales) strategy.

How to get started with TikTok? Consistency drives followers and ultimately, sales. Build a content calendar and stick to a regular cadence. Work with quality creators that align with your brand and the lifestyle of your audience. You don’t need to shell out big bucks for TikTok stars, either. Sometimes the best ROI comes from thoughtful partnerships with smaller creators that live and breathe your brand.

Inspire Community Building

Think building community on social media is just about replying to DMs and liking comments? That’s important, but it’s time to look beyond interactions to take a more strategic approach. Creator partnerships are a part of this too as it fuels valuable exchange between your followers. A well-rounded community activation strategy is proactive and based on a value-exchange: think Facebook Groups, Close Friends activations for your most loyal followers, leveraging (and rewarding) user-generated content, to name a few.

Optimize Social E-Commerce Journeys

Continue to optimize social e-commerce journeys, especially when attracting and retaining younger audiences. Gen Z is the savviest demographic on social media. They know how to find the products they want and how to buy them at the best price. Especially with buy now/pay later options like Afterpay or Klarna, Gen Z are quick to impulse-buy products after seeing them on TikTok. A question to ask yourself: what are you doing to make social shopping frictionless? Here are a few strategies to consider: 

• If you offer buy now/pay later options, make sure to communicate about them prominently both on organic and paid content, as well as on your site.
• Amazon Prime has set the expectation for speedy shipping and free returns. Upgrade your shipping policies to match Amazon’s as closely as possible.
• Consider making your products available to buy directly on social platforms like Instagram and Tik tok. Both are investing in end-to-end commerce to match the growing need for seamless transactions.

Finally, if you’re looking for support with your organic or paid social marketing, send us a note. With hundreds of brands on our roster (and serving 60+ brands on all things TikTok), we know a thing or two about driving brand recognition and revenue growth on social.

The post How to Drive Growth on Social Media in 2023 appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The site has incredible reach: 500 million people use it daily, 90% of them follow at least one business² and 70% of Instagram users open the app to make purchasing decisions.¹ 

With these stats, it’s no wonder Instagram is a leading marketing tool. Here’s everything you need to know to join the 200+ million businesses on consumers’ Instagram feeds.¹ 

The advantages of Instagram for businesses

Whether you’re wanting to learn more about affiliate marketing strategies or simply looking for ways to market your business yourself, Instagram has endless advantages to doing so. Social media networks like Instagram provide global exposure for brands with just a few clicks, an eye-catching profile photo and engaging posts. To build brand awareness, businesses can use a variety of tools, including stories, reels, targeted Instagram ads and product tags to instigate purchases, humanize its value propositions and establish themselves as a trusted brand.

Instagram also provides companies with opportunities to closely engage with customers by conducting weekly polls on Instagram stories, interacting with comments on posts and responding to direct messages. 

To gain an understanding of follower trends and content performance, businesses can view Instagram Insights, which provide a look into:²

• Accounts reached
• Accounts engaged
• Content interactions
• Ad
• Plays
• Total followers

With this data, companies can equip themselves with knowledge that can inform marketing strategies, product launches and user research. 

Partnering with a digital marketing and social media agency can also help bring your efforts to the next level.

How to leverage Instagram as a business

Building a brand on Instagram is similar to decorating the scariest home in the neighborhood on Halloween. In other words, you’ll want to curate a captivating experience that brings everyone to your front door to receive your offerings. The best news is that there are plenty of Instagram tools at your disposal. We’ve outlined how to use Instagram below so you can create an effective Instagram strategy for your business.

1. Determine your objectives

Instagram’s sheer reach may feel like reason enough to use it as a marketing tool. However, it’s critical to join the social media platform with a clear business plan to create a business profile that speaks to your target audience with purpose.

Defining your objectives can inform your marketing strategy and provide you with a framework that drives your voice, marketing initiatives and consumer relationships. For example, companies may utilize Instagram to:

• Keep customers in the loop – Whether you’re a local boutique or a fine arts retailer, Instagram provides effective and compelling content tools to keep customers in the know. Eye-catching feed posts can be used to announce an upcoming sale or event, introduce a new team member, promote a new product, or support a local partnership.
• Build and maintain a community – At the forefront of social media is community. Creating a business profile that consumers can interact with cultivates customer loyalty and trust in your brand. More specifically, Instagram allows you to interact directly with your clients and followers to share news, answer questions and open up a dialogue about their needs, wishes and goals.
• Showcase the company’s core values and community – Research indicates that consumers are increasingly attracted to companies whose values correspond with their own. In fact, a 2021 survey reports that 60% of respondents purchased from a brand because of their shared values.³ Brands can create a brand personality through unique language and a curated aesthetic.

Need inspiration? Consider the Instagram campaigns that spurred you into action or increased your interest in a company. Assess how your competitors are using Instagram as well, and which of their posts generated a large number of likes, follows, shares and comments.

2. Establish your ideal target audience

To establish your ideal target audience, start with your existing customers or Instagram followers. Through user research and surveys, identify the wants and needs of your audience by determining:

• Age
• Location
• Passions
• Motivations

Don’t have a client base yet? Again, check out your competitors. Their followers—especially those who express their love for the brand in comments and shares—can tell you a great deal about your target audience and how to connect with them. 

3. Determine your persona before stepping into the game

Knowing who you are as a company is just as vital as familiarizing yourself with your target audience. Before you begin posting on Instagram, it’s important to lay out a plan for the way you want to communicate with current and potential customers.

That said, consistency is key in digital marketing, and an Instagram business account that’s at odds with your website or Facebook account through misaligned messaging or schema can give a consumer whiplash and impact their trust in your company.

As such, when creating an Instagram profile, every business must consider:

• Tone of voice – The tone of voice you adopt for your Instagram posts should mirror either the ethos you’ve already established on other digital platforms or the foundational values of the company you’re getting off the ground. Naturally, this should align with your products and/or services. A poetic, inspirational tone of voice may work beautifully for a company that sells organic, handmade soaps, while a retailer that sells skateboards can benefit from a more relaxed tone of voice that speaks specifically to industry expertise. 
• Color scheme – A consistent color scheme is equally crucial. Drawing time and again from the same part of the color palette will give your account cohesion and polish. A cohesive feed also makes your brand both recognizable and memorable. Per design principles, businesses typically utilize monochrome, analogous, complementary or triadic color schemes to create contrast and balance that’s pleasing to the eyes of Instagram users.⁴
• Content – Millions (literally) of companies use a combination of photo posts, reels and stories to create a dynamic brand identity. Whatever you choose, there should be a certain consistency and cadence to the Instagram content you publish.⁵ Posting memes for weeks on end only to slide in a live video of your team behind the scenes may cause a follower to doubt the credibility of your company. It’s optimal to deliver relevant and reliable content on a consistent basis.

4. Open an Instagram business account

Once you’ve established the framework of your brand voice, content, and objectives, it’s finally time to download Instagram’s splashy ombre icon and build your business profile from the ground up:¹  

• Step 1 – Sign up with your business’ email address.
• Step 2 – Head to Settings, then Account and switch your profile to a professional account.
• Step 3 – Select a category that aligns with your business.
• Step 4 – Add your contact information, and you’re ready to begin posting.

5. Optimize your business profile

Data demonstrates that we have all of seven seconds to make a stellar first impression with consumers.⁶ Daunting? No doubt. But it’s also an opportunity to further develop and refine your brand. There are two ways to capture audience attention off the bat:

• Be super judicious with your profile pic – Profile pics on Instagram are tiny—110 by 110 pixels, to be exact.⁷ Concision here is key. If you don’t have a logo in place, deem it a priority. Whether you choose the first letter of your company’s name or a design, aim to make it captivating, colorful and memorable. 
• Craft a pitch-perfect bio – Instagram grants users 150 characters for their bio, which underscores the importance of ensuring yours is punchy, succinct and enthralling. If possible, aim to convey your core principles and the lifestyle you advocate rather than just the products and services you offer. (For an example of this, check out @aloyoga: Bringing yoga to the world. Inspiring mindful movement from studio to street.) You’ll also want to include your website and, if it makes sense for your industry, your location.

6. Deep dive into Instagram’s range of posting options

One of the beauties of Instagram is that it gives businesses a great deal of creative liberty. But this is only valuable if you know how to use and take advantage of its different types of posts. 

Whether you choose to work with a tech-enabled growth firm or tackle Instagram on your own, understand the advantages of each type of post:

• Photos – Instagram feeds are the backbone of every business account, they provide a consistent look into your brand, your offerings, and your values.
• Carousels – Brands can boost social media engagement and showcase a collection of new products using carousels, which allow up to 10 photos per Instagram post. 
• Stories – Stories can increase brand awareness and keep customers up-to-date on upcoming deals or events. 
• Live stories – Instagram live stories help brands connect with their community members. Customers can interact directly with comments and brands can add guests to the live stream to create rhetoric around a product or service. 
• Reels – Instagram reels are snappy and often creative videos that give your audience a front-row view of your brand. They can increase your following and boost engagement rates. 

These are incredibly valuable Instagram tools that businesses can use in their social media marketing efforts when executed successfully. 

7. Build an editorial calendar

Brand consistency extends beyond language and aesthetics. It also applies to the consistency in which you publish content to the platform, as this can build brand recognition and trust. 

Some companies choose to post daily; others, multiple times per day. 

Examine your competitors’ frequency and analyze your Instagram insights to determine the best times to reach your target audience. From there, you can develop an editorial calendar to stay on top of your content strategy. 

8. Use relevant hashtags

Hashtags are the lighthouses of the Instagram marketing world, guiding consumers to your reels, stories and business profile. While Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, an overuse of hashes can appear gimmicky at times and take away from your brand authority. 

That said, a tech-enabled growth firm like Power Digital can assist your company in finding relevant and trending hashtags that speak directly to your target audience. 

Reach—and exceed—your potential with Power Digital

Instagram’s enormous popularity, user-friendly features and visual nature have established it as a marketer’s dream platform. Whether you’re taking your initial dive into digital marketing or are searching for strategies to increase your exposure, it can be a fantastic forum to connect with customers, build brand awareness, and expand your reach. If you’re ready to launch your Instagram strategy, consider partnering with a digital marketing agency like Power Digital. 

Power Digital has the marketing prowess and data intelligence tools to take your efforts to the next level. As a tech-enabled growth firm, we work alongside our clients to help them rise above the noise and make a genuine impact—on Instagram and beyond. 

Let’s get the conversation started. 

Sources:

1. Instagram for Business. Getting starters on Instagram for business. https://business.instagram.com/getting-started/
2. Instagram. About Instagram Insights. https://help.instagram.com/788388387972460 
3. The Source. Consumer values, brand expectations change in 2020. https://source.wustl.edu/2021/05/consumer-values-brand-expectations-change-in-2020/
4. SitePoint. Principles of Design: Color. https://www.sitepoint.com/principles-of-design-colour/ 
5. Forbes. Why consistency is the key to successful branding. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2016/12/13/why-consistency-is-the-key-to-successful-branding/?sh=5ae33c327bbd
6. Forbes. You and your business have 7 seconds to make a first impression: here’s how to succeed. https://www.forbes.com/sites/serenitygibbons/2018/06/19/you-have-7-seconds-to-make-a-first-impression-heres-how-to-succeed/?sh=7f7a0a5a56c2
7. Expert Photography. Instagram profile picture size guide. https://expertphotography.com/instagram-profile-picture-size-guide/
8. Business of Apps. Instagram revenue and usage statistics https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/

The post How to Use Instagram for Businesses appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Instagram’s widespread popularity is well-known. What may be less clear? How you can use its powerful reach to your brand’s advantage. (Because you definitely should be.) 

It’s time to scroll through your ultimate guide to Instagram marketing. In this feed, we’ll bring to light the benefits of both organic and paid Instagram marketing, strategies on leveraging Instagram’s algorithm to grow your brand, and how to get started.

Why choose Instagram marketing?

Instagram has tremendous reach potential, allowing your brand the chance to reach thousands, if not millions, of new target audience members. With paid Instagram ads, you can also zero in on exactly what types of consumers see your content. 

To date, Instagram boasts: 

• 500 million daily users³
• Two billion monthly active users globally, projected to grow to 2.5 billion in 2023,^2,3
• A primary audience (70%) of users under the age of 35 with Millennial buying power³

With the help of Instagram story, reels, posts, and more, creating an instagram marketing strategy can be beneficial for you brand. In other words, the social media platform offers businesses an excellent chance to gain tremendous exposure.

The benefits of Instagram marketing

A quick glimpse at Instagram’s beginnings demonstrates IG’s star power:

• Its debut in 2010 drew in 25,000 users in a single day. 
• Its growth has been called “exponential” by the likes of Forbes.⁴
• Before it turned three, Facebook scooped Instagram up for $1B in stocks and cash. 

How does this help brands? Instagram’s inherent nature is what made it instantly attractive: it’s first and foremost a visual platform. 

This lends itself well to marketing, whether you’re a salon that specializes in invisible hair extensions or a nonprofit that focuses on saving the oceans. Case in point, visual content generates 650% more engagement than word-filled, text-based content.⁵

Aside from its visual prowess, Instagram can: 

• Promote brand exposure – Brand awareness is one of the golden tickets to a thriving business. Instagram facilitates exposure and recognition—not only because of its exceptionally high number of users but also because 70% of IG users turn to the platform to get inspo for their next purchase.⁶ A perfect way to reach potential customers and grow your audience.
• Improve shopability – Instagram released shoppable posts in 2018, allowing brands to include prices and other product info on their product images. In as little as two clicks, a consumer can procure a product or service from your Instagram shop. That’s a whole lot of ROI waiting to happen.
• Increase brand relevance – Brands that keep up with trends and stand up for positive social change on social media have the chance to develop an emotional bond with their target customers.⁷ Maybe you support Black Lives Matter (BLM). Perhaps you strive for #diversityandinclusion in the workplace. Whatever the case may be, Instagram gives you the opportunity to join the conversation and express your core values to attract consumers that resonate with them. 
• Elevate engagement – From direct messages (DMs) to story Q&As, Instagram fosters relevant, real-time engagement between you and your target customers. Instagram can simultaneously increase your engagement quantity and quality by paving a pathway for consumers to connect with you early, often, and genuinely. 

As an example, take a look at the luxury makeup brand Ogee. They draw viewers to their IG posts by featuring stunning models who provide short makeup tutorials. Viewers communicate directly with the company to inquire about application techniques, the right shade for their skin, Ogee’s return policy—you name it. This doesn’t just expedite communication; it humanizes your brand and deepens your connection with consumers.

How do marketers use Instagram?

From Instagram reels to ads and promoted posts, There is an exciting wealth of opportunity for brands to leverage Instagram’s massive user base and eerily observant algorithm. So what’s the best tactic for your brand? It all depends on what your goals are. (But if you ask us, employing a combination of all tactics can generate some seriously impressive growth metrics.) 

If you are ready to learn how to use Instagram advertising and marketing in favor of your business, you can start by understanding the strategies used on the social media platform. Some Instagram advertising strategies can include:

• Organic Instagram marketing – Organic social media strategy is the cornerstone of effective, long-term brand growth on Instagram. Posting value-adding Instagram content directly (and freely) to your feed can help build brand loyalty, increase shared reach, drive brand awareness and attract invaluable customer feedback. 
• Paid Instagram ads – Paid Instagram marketing is a branch off the pay-per-click tree that allows you to show your content only to people in your target demographic. This can help you minimize wasted ad spend while growing your following and customer base. You’ll also have access to more exhaustive performance metrics like the number of users your content reached and how many times your ads were clicked. 
• Affiliate Instagram marketing – Affiliate marketing, or more commonly known as influencer marketing on Instagram, employs influential users to do the legwork of promoting your brand for you. As a brand, you can partner with a popular user to plug your products or services into their content to catapult your reach, market share and traffic. You can learn more about Instagram influencer and affiliate marketing strategies to better understand their benefits for your brand. 
• Instagram Shopping – Instagram Shopping is an eCommerce engine built straight into the Instagram platform. It allows brands to set up a “shop,” similar to Amazon storefronts or your own eCommerce website, and tag product images with prices and convertible links. Users can complete purchases directly within Instagram shop to remove conversion barriers and move the needle on your revenue KPIs.⁸

Show me the way: how do I get started with Instagram marketing?

Half of Instagram users follow a business.⁹ This alone might suggest that jumping on the Instagram marketing bandwagon is a no-brainer. This is especially true if your brand is sitting on some high-quality content assets like photography or videos. Why not leverage these and turn over even more profit while expanding your brand footprint? 

If that all sounds like your cup of tea, here’s how to get started with Instagram marketing: 

#1 Get clear on your target audience

One important Instagram marketing tip that will have a significant influence on your efforts is understanding your followers and audience. You can’t reach your target audience if it’s not clear who they are. Before spending ad dollars or content-creating resources on Instagram efforts, make sure you and your marketing team are aligned on the persona you’re aiming to reach.

At minimum, decide on audience specifications such as:

• Age
• Gender 
• Geographical region
• Income bracket range
• Lifestyle and interests

If you’re unsure about who you should target, start by analyzing your existing customer data. What does your typical customer look like? How do they behave? What products do they love most? Odds are there are more people like them who could benefit from your brand, too. 

#2 Get acquainted with your competitors

You can learn plenty from your competitor’s successes (and their failures). Examine their accounts to get a general feel for their strengths and weaknesses.

Start by answering these questions: 

• When do they post, and how often?
• What type of content garners engagement? What does not?
• Is their audience more responsive to photos, Reels, or Stories?
• Which of their posts have attracted the most likes, shares, and engagement?

The more Instagram insights you can glean, the more clarity you’ll carry into your own marketing plan. Just be sure to showcase only original ideas on your own Instagram feed, as consumers these days are smart and can spot cloned content from a mile away. 

#3 Create an Instagram business account

After those strategic planning steps, the rest is easy. Instagram offers complimentary business accounts. If you already have an Instagram account, switching over to a Business Account is a cinch: 

1. Navigate to “Settings” in your current Instagram account. 
2. Select “Switch to Professional Account.”
3. Elect the business type that most closely matches yours.
4. Complete your profile. Use an instantly-recognizable photograph or your logo, create a brief, punchy bio (in 150 characters or less), and include the link to your website.

Your profile should be informative, accessible and eye-catching. It should also capture your brand’s personality and stand out from your competition. Spend time on this step: Instagram has over 200 million businesses and you don’t want to get lost in the noise.¹⁰ 

Which brings us to our next point…

#4 Build an authentic Instagram presence

It’s estimated that consumers are subjected to as many as 10,000 ads per day.¹¹

In a space like Instagram teeming with ads, it’s vital for brands to show up authentically to cut through the clutter. Most consumers can immediately spot a brand that screams inauthenticity—which often results in taking their business elsewhere. 

To design a meaningful Instagram presence that resonates with your target audience, consider these tactics:

• Develop your desired tone of voice – Is your company courageous and outspoken? Inspirational? Witty? Your tone of voice should mirror your products and/or services—and utilize language that’s in your target audience’s vernacular.
• Ensure brand consistency – Nothing can inflict consumer doubt like a company that lacks cohesion and consistency online. Consumers repeatedly rate brand consistency as one of the most important things they look for; it also has the potential to increase revenue by 33%.¹²
• Be transparent – Whether you use a certain ingredient in your company’s body butter or don’t offer complimentary shipping, be upfront about it. Honesty is synonymous with integrity, which goes a long, loyal way with today’s consumers.

Your long-term success on the platform will also depend on creating an editorial calendar, growing your followers, and practicing social listening, among other tasks—which you can tackle yourself or hand over to an expert social media agency like Power Digital. 

Harness the power of Instagram marketing with Power Digital

Instagram marketing can be a boon for your business, broadening your exposure and facilitating deeper bonds with your customers that ultimately lead to more sales. Partnering with a growth marketing firm can also help optimize your Instagram marketing efforts. 

Power Digital can help you flourish on Instagram and beyond. We work at the junction between consulting, marketing, and data intelligence to help new and established brands exceed their potential. With our social media marketing experts, you’ll have a proactive partner by your side to help your brand collect more likes, followers, and sales than you ever thought possible. 

Check out our social media marketing agency services today and drop us a line to get started.

Sources: 

1. Investopedia. Instagram: What is its, its history, and how the popular app works. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102615/story-instagram-rise-1-photo0sharing-app.asp
2. Search Engine Journal. The top 10 social media sites & platforms 2022. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/social-media/biggest-social-media-sites/
3. Business of Apps. Instagram revenue and usage statistics https://www.businessofapps.com/data/instagram-statistics/
4. Forbes. The best of social media: pros and cons of each platform.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/07/20/the-best-of-social-media-pros-and-cons-of-each-platform/?sh=22a5e1f21a3a
5. Inc.com. 16 eye-popping statistics you need to know about visual content marketing. https://www.inc.com/larry-kim/visual-content-marketing-16-eye-popping-statistics-you-need-to-know.html
6. Oberlo. 10 Instagram statistics you need to know in 2022. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/instagram-stats-every-marketer-should-know
7. Forbes. Brands need to embrace social change: here’s why. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/01/19/brands-need-to-embrace-social-change-heres-why/?sh=20731bd18328
8. Instagram. Instagram Shopping helps you reach new customers. https://business.instagram.com/shopping
9. Instagram for Business. Hitting 500,000 advertisers. Hitting 500,000 Advertisers | Instagram Business Blog | Instagram for Business
10. Instagram for Business. Getting started on Instagram for business. https://business.instagram.com/getting-started/
11. Forbes. Finding brand success in the digital world. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/25/finding-brand-success-in-the-digital-world/?sh=2950f91d626e
12. Oberlo. 10 branding statistics. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/branding-statistics
13. The Source. Consumer values, brand expectations change in 2020. https://source.wustl.edu/2021/05/consumer-values-brand-expectations-change-in-2020/

The post Instagram Marketing: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The marketing tactic—a collaboration between a company and an influencer to boost brand awareness and sell a product or service—has skyrocketed in popularity. By 2025, it’s projected to expand to a $24.1 billion industry.¹

As consumers increasingly turn to influencers to make their purchasing decisions, even a cursory glimpse at our social media feeds reveals an influencer marketing strategy’s range and power. But just because influencer marketing seems to be everywhere doesn’t make it easy to keep a handle on how it works, and how it’s changing.

For that, we offer this blueprint for understanding influencer marketing as it exists today. Let’s unpack how the tactic works in practice and what to know before you add it to your marketing game plan.

The basics of influencer marketing

What is influencer marketing exactly? Think of influencer marketing as word-of-mouth recommendations on steroids: Essentially, an individual (or team) with clout endorses a business and the products, services or experiences they offer. 

In the digital age, influencer marketing first made it big in blogging. Today, it’s predominantly used on the most titanic social media sites, including: 

• TikTok
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube

An Influencer marketing strategy has untold benefits to offer brands who haven’t gotten in the game yet (we’ll get to those momentarily). But perhaps one of its most appealing advantages is that it humanizes brands and facilitates company-consumer trust branded content marketing strategies through real people.

Remember, nearly half of all consumers today take their purchase cues and recommendations from influencers.² Companies ranging from Alo Yoga to local independent restaurants rely on influencers to foster visibility, reach their target audience and drive sales.

What are influencers?

Influencers are the center of a successful influencer marketing strategy. We might all want Prince Harry to give our business a grand royal endorsement, but influencers arrive with a range of reaches, audience segments and personal flavors of content. 

And while traditional celebrities are natural mega-influencers, there are many instances where even those who lack fame through traditional channels still hold sway online—sometimes, even more than those with a multi-million following. 

These could be:

• Fitness professionals
• Photographers
• Foodies
• Travel vloggers
• Social media personalities
• Bloggers
• Authorities (dermatologists are massive on TikTok)

In other words, influencers are often ordinary people whose social media presence has the potential to impact purchasing decisions.

The influencer ecosystem: 4 different types to know

From social media influencer to content creator and blogger, there are different types of influencers. These Influencers are further broken down into four categories:

• Nano-influencers – These have a following in the 1K to 10K range. Their reach may seem limited but they’re typically super-engaged with their audience. (Consider it more of a boutique experience.) Nano influencers can be a terrific option for retailers working in a hyper-specific niche and local businesses.
• Micro-influencers – The next step up, these tastemakers have followings between 10K and 100K. They too are generally known for nourishing close relationships with their followers and are chosen for their relatability and authority in their field.
• Macro-influencers – This set has followings between 100K and one million (though some agencies cut off this number at 300K).³ Usually, these are individuals who have carved out a name for themselves on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and other social media sites—the Jeanuiseats and FashionJacksons of the bunch. They might be specialized in a single area, like food, or be popular for simply being themselves.
• Mega-influencers – These are the celebrity influencers, like Kim K. Their followings are astronomical, sometimes in the tens of millions. It goes without saying that mega influencers can fuel brand awareness, but people generally follow them because they’re famous—not because they’re looking for product recommendations. Indeed, 70% of teens trust non-celebrity influencers more.²

For brands, each type of influencer has its pros and cons. Different influencer tiers come at different costs, degrees of management and creative collaboration.

How much does influencer marketing cost?

The cost of an influencer marketing campaign is contingent upon factors like:³

• The tier of potential influencer (i.e. nano- vs. mega-influencers)
• The scope of your influencer marketing campaign
• The social media platform(s) you elect to use (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and so forth)
• The degree of the influencer’s expertise
• The kind of content your influencer campaign uses (e.g. TikTok videos, Instagram reels, photos, etc.)

Some influencers agree to a barter partnership—meaning, partners are compensated with a brand’s services and products. Others are paid on commission. Normally, though, influencers are financially compensated for their time, effort and reputation.

So, how much does an influencer marketing partnership cost exactly?

Because so many variables are involved, the cost of influencer marketing can vary dramatically:⁴

• I​​f your potential influencer uses Instagram, for example, a single Instagram marketing post may cost anywhere from $10 to $100 with a nano-influencer. With a macro-influencer, it could be between $5,000 to $10,000.
• Youtube influencers tend to be compensated more. Nano-influencers typically make between $20 and $2,000 for videos; a macro-influencer could earn up to $20,000.
• Compensation averages for TikTok are still in flux, ranging from nano-influencers’ $5 per video to $2,500 for mega-influencers.

It can be challenging to determine how much to pay influencers, and how much of your marketing budget should be allocated to influencer marketing. Partnering with a digital and influencer marketing agency can help you calculate a fair exchange between you and your influential collaborators.

What are the benefits of influencer marketing?

Some influencer marketing relationships may come with a hefty price tag, but they also have the potential to reap significant ROI. 

But the benefits aren’t just financial. Here are just a handful of influencer marketing’s long-term advantages for brands:

• It can cement your legitimacy as a brand—especially if you’re just getting started

• It can create a more trusting, authentic relationship with your target customers

• It promotes an engaged customer base

• It helps you find new customers
• It lets you learn more about what your target audience wants
• It boosts your brand’s scalability

In this day and age, the questions brands have to ask themselves isn’t if influencer marketing is effective, but rather how they’re going to make those partnerships happen.

How to get influencers to promote your product

When a brand and a social influencer enter into contract, it raises the stakes for both parties. Influencers want to put their face behind brands that merit consumer trust. Likewise, companies want their products promoted by influencers with strong bonds with their audience.

To that end, there are some important things to consider before deciding how to approach an influencer partnership:

• Consider who will resonate with your target audience – Your target audience should dictate the influencers you work with. Who do they follow and engage with on a regular basis? What type of influencer will give more value to your product by association?
• Consider medium – There are multi-hyphenate influencers who operate across platforms, but different channels can work to benefit different brands. An ASMR YouTuber could be a perfect match for an up-and-coming meditation app, while a TikTok MD could help rep a pharm-to-door medication delivery service.
• Prioritize engagement—not follower count – Social media engagement can have a significant impact on your strategy. A macro influencer might seem like a natural way to heighten visibility. But if they don’t engage with their followers that can be money down the drain for brands (to say nothing, of course, of the persistent problem of fake followers). Zero in on influencers who have a loyal base and actively, consistently engage with them.
• Align influencers with your values – An influencer who posts consistently about body positivity will be keener to partner with a brand that does the same. Be clear about your objectives and why you have specifically chosen them as a brand ambassador. Likewise, it’s important to investigate other partnerships they’ve set in motion to ensure there’s no conflict between what you represent as companies.
• Host an influencers event – An influencers event lets you communicate directly with multiple prospective collaborators at once. This is your time to identify who represents your core values and why a partnership with you is more valuable than a partnership with your competitors. This might result in some pivotal connections that could support your business in the long term.
• Work with a connector agency – Influencer marketing can be lucrative, but locating the ideal influencers and managing partnerships requires both expertise and effort. It’s also an ever changing strategy that requires attention. iInfluencer marketing in the future may work and look different compared to now. A digital marketing partner that has its own Tiktok agency or social media management team can help you at every point in the process, from identifying the most promising opportunities to managing the content influencers use to promote your brand. A digital marketing company worth its salt will have a team of trusted influencers to work hand in glove with brands, whether they’re a household name or an up-and-comer.

Get more out of influencer marketing with Power Digital

Influencer marketing is a must for brands who want to expand their presence, reach their target audiences and make good on their ROI. But you don’t need to have a personal relationship with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow to advance consumer trust in your company.

At Power Digital, we connect brands with thousands of influencers across sectors, specialties and audience segments. Our data-focused approach uses NOVA analytics to evaluate your marketing needs, unite you with your ideal partners and execute a digital strategy (while taking care of your partnerships’ fine print).

Ready to get started? Reach out to us today to hit your next stride in growth.

Sources: 

1. Globe News Wire. Global influencer marketing platform industry report. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/01/04/2152794/0/en/Global-Influencer-Marketing-Platform-Industry-Report-2020-2025-Focus-on-Search-Discovery-Campaign-Management-Influencer-Relationship-Management-Analytics-Reporting.html
2. Digitial Marketing Institute. 20 surprising influencer marketing statistics.  https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/20-influencer-marketing-statistics-that-will-surprise-you
3. Forbes. How much do influencers cost? Here’s how to calculate costs for your next campaign. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/10/21/how-much-do-influencers-cost-heres-how-to-calculate-costs-for-your-next-campaign/?sh=22aa3817b8f1
4. Influencer Marketing Hub. Influencer Rates: How Much do Influencers Really Cost in 2022?  https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-rates/
5. Forbes. History of influencer marketing predates social media by centuries–but is there enough transparency in the 21st century?  https://www.forbes.com/sites/petersuciu/2020/12/07/history-of-influencer-marketing-predates-social-media-by-centuries–but-is-there-enough-transparency-in-the-21st-century/?sh=122a902a40d7

The post What is Influencer Marketing? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Curious about how to harness the marketing power of influencers? Keep reading for our trends guide on influencer marketing in the future, from organic TikTok content to niche celebrities.

#1 Hyper Focusing on Niche Influencers

Once upon a time, “influencer” meant accounts with followers in the millions. Now, a virtual influencer could apply to anyone with over a few thousand followers—and these niche accounts are key when it comes to social media for business tips. 

The rise of social media has led to an array of influencers, everything from TikTok comedians to Instagram models. This immense content growth and diversification has led to many smaller yet “specialized” audiences”, creating a great influencer marketing opportunity. Typically, influencers are categorized into these size labels:¹ 

• Nano – 0 to 10k followers
• Micro – 10k to 100k followers
• Mid – 100k to 500k followers
• Macro – 500k to 1M followers
• Mega-Macro – 1M+ followers

So, why does the future of influencer marketing belong to the micro or nano-influencer? 

First, smaller influencers are typically more accessible and affordable for marketers. 

Second, smaller accounts have better social media engagement —a priority for any social media marketer. According to the Later and Fohr Influencer Marketing Report, Instagram nano-influencers had a higher engagement rate than macro-influencers.² 

Third, these smaller accounts usually have niche followings with tailored demographics. Pick the right influencer, and you can access a valuable customer base.

#2 Creators Who Make Waves Across Multiple Platforms

In the past, influencers may stick to their favorite platforms, growing their fanbase on one channel at a time. 

But today, influencers are opening shops across all platforms—and marketers should take notice.

Influencers have figured out that the more platforms they utilize, the wider net they cast—and they take their audience with them from channel-to-channel. Users likely follow a social media influencer  across multiple accounts. The average millennial or Gen Z-er has 8.4 social media accounts across a variety of social platforms, meaning more chances to view influencer content.<sup<3  

To catch as many eyes and ears as possible, seek forward-thinking influencers who post across the most viable platforms, including:

• Instagram – Today and tomorrow Instagram reigns over social media marketing. 90% of influencer marketing campaigns use Instagram,⁴ and 46% of influencer marketers say Instagram is their primary channel.⁵ In particular, Instagram has incredible ROI for influencer marketing, jumping from 82% in sales over last year.⁶
• TikTok – The new kid in town, TikTok is an exciting landscape. Tiktok has grown from 65 million users to over 1 billion users in the last five years. Even better? TikTok has significantly higher influencer engagement rates than other platforms.⁸
• Youtube – Above all, Youtube proves that influencers are the new “celebrity.” About 70% of teen subscribers say they relate to Youtube creators more than pop culture icons.⁹ Meanwhile, 60% of all subscribers said they’d prefer advice on what to buy from creators over celebrities.

#3 Playing the Long Game with Long-Term Partnerships

Forget one-and-done flings with brands. In 2022, influencer marketing is all about forming lasting relationships.

To social media users, recognizability  and authenticity are more important than ever. Seeing a social media influencer recommend the same product over time reads as loyal, sincere, and genuine. It reinforces the impression that the influencer believes in the brand, becoming a credible user who can speak about the company’s services and offerings and swaying their followers to give it a try.

By presenting influencers with a “package deal,” you can build this consumer trust and help your team:

• Reduce marketing campaign time
• Increase post frequency
• Build recognizable branding
• Target desirable consumers

Consider all influencer marketing campaigns like a true partnership— each wants to give the best to one another. While you need their powerful voice, they need a reliable investor. This symbiotic relationship can pave the way for marketing success whatever the future holds. 

#4 Authenticity Over Perfection

Formal language, forced cheeriness, filtered and heavily edited photos—all of these things scream “fake,” or, worse, “salesy.” 

For a successful influencer marketing campaign, you need authenticity.

In 2022, consumers have more influencers and brands than ever to follow. As a result, they’re seeking real and genuine voices, with about 90% of consumers reporting authenticity helps determine their brand choices.¹⁰ 

Not sure where to look? Look for these qualities when picking an influencer that’s authentic to your business:

• Relatable, guiding, or inspirational tone
• High follower interaction
• Similar values to your company
• Organic & up-to-date content
• Matching aesthetic to your brand
• Unique voice and authentic sense of self

#5 Focus on Video & Audio Content

A cute selfie with a caption? That’s good. A video clip? That will get some attention. 

Over the past few years, social media platforms have expanded to include video content—and for good reason. About 72% of people prefer watching videos over reading text, and experts estimate that videos will take over 82% of internet traffic by the end of this year.¹¹ As influencers and followers gravitate towards popular video and audio formats, it is important that marketers follow with the help of social media management. 

However, not all A/V content is created equal. Focus on influencers that post in high-demand formats, including:

• Short-form video – If you have to pick one influencer, make it a short-form video content creator. As TikTok and Instagram Reels have rocketed to popularity, daily smartphone video consumption has increased by 40%.¹¹ Younger viewers also gravitate towards short-form videos, which is why it is important to understand, ‘what is hook rate success’ and how influencers can support that. 
• Podcasts – No, they’re not exactly visually stimulating. But podcasts often carry loyal fanbases that consistently tune in. On average, podcast listeners finish 80% of an episode (a whopping 39 minutes of attention).⁸ Make sure to pick a podcaster that matches your company’s branding and product, since their voice will be your only tool.
• Live video – For influencer marketing, over one-quarter of marketers are shifting priorities to live streaming retail on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch.¹² Consumers love live streaming, with 82% preferring live video content over a social media post from brands.¹³ Livestreaming also provides a unique opportunity for authentic, real-time content. Even better? ROI is very measurable on live streaming, helping your team assess your campaign’s success.

#6 Search the Marketplace

An influencer marketplace acts like an interactive database for all verified platform users. With just a few clicks, you can find an influencer that reaches your desired consumer and embodies your brand. In particular, TikTok has taken the lead in  bridging influencers and brands through its  Creator Marketplace. Their database includes relevant content creator information like:

• Total likes & followers
• Influencer location & reach
• Content topic
• Follower demographics
• Suggested post rates

While TikTok’s marketplace is best known, other apps are catching onto this lucrative trend. Instagram has a creator marketplace  in the works, and Sephora just launched their very own beauty guru database called #SephoraSquad. 

Keep an eye out for more marketplaces launching this year. 

#7 Seek User-Generated Content

As consumers seek a trustworthy voice across influencers, they’re turning to firsthand reviews and recommendations—a.k.a., user-generated content or UGC.

The magic of UGC is in its (you guessed it) authenticity. It looks like the creator inspired the post, not your marketing campaign.

User-generated content includes all creator-made content that discusses a product. For most campaigns, this covers:

• Photos
• Videos
• Text & captions
• Reviews

In a world full of product reviews and “Buy or Skip” guides, user-generated content from influencers fits seamlessly across social media. That’s why about 86% of marketers use UGC in their campaigns.¹ For the most authentic UGC campaign, seek out influencers that create original content on their own. That way, self-made sponsored content won’t seem out of context.

#8 Budget Expectations for Future Influencers

It’s hard to tell what came first, the influencer or the marketing campaign. Either way, influencer marketing is booming—which means campaigns need to watch their money.

In the last five years,⁷ influencer marketing has grown from a $1.7 billion to a $10.24 billion industry.¹² Despite this immense growth (and some incredible influencer ROI), don’t let your investments run crazy. A budget is necessary for any influencer marketing campaign.

Currently, influencer marketing is a case-by-case ordeal. Every influencer has their personal rates, which vary greatly according to follower numbers and impact. For a single Instagram post, you can expect these average prices:

• Nano – $10 to $100
• Micro – $100 to $500
• Mid – $500 to $5,000
• Macro – $5,000 to $10,000
• Mega – $10,000 or more

Often, campaigns will set a total price for a package deal—$2,000 for five photos in a month, $1,500 for two videos, etc. Before entering negotiations, come ready with an informed and industry-appropriate price for any influencer.

Let PDM Influence Your Marketing Strategy for Today and Tomorrow

Influencers and social media are still uncharted, promising territories for marketers. But that’s what makes them so exciting! With our influencer marketing tips, you can find that perfect posting partner to elevate your campaign on your social media platform with effective marketing services.

Want to elevate the rest of your marketing campaigns? Power Digital Media can take you there.

From web development to email marketing, our digital marketing agency has the tools to reshape your entire online advertising strategy. Call on our experts for the data-backed, experienced, and innovative voice your marketing team needs. No matter the problem, our influencer agency will find a powerful solution.

Sources:

1. Later and Fohr. The Selling Power of Influencer. https://get.later.com/influencer-marketing-report-selling-power/
2. BackLinkO. Social Network Usage & Growth Statistics: How Many People Use Social Media in 2022? https://backlinko.com/social-media-users
3. Influencer Marketing Hub. The State of Influencer Marketing 2020: Benchmark Report.  https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report-2020/
4. Shopify. The ROI of Influencer Marketing: How to Measure. https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/roi-influencer-marketing
5. MarTech Series. Key Trends in Influencer Marketing in 2022. https://martechseries.com/mts-insights/guest-authors/key-trends-in-influencer-marketing-in-2022/
6. Business of Apps. TikTok Revenue and Usage Statistics (2022). https://www.businessofapps.com/data/tik-tok-statistics/
7. Influencer Marketing Hub. The State of Influencer Marketing 2022: Benchmark Report.  https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-benchmark-report/
8. Adage. Why podcasters are essential to your influencer marketing efforts. https://adage.com/article/adresults/why-podcasters-are-essential-your-influencer-marketing-efforts/2326286
9. Think With Google. Why YouTube stars are more influential than celebrities. https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-strategies/video/youtube-stars-influence/
10. Social Blue. Why user-generated content should be a part of your brand strategy. https://socialblue.com/why-user-generated-content-should-be-a-part-of-your-brand-strategy/
11. Digital Information World. Consumers have shifted from big-screens to mobile, the time spent on video streaming apps hit 935 billion hours in the year 2020.  https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2021/02/consumers-have-shifted-from-big-screens.html
12. Influencer Marketing Hub. 18 Influencer Marketing Trends to Watch in 2022. https://influencermarketinghub.com/influencer-marketing-trends/
13. Vimeo. Live Video Stats: What Consumers Want. https://livestream.com/blog/live-video-statistics-livestream

The post The Future of Influencer Marketing: 8 Trends to Watch appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Surpassing 1 billion users in September 2021, TikTok is the platform you should be using to strengthen brand awareness, increase your audience, and positively impact your brand’s overall business performance. That being said, TikTok can be the perfect platform for your brand depending on a number of factors. In this post, you’ll find key elements identifying if your brand is the right fit for TikTok. 

Based on the vertical, is TikTok the right platform for you?

Prior to leveraging TikTok as a paid advertising platform, first identify if your brand is allowed to advertise on TikTok. While there are several verticals accepted on TikTok ads, several verticals cannot advertise on TikTok due to the platform’s strong Industry Entry policy. Examples of verticals that are a great fit for TikTok include, but are not limited to, E-commerce, Clothing & Accessories, Food & Beverage, Personal Care, and Makeup & Beauty. Meanwhile, brands that don’t work or are prohibited on TikTok include Energy, Home Furnishings, Alcohol, Cannabis, and more.

It is strongly advised that, before putting valuable time and dollars into pushing TikTok ads, you identify if your brand aligns with TikTok’s policies. If unidentified, your TikTok paid ads presence could not only be rejected, but also banned from the TikTok platform.

Consider your target audience and product

With 140M users in the US, TikTok users spend an average of 85+ minutes daily in the TikTok app and open the TikTok app at an average of 19x per day. While this audience is sizable and is fans of TikTok’s immersive, engaging experience, the majority of TikTok users are between the ages of 18-24 years old, followed by the ages of 24-34 years old. With that information, ask yourself “is my product the right fit for TikTok?” and “will I reach the best audience for my brand on TikTok?”

If a brand’s target audience demographic is, for example, 50+ years old, TikTok is not the place to invest your dollars. Similarly, if your brand’s product is geared towards an older age demographic, TikTok may not be the best place to invest in your brand. Alternatively, TikTok is the platform to be on if your brand caters to a younger audience demographic. With 47% of TikTok users not on Instagram, 44% of TikTok users not on Facebook, and 69% of TikTok users not on Twitter, brands can reach audiences exclusive to the TikTok space.

Creative is the most important aspect of TikTok

Tailored to the platform’s unique characteristics, creative should lean heavily into authenticity, aligning with the native TikTok experience. Veer away from overproduced creative that looks like it was shot on a hi-definition camera and lean into creative that looks like you shot it on your iPhone that very second! If your brand needs to play a heavy hand in creative and is opposed to leveraging creative that is UGC, then TikTok may not be the right fit for you.

Organic presence strengthens credibility

An established organic presence on TikTok not only strengthens brand credibility, but also aids in building a brand’s community. An organic presence is nearly necessary to play an integral role in a brand’s overall performance on TikTok. When a brand’s organic profile is curated and utilizes creative that is in-line with TikTok best practices, credibility and trust are strengthened and brand awareness sees strong upticks in performance. 

An important detail to note is that a TikTok organic presence and paid advertising strategy complement one another. When a brand has a strong organic presence, Spark ads (a.k.a. boosted posts), can be leveraged, which, when stemming from a brand’s organic TikTok profile, a user clicks on the handle and is brought to the brand’s feed, driving increases in followers, profile visits, likes, and more. 

Now that you’re strapped with knowledge and can identify if your brand is the perfect fit for TikTok, your ideal marketing approach is a click away. Leverage the power of TikTok marketing today with our digital marketing services.

The post Should you be using TikTok Ads? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

What are Spark Ads?

Unlike the “classic” In-Feed ad, which is a typical ad built out in your ads manager, Spark Ads is a native ad format, enabling you to leverage organic TikTok posts and their features in your advertising. Spark Ads, unlike In-Feed ads, stem from real TikTok accounts, whether that be your brand’s organic TikTok profile or a user’s organic TikTok profile. Ultimately, Spark ads are an authentic way to amplify native TikTok content.

What do Spark Ads look like?

Spark Ads appear in a user’s “For Your Page” feed, paired with a call-to-action of your choosing, the account name, as well as the typical engagement drivers (i.e. like, comment, and share). Unlike In-Feed Ads, Spark Ads have unique functionalities that allow them to appear as though it is a regular TikTok post. When served a Spark ad, users often click on the profile photo, handle, or swipe left, navigating them to the account the content stems from. More often than not, Spark ads not only drive strong conversion-focused performance than In-Feed ads, but also lead to increases in organic presence, such as increased followers and overall engagement.

Why should you use Spark Ads?

There are three key benefits to Spark ads: 

• Authenticity

  • Spark Ads are a 100% native in-feed format, featuring all the native post features, in addition to engagement features.
  • Because of their authentic feel and how they seamlessly blend in a user’s “For You Page” feed, Spark Ads provide users with an immersive TikTok experience, driving upticks in a brand’s performance, as well as strengthening trust between a brand and its audience.

• Long-Lasting Marketing Impact

  • Presenting a user with the option to explore a brand even further by simply clicking a brand’s handle, Spark Ads enable brands to strengthen their organic presence and drive traffic to their profile, which, in turn, leads to strengthened engagement, improved customer retention, and increased lead generation.

• Lift in Performance

  • More often than not, Spark ads significantly outperform other TikTok ad formats, which can be attributed to their authentic feel.
  • Across the board, Spark ads drive substantial lifts in video view metrics, engagement metrics, conversion metrics, and cost metrics.

Combining the power of paid advertising with the UGC content that dominates the TikTok realm, Spark Ads are the ultimate game-changer. Beat your competition to it and leverage the power of TikTok marketing today with our digital marketing services. 

The post TikTok Guide: Spark Ads appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The below knowledge will strap you with the tools you need to succeed on TikTok – ultimately, what we like to call, the TikTok marketing magic recipe. Your brand’s performance on TikTok is not only dependent on your paid advertising strategy, but also other factors at play: organic presence, creator partnerships, and more. Playing into the TikTok magic recipe, there are a number of “ingredients” that, when combined, will not only increase your brand’s performance on the TikTok platform, but drive your business’s overall success. 

Ingredient #1: Organic Presence

Establishing how your brand will be represented on the TikTok platform is critical when developing an effective strategy. With users spending an average of 85+ minutes per day in the app and opening the app at an average of 19 times per day, creating an immersive, engaging experience is of utmost importance when bringing your brand to TikTok audiences.

The TikTok community thrives on exploring and discovering new content. By building a brand presence with organic content, especially with access to TIkTok business features, a brand will, without a doubt, get discovered and form a TikTok community. When establishing your brand on TikTok, keep in mind “organic beats” – an ongoing stream of TikTok organic posts on your organic profile, keeping users engaged and familiar with your brand. An established organic presence on TikTok strengthens brand credibility, as well as aids in building your community. When a brand’s organic profile is curated and utilizes creative that is in line with TikTok best practices, credibility and trust are strengthened, and brand awareness grows. 

Ingredient #2: Paid Ads

Once your brand’s organic presence is strong on TikTok, amplify your presence through an expert paid ads strategy. Depending on your overarching business goal, craft a strategic campaign structure and achieve optimal performance, expanding your reach to new audiences and creating awareness when users are in the mindset to consume videos. Now, you might ask, why is organic presence necessary when pushing paid ads? An organic presence on TikTok in tandem with TikTok ads plays a significant role in a brand’s overall performance, specifically regarding TikTok’s key ad format: Spark Ads. 

When leveraging Spark ads, you boost organic content to get authenticity at scale. Spark ads are not only an effective way to create TikTok ads, but they drive deeper engagement through an authentic integration with TikTok’s community of creators. Most importantly, users trust organic UGC more than traditional brand ads.  When you have a strong organic presence, Spark ads stemming from your brand’s organic profile should be leveraged significantly. A Spark ad stemming from your brand’s organic profile allows a user to click on the handle, bringing them to your organic feed, driving trust between a user and your brand, leading to increases in not only conversion-focused metrics, but also increases in engagement, specifically driving upticks in your organic profile’s followers, shares, profile visits, and more. 

Ingredient #3: Creator Partnerships

A significant reason why TikTok continues to take the world by storm is its community of creators. Tapping into this community of creatives instills realness and reflects the creativity that makes TikTok the platform that it is. With unique storytelling capabilities, authentic voices, and a strong knowledge of TikTok’s hottest trends, TikTok creators help brands drive results. 

When partnering with TikTok creators, a brand can reach and impact new audiences as TikTok creators understand how to get noticed and create an impact on TikTok. Creators drive positive, immersive, inclusive engagement with their creativity and ability to form communities of active creators. TikTok creators know their audience and are familiar with what their audience would engage with – creators can recommend products to their followers while creating a seamless shopping experience as their creatives are paired with a clear CTA and deep links. With 49% of TikTok users purchasing a product or service after seeing it promoted, advertised, or reviewed in the app, partnering with TikTok creators plays an integral role in your brand’s success. 

With a comprehensive strategy in place, your brand can effectively grow and connect with the TikTok community, driving positive impacts across your business’s performance. Get started on your TikTok marketing magic recipe today with our digital marketing services.

The post The TikTok Marketing Magic Recipe appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Chances are, in some capacity, you’ve come into contact with influencers—even if you didn’t realize it. 

So, what is an influencer, exactly?

Influencers and Influencer Marketing 101

Before we find out how to find Instagram influencers or any type of influencer, let’s first discover what influencers are and what they do. 

Influencers build communities around a specific niche on social media, and then monetize that social influence. 

Celebrities, movie stars, and pop artists are great examples of traditional influencers. But the term “influencer” is now synonymous with anyone who has a large enough platform on social media channels—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc. 

These individuals can be found in nearly every industry, from fitness to fashion. And beyond their wild popularity and entertainment purposes, influencers hold a vital role in the world of marketing. 

This is why you see more and more companies using influencer marketing services as part of their marketing campaigns. 

Approximately 71% of American businesses report using Instagram to connect with their customers—and that’s not even including other forms of social media.¹

Brand Ambassador vs Influencer, how do you tell the difference, or are they the same? Both of them actually have many similarities, but to put it simply, a brand ambassador promotes your product through their image and word of mouth. 

But to successfully market your product or service on social media, you need to build trust between you and your audience. 

That’s what influencers specialize in: trust and community.

How Influencers Make Money

To put it simply, social media is an influencer’s job. 

But how do influencers make money exactly? They monetize their platform by photographing, posing with, and promoting brands they have partnerships with. But to generate a successful promotion, influencers need to curate engagement with their audience. To do this, influencers regularly post non-promotional content and communicate with their followers, building a transparent relationship.

When it comes time to monetize, these advertising-based posts often have a similar feel and look to their day-to-day posting.

Let’s break down some ways influencers make money from social media:

Sponsored Posts

The most common source of income for social media influencers is the sponsored post.

Here’s how sponsored posts work: 

• When a brand notices that an influencer has a large audience (particularly one within their sales demographic), the company will reach out to set up a deal for one or multiple posts highlighting a product or service. 
• These posts typically feature an influencer using, wearing, or eating whatever product the company sells. Video creators may discuss the product, how it’s used, and why they love it. Influencers who post photographs will typically include this information in their caption. 
• Much like a commercial, the brand then pays the influencer for their product or service spotlight. 

The cost of these sponsored posts escalate with the size of an influencer’s audience. Micro influencers (individuals with 10,000 – 50,000 followers) can generate up to $1,000 per post. Mega influencers (those with more than one million followers) can charge in the tens or hundreds of thousands per post.²

Affiliate Links

Many influencers also make money through the use of affiliate links. 

When a customer clicks on an affiliate link or coupon code, then purchases a product, a certain percentage of the total sale goes to the influencer as a commission. Influencers who use or promote products are often given affiliate links as a marketing strategy, a thank you, or an incentive to continue talking about the brand. 

Unlike a single sponsored post, affiliate links and coupon codes are usually created when a brand has a close professional relationship with the influencer.

Affiliate links can be listed in stories, a bio, or in the description box of a YouTube Video. 

Similarly, some influencers are awarded their own discount codes for brands—often using their name or social media handle as the code.

Original Products

Another common source of income for more prominent influencers are original products. 

While some influencers choose to start their own companies—like Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, or Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee—others work with existing brands to develop new products. 

Why Brands Use Influencer Marketing

As noted above, influencers offer their audience engaging content and then heighten that engagement by regularly communicating with their followers. This helps the community grow organically, and influencers often keep the personal feel despite growing their platform. They do this by regularly posting authentic, original content, and offering insight into their personal lives.

When influencers then post about a brand, it can often feel like the marketing message is coming from a best friend or close acquaintance, passing that credit to the brand itself.

In other words, influencer marketing directly taps into one of the most powerful forms of marketing: word of mouth.

But that’s not the only reason brands should consider using influencer marketing in their overall strategy.

Social Media Popularity

From Myspace to TikTok—social media’s meteoric rise in pop culture is mind-boggling. What’s more, the number of platforms doesn’t deter further engagement. Rather than viewing Twitter and Instagram as competitors, they’re adjacent platforms that help in increasing social media presence.

For brands, this means two things. First, the more omnichannel your social media strategy can be, the better. And two, social media marketing isn’t a suggestion, it’s a must.

The number of people who use these platforms is unbeatable in terms of reach. Take a look at some figures:

• Instagram – As of 2021, Instagram has 1 billion active monthly users.³
• TikTok – One of the most recent social media platforms, TikTok has already gathered 689 million users.⁴
• YouTube – Finally, perhaps the most far reaching social media platform, YouTube has approximately 2.3 billion active users each month.⁵

To tap into your target market—regardless of what that demographic is—social media needs to be a part of strategy. And that’s where influencers come in.  

What Makes Influencers Effective

Influencers can be thought of as bridges into secret communities. When brands partner with an influencer, they’re able to cross that bridge and communicate directly to people who immediately trust you. This allows brands to expand their reach and build dedicated audiences. 

There are several factors that determine why influencer marketing is so effective:

• Trust – First and foremost, influencers have built a sense of trust with their followers. This is prevalent in many promotional campaigns, particularly when influencers assure their audience that “they wouldn’t promote something they don’t use.”
• Admiration – Not only do followers trust influencers, but they often admire them as well. Perhaps the influencer promotes a healthy work-life balance, or they encourage lots of love and connection with their family. Whatever thread sets the influencer apart in their daily life is then transferred to further the advertising efficacy.
• Audience – Not only is the audience trusting of the influencer, but the size of the audience can be massive. Simply put: Influencers have a lot of followers. While brand accounts may have more followers than the standard social media user, their numbers often pale in comparison to larger-scale influencers. By utilizing this large number of followers, brands can increase their visibility and potential customers.
• Demographics – When working with influencers, companies have more control over the demographic they’re advertising to. For example, a company that sells vitamins may select a fitness influencer, while a craft beer company will opt for a different influencer more aligned with their target audience.

Engagement, Not Just Eyeballs

While a high follower count is the first step to becoming an influencer, it’s not necessarily what brings in the money—nor is what brands are seeking. Rather, brands are seeking a different metric: engagement.

Follower engagement metrics measure how many likes, comments, shares, and views an influencer’s post will get and compares them with the follower count.

For example, take two different accounts:

• A professional chef with 30,000 followers – By regularly posting easy-to-make recipes and tantalizing photos of professionally plated meals, this chef has watched their platform skyrocket. Eternally grateful, this chef responds to every person who reaches out and, as a result, averages 4,500 likes per post and 56 comments.
• A fitness guru with 80,000 followers – Despite regularly posting fitness routines and pictures of themselves at the gym, this fitness guru doesn’t have time to curate a dedicated audience. Their posts average 6,000 likes and 64 comments.

Now, consider a health food brand that has two different approaches into the social media world. They could target healthy foodies, or healthy gym-goers. When looking at these two influencers, despite the chef having lower overall likes and comments, the engagement metrics are far higher. Especially when you consider the fitness guru has well over double the follower count, but only slightly more average likes and comments.

In summary: Brands opting for influencer marketing want engagement with their product or service, not just eyeballs.

Influencer Marketing In a Nutshell

In 2021, it’s nearly impossible for companies to succeed without a social media presence. In fact, approximately 72% of users report making purchases based on products they saw on Instagram.⁶ To capitalize on social media—you need to partner with the individuals who have the most clout.  

Compared to traditional advertisements, influencer marketing increases engagement, instills trust in the audience, and creates a strong sense of brand awareness. 

Power Digital: Influencer Marketing at its Best

Here at Power, we partner with a qualified and diverse database of over 11,000 influencers to help increase your company’s brand awareness. Our influencer marketing agency services make it easy to get in touch with popular social media figures, without sacrificing brand quality or values. We also ensure that companies maintain creative control over their messaging, in order to nurture a productive, professional relationship.

Bring your branding and social media strategy into the 21st century, with Power Digital Marketing.

Sources:

1. Oberlo. 10 Instagram Statistics Every Marketer Should Know. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/instagram-stats-every-marketer-should-know 
2. Vox. How and why do influencers make so much money? The head of an influencer agency explains. https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/11/28/18116875/influencer-marketing-social-media-engagement-instagram-youtube 
3.  Sellfy. How many Instagram followers do you REALLY need to start making money in 2021? https://blog.sellfy.com/how-many-instagram-followers-to-make-money/ 
4.  Insider. Morphe Parts Ways with James Charles Amid Sexual Misconduct Reports. https://www.insider.com/morphe-parts-ways-with-james-charles-amid-sexual-misconduct-reports-2021-4 
5. BackLinko. How Many People Use Instagram?  https://backlinko.com/instagram-users  
6. Oberlo. 10 Twitter Statistics Every Marketer Should Know in 2021. https://www.oberlo.com/blog/twitter-statistics 
7. Oberlo. 10 tiktok statistics that you need to know in 2021. Https://www.Oberlo.Com/blog/tiktok-statistics 
8. Oberlo. 10 youtube stats every marketer should know in 2021.  https://www.oberlo.com/blog/youtube-statistics 
9.  4 Ways Influencers Can Build Brand Awareness—And Why They Work. https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/4-ways-influencers-can-build-brand-awareness-and-why-they-work/567963/ 
10. Retail Touch Points. 72% Of Users Make Purchase Decisions Based On Instagram Content. https://retailtouchpoints.com/resources/72-of-users-make-purchase-decisions-based-on-instagram-content 

The post What is an Influencer? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

Influencer marketing is booming. The market value has doubled between 2019 and 2021, growing from $6.5Bn to $13.8Bn.² Now, influencer marketing is considered one of the best ways for brands to push a message or sell a product. 

By partnering with the right influencer and the right influencer marketing services agency for your strategy, you can elevate your reach and target ideal customers.  

But what is an influencer? How does it work? How do influencers make money? And how much? 

Here’s what you need to know.

What Are Influencers? 

Social media influencers have created a reputation and a following on one or several social media apps. For example, businesses find ways on how to find instagram influencers and decide which one fits their brand the most. 

But, what exactly is the difference between a Brand Ambassador vs Influencer? A brand ambassador typically represents a company for a longer time and uses word of mouth to promote the product or service. In contrast, an influencer is an of their niche.

Influencers range from celebrities like the Kardashians to a TikTok’r who makes fun dance videos. Typically, these people post regularly while building and engaging with their community of followers.   

Why do these individuals have sway for brands? 

One word: trust. 

Over time, followers feel as if they know the influencer. The influencer and audience build a transparent relationship that’s founded on trust. So, when an influencer recommends a product, service, or brand—even when they admit it’s an advertisement—their audience tends to be more receptive to the messaging.

This is generally because influencers can be picky with the brands they work with. Often, this results in genuine marketing messages. Combine this phenomenon with a base of trust, and it’s no wonder influencer marketing has skyrocketed as an industry.

According to Harvard Media, the most common use for influencer marketing is on Instagram³, “89% of marketers identify it as the most important channel for this type of marketing. With that being said, it is also quite prevalent on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.”   

How Do Influencers Make Money? 

Influencers are paid to post on behalf of a brand. It could be a one-off paid ad or a larger campaign where the influencer partners with the brand. 

This is what’s known as sponsored content. 

It’s probably what most people think of when it comes to influencer marketing. Sponsored content is most commonly found on Instagram, but it’s used on other social media sites as well. Depending on the brand and the influencer, the post could include reviews, product placements, or event coverage. 

But this isn’t the only way for influencers to leverage their popularity. Other actions they get paid for include: 

• Shoutouts – This occurs when a user promotes a brand, product, or another person on social media. It can be done with a photo, caption, GIF, or video, and typically encourages their followers to check out the product or visit the page themselves. Often, they’re paid a flat fee for the post or series of posts.  
• Giveaways – These short-term marketing tactics generate enthusiasm and conversation within an audience. The influencer partners with a brand to offer some sort of product bundle as a free contest or giveaway to their followers. 
• Affiliate marketing – With this type of campaign, an influencer recommends a product or service and gets paid a percentage of the sale whenever someone makes a purchase through their affiliate link. It’s similar to a shoutout, except for the pay structure. This type of marketing strategy can be incredibly effective when done through an influencer. By tying payment to sales, rather than an upfront flat fee, brands know they’re going to be net-positive on their marketing strategy. 
• Sponsored content – A brand’s marketing team works with an influencer to create content for them to share or asks them to create content on behalf of the brand. 

An influencer will get paid to post the content on any social media platform and create it (if that’s the route the marketing team selects). A great example of this is a sponsored post produced by a youtube influencer.  

• Specialized Posts – Just the TikTok platform alone has several ways that brands can leverage influencer’s networks. These specialized posts generally feed into a larger marketing campaign. Influencers can get paid for several types of posts, including:
• Brand takeover ads 
• TopView Ads
• In-feed videos 
• Hashtag challenges
• Brand ambassador – This is a long-term partnership with an influencer that’s familiar with your product and hyped about your brand. This relationship involves consistent posts, videos, and images about the product or service over a lengthy period of time. In other words, they become the face of the brand. 

Additionally, influencers can make money in various ways, including podcasting, webinars, Patreon, events, and user donations and subscribers. On top of that, they may also get ad revenue for whatever social media channel they use, based on the total number of views.  

How Much Do Instagram Influencers Make? 

An influencer can make anywhere from a few hundred dollars per post to a million dollars. According to BBC:⁴ 

“Kylie Jenner is paid around $1.2 million (£960,000) for a single post on Instagram, according to a new report. This makes her the highest-paid Instagram influencer of 2019 with her 141 million followers.… The figure is worked out based on different factors, such as the number of followers a celebrity has, and how much people share or comment on their content.”

Not all influencers are on equal footing with Kylie Jenner, of course. How much they charge depends on several factors, including: 

The Size of Their Network

There are a lot of fish in the influencer sea. Some are much bigger than others. For instance, with Instagram, there are four sub-categories of influencer based on size and clout: 

• Mega-influencers – These individuals are the top echelon within the Instagram sphere. They have at least 1,000,000 followers, but that figure often reaches into the tens of millions. Typically, these are more traditional celebrities than influencers—though the name is often used synonymously. As a result, the ROI on mega-influencers may not be as good as with lower tiers. This occurs for several reasons, including:
• Too broad an audience 
• The relationship between them and their audience is often impersonal 
• Audiences know that they get paid a lot of money to promote a brand

Mega-influencers can command a hefty price tag for a post. Generally, it’s somewhere in the range of $10,000 a post to $1,000,000.

• Macro-influencers – People within this tier typically have between 100,000 and 1,000,000 followers and have likely gained their fame through the platform. These are most brand’s preferred target influencers because they still reach a large group of people while being more targeted towards a specific buyer segment. The cost for a post will often range between $1,000 – $10,000. 
• Micro-influencers – Individuals who are considered micro-influencers often have an audience between 1,000 and 100,000 followers. These tend to be people who are specialists in a certain niche. They may be artists, dancers, comedians, fashionistas, or they may demonstrate a certain aesthetic. Their audience is built around other people who are interested in that same niche. Depending on their audience size and engagement metrics, a micro-influencer may charge between $100 to $1,000 for a post. 
• Nano-influencers – The smallest segment, nano-influencers have audiences around that 1,000-follower mark. This is ideal for products or brands with highly specialized niche products or markets, especially if the influencer is an expert within that space.  

When It Comes to Salary, The Platform Also Matters  

Influencers can leverage several social media platforms or they can focus on one. Influencers can be found on:

• Twitter – Power posters get paid to either overtly sell something or covertly push a message to their followers. 
• Instagram – As discussed, Instagram is the primary social media channel for influencer marketing. There are both Instagram influencers, and influencers who use Instagram as well. 
• Bloggers – Before the social media surge, bloggers were among some of the first non-celebrity influencers. These individuals have a built-in audience and one of the most authentic and active relationships with their followers. 
• TikTok – TikTok stars have blown up since the platform went viral. There are now several TikTok content homes in Los Angeles where several influencers live and work together to expand their brand and reach. 
• YouTube – Like blogging, YouTubers are also unique in the influencer world. Their video content and subscriber count already gets them paid advertisements, but they can also work with brands to produce sponsored videos. 
• Twitch – Professional gamers and streamers receive a combination of subscribers, ad revenue, and donations. How much they make depends on their audience. 

Naturally, how much an influencer can make on any one of these platforms depends largely on the size of their audience and, more importantly, its engagement.

Engage in Influencer Marketing; Elevate Your Brand

Depending on the size of their audience and the platform they use, an influencer may cost a brand anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a million dollars per post. But, if you partner with the right influencer, they can be worth every penny, providing significant ROI.

Do you want to partner with an influencer but don’t know where to start?

At Power Digital, we have the tools, experience, and influencer network you need to find the ideal match. Together, we can create an influencer marketing strategy that sells.

Ready to power your brand?

Sources:

1. Inc. 96 Percent of Consumers Don’t Trust Ads. https://www.inc.com/dakota-shane/96-percent-of-consumers-dont-trust-ads-heres-how-to-sell-your-product-without-coming-off-sleazy.html
2. Statista. Influencer marketing market size worldwide from 2016 to 2021. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1092819/global-influencer-market-size/#:~:text=Influencer%20marketing%20is%20on%20the,in%20the%20three%20years%20alone.
3. Harvard Media. How and Why Influencer Marketing Works. https://harvardmedia.com/influencermarketing/
4. BBC. How much does Kylie Jenner earn on Instagram? https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/49124484#
5. The Loadout. How Much Does Nickmercs Earn? https://www.theloadout.com/streamers/nickmercs/net-worth-streaming-setup#:~:text=At%20the%20time%20of%20writing,subscriber%20count%20at%20this%20level.

The post How Do Influencers Make Money appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

But to generate the most ROI and buzz around your brand, you need to partner with the right person. And to begin, you need to know the difference between a brand ambassador and an influencer. Read on to learn how they differ from an audience’s perspective. 

What Is an Influencer? 

Influencer marketing is a strategy where a brand partners with a person who has a large social media following and a built-in audience that fits the brand’s target demographic. Within this umbrella, there are a wide variety of influencers. 

Typically, their status depends on their total influence. An influencer may be limited to a single social media platform or have a presence across several different channels—the most common being:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Twitch
• Podcasts

The person could be a mega-influencer with millions of followers or a nano-influencer with a few hundred. It could be a movie celebrity or a YouTuber, a food blogger or a fashionista. Some may come at a price point of $1,000,000 per post, whereas other smaller influencers may only charge a few hundred dollars for multiple. Our point? The spectrum of influencers are their and their reach is vast. Who a brand chooses to partner with hinges upon the brand’s audience and budget.  

How Effective Are Influencers? 

Influencer marketing has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing channel. These personalities give brands access to a highly targeted audience of people who already trust the person “selling” something to them. A 2020 Tap Influence Study found that:²

• Influencer marketing content delivers 11X higher ROI than traditional forms of digital marketing. 
• 74% of people turn to social networks for guidance on purchase decisions.
• 49% of people say they rely on recommendations from influencers when making purchase decisions.
• 40% of people say they’ve purchased an item online after seeing it used by an influencer on Instagram, Twitter, Vine, or YouTube.

To that end, the success of a campaign largely depends on partnering with the right influencer. Simply drawing eyeballs to your brand doesn’t provide much value—not if they’re the wrong demographic. It’s paramount to align your brand with an influencer who captures the attention of your target audience. 

For example, consider a makeup brand that wants to spotlight a new product line. They’re choosing between two options:

• Dasia Janae – A macro-influencer with 300,000 TikTok followers, Daisa focuses on beauty trends and make-up tutorials. 
• Addison Rae – A mega-influencer turned celebrity who makes dance videos and has forty million followers. 

On the surface, it may seem like it makes more sense to select Addison, who has an exponentially larger follower base. However, it would likely cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for her to post. And even then, only a small percentage of her followers may be interested in the product, or a significant portion may not trust her opinion on the matter. 

With Daisa, you’ll likely yield a higher ROI. She’ll speak to an audience that’s already there to hear about makeup. That audience trusts her opinions on the subject. And with the money left over, you could invest in several beauty-oriented macro-influencers for the price it would cost to hire a mega-influencer like Addison. 

What Are the Pros and Cons? 

With all of that said, there are always benefits and drawbacks when working with an influencer. To name a few: 

Pros: 

• By working with different influencers, you can always reach a new audience 
• Influencers provide more varied content
• Influencers can range from mega- to nano-sized audiences, depending on what you need 

Cons: 

• There’s typically no brand loyalty 
• Their audience may or may not be the ideal demographic
• The quality of content can vary depending on the individual 
• They may not spin your brand in a positive light 
• They may not align with your brand ethos 

Related: How Do Influencers Make Money

What Is a Brand Ambassador?  

A brand ambassador is someone with a large network who is paid to promote a brand and its product to increase brand awareness and drive conversions. Entrepreneur defines the term as³: 

“A person who’s hired by an organization to represent a brand in a positive light and, by doing so, help increase brand awareness and sales. This is a top priority for big companies today because people are more likely to buy after a recommendation from someone they trust, rather than from anything a brand has to say about itself. “

Wait, but isn’t that what an influencer does?

That’s correct. Except for one thing—a brand ambassador is committing to a longer-term partnership, whereas an influencer is just a fling. Brand ambassadors typically don’t establish campaigns with rigid start and end dates since it’s an ongoing partnership. 

Ideally, brands want an ambassador who already used their service or product and shared the news with their audience simply because they loved what it provided. This creates an authentic connection between the person, the product or service, and their audience. It helps them provide useful commentary about how it’s applicable to their personal life. 

Over time, an ambassador becomes associated with the company and (sometimes) the face of the brand itself. The partnership between a brand and its ambassador is often exclusive—the ambassador agrees to not work with or plug its main competitors. 

So, the best ambassadors align with the brand’s ethos, mission statement, and solutions. 

How Effective Are Brand Ambassadors? 

Like influencer marketing, brand ambassadors can provide great ROI. According to BrandChamp, ambassador campaigns bring in $6.50 for every $1 spent on the campaign.⁴ That’s a 6.5X return on investment, which is infinitely better than traditional marketing channels. 

But because this is a long-term partnership, it’s even more critical that you choose the optimal ambassador. As Forbes notes⁵: 

“In 2020, brands took a hard look at their influencer marketing programs, and that one factor became paramount: to align themselves with overtly loyal brand partners who would both authentically and continually speak to (albeit, promote) their products.”

Typically, ambassadors tend to be in the mega-influencer category (though not always) because they have the broadest audience reach. And since they will repeatedly promote the brand, a shotgun approach is more effective over time. That said, specialized products may also partner with smaller influencers that have significant sway within a niche community.  

What Are the Pros and Cons? 

Similar to influencers, there are benefits and drawbacks to working with a brand ambassador. To name a few: 

Pros: 

• They are loyal to the brand 
• They are more authentic and believe in what they’re promoting 
• They align with the brand ethos 
• They continuously and enthusiastically promote the brand 
• They become the face of the brand

Cons: 

• By working with the same people, you are targeting the same audience 
• It can be cost-prohibitive to form a long-term exclusive partnership 
• Selecting the ideal partner can be a challenge 

How Do You Decide which Brand Ambassador or Influencer to Partner With? 

To answer this question, you have to look inward. Because, in truth, it depends. By asking the following questions, you can begin to orient your choice: 

• What are your marketing goals? – Whether you select an influencer or ambassador will first come down to this—what are you trying to achieve? Before you allocate any spending, you need to set SMART goals for the marketing campaign. These will help you determine which is a better fit and narrow down ideal partners. 
• Which social channels are ideal for your brand? – Some influencers are focused on a singular channel while others are popular across several platforms. Wherever your target demographic is most concentrated is likely the best place to start. For example, if your brand primarily uses Instagram, knowing how to find an Instagram influencer would be a good place to start.
• What is your service or product? – It’s important to partner with people who focus on a similar industry or speak to your ideal customer demographic. 
• Have you previously partnered with anyone? – If you’ve already worked with someone, it’s critical that you analyze where the campaign succeeded and where it fell short. This can help you determine who to partner with or what to do differently for the next campaign. If you’ve already established a solid working relationship, you could approach the influencer about becoming an ambassador. 

An Influencer or Brand Ambassador Could Make The Difference 

Whether you want a one-off engagement with an influencer or a regular partnership, influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere soon. It’s far too effective to die out. 

But do you need help deciding what type of partnership is best for your company? Or who to partner with? 

This is where the experts at Power Digital come in. Our premier digital marketing teams have established influencer networks throughout the country. We work with you to identify your marketing strategy and the personalities that can create life (and love doing so) for your brand. 

Interested in learning more about what an influencer or brand ambassador could do to move the needle? Contact us today! 

Sources:

1. Insider Intelligence. Marketers Pair Up with Influencers—and It Works. https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Marketers-Pair-Up-with-Influencersand-Works/1012709
2. Tap Influence. The Ultimate List of Influencer Marketing Statistics. https://www.tapinfluence.com/influencer-marketing-statistics/
3. Entrepreneur. How Being a Brand Ambassador and Social Influencer Can Help You Exponentially Grow Your Business. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/330346
4. BrandChamp IO. 8 Ways Influencer and Ambassador Marketing Is Delivering Huge Returns. https://brandchamp.io/blog/nfluencer-and-ambassador-marketing-is-delivering-huge-returns/
5. Forbes. A Tale Of Influencer Relations: The Rise Of The Brand Ambassador. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2021/02/25/a-tale-of-influencer-relations-the-rise-of-the-brand-ambassador/?sh=106083d8152c

The post Brand Ambassador vs Influencer: What is the Difference? appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

They say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em—and that’s exactly what we’re talking about today. If you’re looking to increase your brand’s visibility, putting it in the hands of a popular Instagram influencer can be an effective strategy. 

But, what is an influencer, and how does one find the right influencer or any influencer for that matter? Some businesses opt to work with firms that offer influencer marketing services to find the perfect one for their brand, while others choose to do Instagram influencer marketing themselves. 

In this article, we’ll outline everything you need to know about forming brand deals with popular internet figures. 

Let’s discuss. 

What is an Instagram Influencer?

For those who don’t know, an Instagram influencer is essentially a social media celebrity. Unlike actors or musicians who gain their notoriety through performances, many influencers rely on interesting photographs, aesthetics, and their own personality for their mass following. 

Other examples of common Instagram influencers include:

• YouTube creators and vloggers
• Models
• Reality TV contestants
• Entrepreneurs
• Fitness gurus
• Makeup artists

Basically, Instagram influencers are people with a wide reach across the popular social platform. Influencers may have a large following on other platforms like Twitter, TikTok, or YouTube. 

How Influencers Sell Products

Now that you’re familiar with what an influencer is, it’s time to answer the question, how do influencers make money and what do they do.

In addition to posting content for their following, a major part of being a social media influencer is promoting products or services. This is how most big-time influencers earn a living—they’re paid by a brand to produce promotional content. 

When looking at a brand ambassador vs influencer, it might be able to be difficult to spot the differences? They actually have a lot in common. However, influencers build trust and show their communities how to use the product. On the other hand, a brand ambassador uses their popularity to talk about the product. 

When you employ influencers to sell your products, this can often increase brand visibility to thousands—or even millions—of customers. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? As far as digital marketing goes, influencers can yield an ROI on your marketing spend—but how do you find one that fits your needs?

Finding the Right Influencer For Your Company

When searching for an ideal influencer to promote your brand that can effectively connect with your target audience, there are several factors you’ll want to consider. For instance, if there’s an influencer in the yoga and lifestyle verticals, it probably wouldn’t be wise to partner with them to sell your death metal t-shirts, right? 

When it comes to finding the right influencer, positioning is paramount. To that end, consider the following components: 

Demographics

Demographics play arguably the most important part in your potential influencer decision-making process. When determining the right person to promote your product, you need to have a strong understanding of their audience. For example:

• Lifestyle females – Let’s say you’re selling a women’s swimsuit line. In this case, not every influencer is going to give you the best demographic. Look for a popular lifestyle female influencer—perhaps a fitness model or makeup artist—to promote your product. 
• Lifestyle males – The male influencer market is going to look a bit different, but the same mechanics apply. If you’re looking to promote a new facial shaving cream, this is your market. 
• Family-friendly influencers – Another major category in the social media community is family influencers. Many family-friendly influencers gain a following from YouTube due to the popularity of family vloggers—like the Ace Family—and young entertainers like Jojo Siwa. These influencers are ideal for companies who want to target a family-oriented audience, like Disney or Target.
• Professional influencers – If you’re looking for a more straightforward, professional marketing approach—there are plenty of influencers for that too. Business gurus, entrepreneurs, and podcasters are some common categories of influencers that often promote companies like tech start-ups, mobile apps, and financial services.

In reality, the spectrum of influencer personalities is vast. The most important question to ask is: will their audience have an interest in my brand? 

Follower Count

Follower count is another factor to consider when searching for an influencer—and the right follower count will typically depend on your marketing goals. 

While a wide range of visibility can be effective, the more followers an influencer has isn’t always an indicator of good branding. If you’re a small company with a low budget for marketing, more prominent influencers can cost quite a bit of money per post. 

Additionally, you need to have metrics around how much engagement an influencer receives. Amassing a large following isn’t always an indicator that their audience trusts or engages with their posts. In fact, many companies target smaller, niche influencers due to their engagement rates. They’re also more affordable. 

History

Today, our reputations are tied to our online behavior. This is particularly true for influencers who have followers watching their every move (and story, and post, and tweet).

With this in mind, it’s important to vet your influencer of choice before securing a brand deal doing more influencer collaborations. Oftentimes, companies with little knowledge of the Instagram influencer marketing world tend to rush into partnerships before doing their research. 

If an influencer has been tied to controversial behavior in the past, it’s best to steer clear of any association with them to preserve your brand’s reputation. This oversight can lead to backlash from internet communities and even lost customers. 

The bottom line is: always know who you’re working with. 

Additionally, this same wisdom applies to how they operate professionally. Do you know anyone that has worked with this influencer previously? Do they have an agent? A manager? Be sure to continuously build your influencer network, especially when dealing with a famous or celebrity influencer.

Given that influencers have strong personalities, you need to ensure the services required of your influencer are rendered correctly. 

Study Their Social Media

In the same vein of vetting their professionalism and reputation, it’s also crucial that companies have a clear understanding of an influencer’s current image. Just because a person is popular on social media does not mean they necessarily align with your brand’s values.

Some of the best ways to prepare for a brand deal with an influencer include:

• Watching their videos – If an influencer has a presence on YouTube or TikTok, it’s worth taking the time to watch a few of their videos. This will create a clear sense of their voice and personality, as opposed to a still photograph on Instagram.
• Look into their other partnerships – Most successful influencers work with at least a handful of other businesses. When searching for the right influencer to partner with, make sure they’re not working for any competitors or companies that directly contradict your brand’s message.
• Check who they follow – The accounts an influencer follows can be just as important as the ones that follow them. Before solidifying a relationship with an influencer, take a quick look at their following list. Make this process easier by utilizing Instagram’s search feature to pinpoint competitors, other influencers, or even your own company! Aligning with an influencer who actually enjoys your product can be a powerful partnership.¹

Contacting Influencers

Once you’ve found the right influencer for your brand, it’s time to take the plunge and reach out. A marketer may choose to contact influencers out of the blue but this isn’t necessarily the best method of communication. Here’s why:

• Messaging restrictions – Many influencers have restrictions regarding who can message them on the social media platform. This makes perfect sense, due to the fact that most influencers would get thousands of unsolicited messages on a daily basis without this filtering feature. For this reason, brands may have a tough time reaching larger influencers via direct messaging.
• Scams – To put it plainly, social media is full of scams. Instagram, in particular, is home to many fake accounts that spend their time proposing fake brand deals to users. This can also include a fake influencer, fake followers, fake companies, and so much more. This is why reaching out to an influencer can be tricky if you haven’t built a prior relationship.

Oftentimes, the influencer will have a contact for their manager or agent in their bio. Should you choose to email them directly, make sure that you have your materials prepared, an offer structured, and that your message is well-constructed. 

A manager’s role is to sift through a sea of emails to evaluate which are even worth responding to. They weed out the “fake deals” and the “bad opportunities” from the contracts they want to put time into pursuing. 

To that end, the more information, the better. 

Building a Relationship

Although emailing the appropriate party to establish a professional relationship with your influencer is important, there are ways you can engage with them socially. For instance, consider these three tactics: 

• Engage – Have your brand’s page follow the influencer (if they don’t already), and proceed to like and comment on a few of their recent posts.
• Share – Another way to get an influencer’s attention is by sharing their post on your story.  This is a great way to promote the influencer and show your support by expanding their audience.
• Contact them – If they don’t have any filters on their direct messages (and no contacts in their bio), dropping a casual and friendly message never hurts. In fact, an appropriate way to proceed with the conversation would be to inquire about the appropriate party responsible for facilitating their partnership deals. Although they might be that person, this approach exudes the same professionalism as a professional email. 

Once you’ve secured a brand deal with an influencer, it’s time to work on a marketing strategy. This is the point where you’ll want to communicate the goals, tone, and values your brand represents. It’s important to remember that this is a collaborative process, and your influencer  knows their audience better than anyone. 

Finding Influencers is Easy with Power Digital Marketing

Here at Power Digital, we focus on all things marketing. If you’re looking to launch a social media campaign, but don’t know how to find the right influencer(s), then you’re in the right place. Our online database is designed to connect brands with over 11,000 popular influencers. We can also assist with communication and ensure your creative control doesn’t lose its agency. 

Start expanding your audience, and get a proposal for influencer marketing today!

Sources:

1. Neil Patel. How to Find Instagram Influencers.  https://neilpatel.com/blog/instagram-influencers/ 
2. Influencer Marketing Hub. The Ultimate Step by Step Guide to Reach Out to Influencers. https://influencermarketinghub.com/how-to-reach-out-to-influencers/ 

The post How to Find Instagram Influencers appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is a bipartisan agency as part of the federal government. Its main purpose is to oversee the protection of consumers and promotion of competition in the United States’ economy while also partnering with international organizations to have a watch on the global economy. The FTC protects consumers by stopping unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices in the marketplace in the form of investigations, creating policies, and educating consumers and businesses about their rights and responsibilities.

In order to further protect consumers on Instagram or another social media platform, the FTC has created guidelines for how and when influencers should disclose advertisements. They want influencers to be as transparent as possible with their audience especially when endorsing or recommending products. The FTC will be going after any deceptive ads. This goes for all types of exchanges and gifts between brands and influencers. 

Disclosures 101:

Recently, the FTC published Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers as a guide to outline the appropriate practices and FTC guidelines for influencer agency marketing and make it simple. The guide includes new documents and videos to summarize how exactly the FTC wants marketers to ensure that consumers are aware of an advertising or financial relationship.

The FTC has defined more clearly what types of exchanges call for the need for proper disclosure and offers both effective and ineffective disclosure examples. The guide outlines the various ways that an influencer’s relationship with a brand would make disclosures necessary, and it reminds influencers that they cannot assume that followers are aware of their connections or paid endorsement with brands. In the guide, the FTC defines a relationship between an influencer and a brand as a “material connection” which includes receiving free or discounted products, receiving free or discounted services, being paid any amount of money and even being employed by the brand.

Why are Relationship Disclosures So Important?

Nobody likes feeling as if they were tricked into purchasing something or misled to buy a product. People appreciate having all the information necessary when making a decision. By having influencers disclose their brand relationship, consumers are able to better determine the credibility of the advertisement. If the advertisement is not disclosed properly, it can cause consumers to wonder about credibility. Influencers manage the relationships they have with their following and as marketers, and we need to be looking for influencers who have a real following that knows that their influencer wouldn’t post about something they don’t believe in.

To make sure the influencers you are working with are disclosing properly, create a messaging guidelines document that outlines appropriate partnership disclosure messaging. Although it is their job to include the disclosure in their post, it is the marketer’s job, as the person managing the “material connection,” to look out for clarity. The more clear you make it, the more successful it will be. 

Overall tips for when and how influencers should tell their followers about a brand relationship

#1: Influencers can not make claims about products that are not backed by science

• An influencer can not say a product has certain health benefits or cures diseases. Them promoting a gifted product is a form of advertising and by making false claims of the product’s capabilities, results in the consumer being misled.
  • This is very important when it comes to CBD products. Many people will claim that CBD cures anxiety. However, this is a false claim that is not scientifically proven. The brand you are working with should have strict messaging in place, but if they don’t then it is something the marketer can recommend that they put together.

#2: If an influencer is paid to discuss a product that they do not like, they can not lie and say they loved it

• They do not have to disclose their like/dislike, but must be honest as they recommend the product.
  • For example, if it was a face lotion that was heavy, a can say that it is very hydrating, feels good on the skin and moisturizes nicely, etc. but they do not have to say it is their favorite product.

#3: Influencers can not talk about their experience with brands/products that they have not used

• It is important to note that influencers are not allowed to talk about their experience with any products or brands that they have not used. 
• If you are working with products, talk with your clients at the beginning in order to know upfront how much product they feel comfortable sending. Having this conversation early will allow you to make sure you do not partner with more influencers than the brand is able to send products to.

#4: Use simple and clear language

• Simple explanations can be overlooked when they blend into the sentence. The influencer needs to make it very clear to the consumer that this product was gifted or discounted so that they are aware it is an advertisement.
• Common hashtags such as #ad, #sponsored, #advertisement makes it very clear when placed at the beginning of the caption. Although it is not necessary to include these, it is a great way to make sure it is clear to your audience as they are commonly understood. Place the disclosure so it is hard to miss.
  • Hashtags to avoid: #sp #spon #collab
  • The above are not clear enough and can be confusing to those who are not familiar with the terms.

#5: Avoid the use of beauty filters when advertising for beauty and skincare products

• In February 2021, the Advertising Standards Agency in the UK banned influencers from using beauty filters when advertising beauty products due to their ability to exaggerate the effect of the product. If an influencer decides to still use a filter, they must declare when they are being used. 
• Although not banned in the U.S. officially, the campaign #filterdrop has encouraged influencers to provide more transparency when using a filter and advertising products.

Closing Thoughts

As influencer marketing continues to grow and consumers are looking to brands to provide transparency into their campaigns, staying up to date on the new FTC guidelines will ensure that your campaigns build consumer trust. It is ultimately up to the marketer to hold influencer partners accountable for disclosing relationships in their content. The more clear it is, the more successful it will be. 

The post All You Need to Know About FTC Guidelines and Influencer Marketing appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

However, there are also pitfalls to working with influencers: those with millions of followers might demand a high payment, sometimes in return for surprisingly little engagement and traffic with their sponsored posts.

So how do you find influencers who will create value for your brand?

If you’re looking to optimize your influence marketing strategy, this guide will help you find the influencers and design the campaigns that succeed.

Finding Niche Influencers with Hyper-Engaged Audiences

When it comes to an influencer’s following, it’s not always size that matters. Some influencers might have legions of followers, but little engagement. In fact, the more followers an influencer has, the lower their engagement rate is likely to be. 

Why aren’t their supposed fans liking their posts, engaging in the comments, or reposting? Perhaps this is a question for another time. Instead, let’s focus on how to find influencers who resonate with your brand and have high engagement rates. When you’re on the lookout for influencers to work with, consider:

• Who is their audience? Is it aligned with your brand’s current audience? Will they be able to introduce your brand to new customers?
• Do their followers actively like, comment, and engage with their content, and with each other?
• Does the influencer actively respond to the comments, even with simple phrases or emoji?

The more engaged an influencer’s followers are with existing content, the more likely they are to see and respond to any sponsored content your brand commissions for their feed.

Detecting “Fake” Influencers

There are disingenuous reasons why some influencers have low engagement rates: they’re not really influencers. 

Instead, they’ve bought their following, used “bots” to grow it, or they’re part of an “influencer pod”—a network of influencers that like and comment on each other’s posts to increase engagement rates. These inflate the influencer’s social media currency and leave unsuspecting brands with wasted marketing dollars.

So, how do you tell if an influencer has a healthy, organic following? You might have to get out a calculator:

• Divide the number of likes on each of their most recent posts by their follower count and multiply by 100.*
• For example, if a post received 50 likes to an influencer’s 3,000 followers, it has a 1.6% engagement rate.
• To get a sense of the influencer’s overall engagement rate, try this with 5 recent posts.

According to Influence.co, an average engagement rate for influencers is between 5% and 6%. If a potential partner’s engagement rate is lower than that, they may be a fake influencer, and they likely won’t generate the strongest campaign. You’ll have to keep looking.

*Note: With Instagram’s switch to Hidden Likes, this information is no longer publicly available. When considering an influencer, they should readily provide you their most recent numbers. This also helps with the vetting process (if they’re fake influencers, they’re probably less likely to share this information).

Paying Nano Influencers

When you’re working with smaller influencers, you may be able to compensate them for posts with a free product instead of cash payment. You can also incentivize high-quality and frequent posting with bonuses. If a particular influencer’s work seems to be generating more conversions, you can always reward them or adjust their pay scale.

When you partner with a smaller influencer, you also provide them visibility with reposts to your social media channels. 

In this way, a successful partnership is one where you both grow together.

Custom Campaign Agreements

Once you’ve found an influencer to partner with, it’s important to clearly outline and agree upon the terms of the partnership prior to sending a free product or cash payment. You don’t want to send your product just to generate inappropriate, tasteless, or poorly shot ads—or no ads at all. 

The clearer your directive, the more you set your influencer partner up for success. Be sure to provide them with all of the following details:

• Campaign Dates
• Partnership Details: Total number of social posts and what type (Instagram, Instagram Stories, IGTV videos, YouTube videos, etc.)
• Key Messaging 
• Sponsorship Rates (if any) 
• Invoice Instructions (if any)

Be sure not to pay influencers until after the terms of the partnership are complete. This incentivizes timely posting that’s in line with your goals.

Image and Video Copyright Contract

As part of your agreement, you also want to ensure that each influencer signs an Image and Video Copyright Contract prior to partnership. 

An Image and Video Copyright Contract ensures that all content the influencer creates during the partnership (regarding your brand), whether it is imagery or video content, is owned by your brand. An extension of your influencer marketing strategy involves reposting the content to several channels:

• Promotional Emails
• Facebook Advertisements
• Social Posts
• Website Content

Their endorsement serves as a testimonial for your brand. It will have a unique look and feel that helps to broaden your audience and generate more views. But without a contract, you won’t be able to use it at all.

Choose the Ad Type: Whitelisted or Influencer-Created

When you’re working with an influencer, you can ask them to generate unique content, or you can have them run a whitelisting ad created by your brand. 

Both have their benefits. When influencers create their own ads, they’re responsible for the production costs. However, whitelisting allows you to see a higher ROI on ads you’ve already paid to create. 

Let’s take a look at both models.

Influencer Imagery 

The authentic, lifestyle imagery generated from influencers is a huge asset to any brand. Instead of paying for a professional photoshoot (which can cost upwards of $10K alone), you allow the influencer’s knowledge of their audience to curate the perfect “natural” photo.

From there, you can repurpose and leverage the advertising assets created by each influencer across all marketing channels for a unique brand look.

Influencer Whitelisting Ads

A whitelisting ad is an ad that’s created by the brand and runs through an influencer’s Instagram. Our team experimented with this model and split-test two ads with the same image and copy. The whitelisting ad significantly outperformed the branded ad with up to 70% higher ROAS (return on ad spend).

Why did it outperform the brand’s ad? Two reasons:

1. Influencers act as word-of-mouth marketing. Because their audience views them as real, genuine people, the audience is more willing to trust the influencer’s opinion (compared to a brand that’s trying to sell a product through an ad).
2. An influencer also has access to a demographic beyond the brand’s typical audience. This has the potential for new leads and improved ROI.

Make Use of Instagram Stories

As you set up your influencer campaign, consider asking influencers to use Instagram Stories. Stories receive more impressions than static Instagram Posts because users are more likely to click through Instagram Stories than they are to scroll to the bottom of their Instagram Feed.

Although they disappear after 24 hours, Instagram Stories allow the influencer to shoot video content, which in turn allows them to tell more of a story and highlight the brand or its products in their own voice. They can also generate engagement through features like “Ask a Question.” 

This is where their knowledge of the audience greatly benefits the brand.

Highlight a “Call-to-Action” Message

Make sure to give your influencer guidance when it comes to calls to action. Ask them to highlight a CTA statement at the end of their video or within their caption, incentivizing users to take actionable steps to learn more about the brand or check out the product. Ask them to:

• Encourage their audience to shop directly for your product online (via the website, Amazon, etc.)
• Encourage their audience to shop in-store by recommending brick and mortars where the product is available 
• Include a discount or sale prices for a limited time offer (this creates a sense of urgency)
• Post a link to your site in their bio, or if they have a large following, directly in their stories

Custom UTM Tracking

When you’re working with an influencer with over 10K followers, they may have their Instagram set up as a business profile. If this is the case, they are able to include a link within Instagram Stories using the “Swipe Up” feature.

By creating custom UTM tracking links for each influencer, you are able to measure:

• How many users clicked the link
• How many people visited your website
• How many visitors were first-time visitors
• How long users stayed on the website
• If they completed a transaction, and if so, how much revenue it drove 

This allows you to see an influencer’s impact beyond brand awareness. What’s more, when an influencer drives new users to your website, you can then retarget them with a paid advertisement. 

Putting it All Together

As you begin to work with more influencers using UTM tracking and other tools, you can begin to evaluate the success of your strategies. From there, you can optimize:

• Do you see a greater ROI on whitelisting ads or on influencer content? 
• On influencers with medium-sized followings, or micro-influencers with a committed audience?
• Which platforms should you focus your attention on?

The more information you have about the success of past ads, the clearer you can be in your directives to influencer partners. And as your brand grows, so too will your reach and budget when it comes to working with top talent. 

Need help measuring and optimizing the effectiveness of your influencer ads? Let PDM be your guide. Our Influencer Marketing services take the work out of connecting with and coaching influencers to be successful advocates for your brand.

Sources: 

• Influence. Instagram Influencer Rates. http://blog.influence.co/instagram-influencer-rates/
• Business Insider. Influencer Marketing Report. https://www.businessinsider.com/influencer-marketing-report
• Forbes. Social Media Roundup: Instagram Hidden Likes Count Test, Facebook AI Assistant Coming, Pinterest IPO. https://www.forbes.com/sites/amitchowdhry/2019/04/21/social-media-roundup-instagram-hidden-likes-count-test-facebook-ai-assistant-coming-pinterest-ipo/#1b41184f67a5

The post How to Optimize Your Influencer Marketing Strategy appeared first on Power Digital Marketing.

First and foremost, affiliate marketing is best known for its ability to drive conversions, cheap clicks, and affordable traffic to the website through networking, the use of custom links, and a competitive commission structure. With the rise of the blogger and influencer, the affiliate marketing channel has taken a particular liking to these types of affiliates.

So the question is, why wouldn’t you merge your two strategies? 

To do so, however, we have to go back to the basics. 

What are the Key Components of Affiliate Marketing?

When you give individuals and companies an incentive to help sell your products or services, they can take on a substantial share of the responsibility for creating effective marketing. This lowers your risks and your advertising costs. At the same time, it’s a boon to publishers who are seeking to monetize their audience. 

There’s a reason why affiliate marketing spending is forecasted to hit 6.8 billion this year: it’s a cost-effective model for improving your brand’s visibility, and when done effectively, boosts your sales and your profits. Let’s take a look at the benefits and structure of affiliate marketing: 

• Revenue Driving – since 2016, affiliate marketing has grown 10% each year, and now, affiliate links produce as many sales as email promotions. Some estimates suggest that affiliate marketing also generates three times the leads as traditional advertising. In addition, working with affiliates may be significantly more than running a traditional campaign.
• Commission Structure – When you partner with affiliates, it is possible to structure payment such that they receive a commission only when they make a sale. This means that you’re not spending money on ineffective marketing: every dollar spent is associated with a positive CVR value. Depending on your industry, your affiliates might receive between 10% and 40% of a given sale. However, the lifetime value of new customers may well exceed the cost of any single affiliate payout.
• Multiple Affiliate Partners – With traditional advertising, you’re often limited to one campaign strategy. After investing in its creation, you’re locked in until it succeeds—or fails. However, you can partner with more than one affiliate, and different affiliates may have very different audiences, strategies, and results. Using data analytics, you can easily see which partners generate the most value over time. Tiered commissions can reward the most effective partners, giving them a greater incentive to promote your brand and products.
• Low-Cost Platforms – There are a number of affiliate marketing platforms that make it easy to find publishers, track sales, and pay affiliates. Costs for affiliate services can begin at just $29 a month (plus affiliate payouts), and you may be able to use some software without a subscription simply by meeting the minimum advertising budget. 
• Affordable Traffic + Clicks – When it comes to affiliate marketing, many commission structures will only pay for sales, not for leads. This means that you’ll rarely pay anything for traffic, clicks, and brand awareness. That’s just one reason why affiliate marketing is so affordable. However, if your main goal is to increase visibility, you can further incentive affiliates by paying a flat fee for posts, or basing your commission structure on traffic rather than sales.

As you can see, affiliate marketing is a powerful way to tap into publishers’ networks and the deep trust they’ve created with their audiences in order to drive traffic, sell goods and services, and save money, too.

Next, we’ll compare influencer marketing to affiliate marketing.

What are the key components of Influencer Marketing?

Influencer marketing is similar to affiliate marketing, although you’re more often partnering with an independent blogger, vlogger, or social media personality. Like affiliate marketing, influencer marketing allows you to tap into someone else’s network with minimal risk to your bottom line.

 The main components of influencer marketing include:

• Brand Awareness – when you work with influencers, you’re on the lookout for individuals whose brands align with your own. Selling a new organic cosmetic line? You’re looking for vloggers with a focus on clean beauty. Offering accounting services for creative professionals? You’re looking for up-and-coming artists and musicians who regularly post about the tools that make it possible to make a living off their work. When you partner with the right individual, you tap into their network of followers, creating awareness of your brand among the audience you’re targeting. 
• Content Creation – like affiliates, influencers are responsible for promoting your company and product. Their methods can vary, and may include product reviews, tutorials, or simply images featuring your brand. The responsibility and the cost of content creation is in the influencer’s hands. 
• Multiple Influencer partners – as with affiliate marketing, partnering with multiple influencers will enable the creation of content as unique as the individuals you partner with. Different influencers might create content with a different tone and style, and for different audiences.
• Messaging and CTAs – When you work with an influencer, you can, of course, specify what you’d like to see in their content to make sure it aligns with your messaging and includes a clear CTA. Providing influencers with unique referral links allows you to track the effectiveness of an influencer’s incorporation of a CTA, deciding whether it is cost-effective to partner with that individual in the future.

How Are They Similar? 

Maybe you already see some of the similarities between these two distinct ways of partnering with other individuals and brands to generate clicks and sales. However, let’s lay out some of the additional similarities that make it enticing to merge your two strategies:

• Top of funnel channels – both influencer and affiliate marketing have the potential to create a positive CVR value. However, one of their main benefits is generating visibility for your brand and getting eyes on your solutions. 
• PR Value – effective influencer and affiliate partnerships associate your brand with publishers, websites, and individuals that your target audience already trusts and likes. Your brand and solutions can be strengthened, bolstered, and even further specified through the partnerships you choose. When you find the right partners, your audience grows.
• Process + Networking – the process of working with influences and affiliates is similar: you begin by looking for partners who align with your brand and connect with your audience. This can involve networking within your industry, as well as researching your audience’s other interests and passions. Once you’ve found the right people to work with, you work out a payment structure, as well as incentives. Next, you brief your partner on any specifics, and finally, you let them create the content.
• Similar KPIs – not only is the process of working with influences and affiliates similar, but so are the measurables that you can use to determine whether or not a given partnership is effective. With each group, you can measure effectiveness through:
  • Sessions – the number of clicks on the website
  • New Users to Website 
  • CVR – the numbers of leads that become sales
  • Revenue generated through your partnership

As you can see, there are so many similarities in the processes of working with influencers and affiliates that it makes sense to merge your two strategies.

Now that We Covered the Basics, How Can We Marry the Two? 

If you already have separate influencer and affiliate strategies in place, you might notice many dissimilarities in the way you recruit and interact with these two groups. 

Perhaps you let affiliates find you, while you scout out influencers. Perhaps you pay them differently. And perhaps you evaluate them differently, expecting different results from the two platforms, which can make it difficult to track their effectiveness and develop appropriate incentives.

But it doesn’t have to be that way: it is possible—even easy—to merge your two strategies.  

Here’s how:

• Hybrid partnerships – when working with both influencers and affiliates, adopt the same payment structure. Offer a discounted flat rate for posts and content as well as an affiliate commission based on your targeted outcome.
• Increase product trade and offers to affiliates  – you may already give influencers free products and/or discounts in exchange for promotions. When working with affiliates, try adopting the same strategy in addition to offering commissions. You’ll still get the traffic and clicks, as well as create further incentives for effective content.
• Increase outreach to micro-influencers to onboard for affiliate  – the best partner isn’t always someone with a huge readership or following. As you seek out micro-influencers with follower counts in the thousands rather than hundred-thousands or millions, you create the potential to promote their career, create a long term partnership, and grow as they grow. Look for micro-influencers whose voice and audience align with your brand’s, even if their follower count is low. An added benefit is the lower cost of working with these individuals.
• Increased commission structure and product trade monthly to incentivize – reward influencers and affiliates who promote your company month after month. For them to best promote your product, they need a true familiarity with it, and a true connection to your company. Rather than thinking of a partnership as a one-time transaction, incentivize your longest-lasting and most-effective partnerships with increases to commission and product trade. 

As you can see, merging your affiliate and influencer strategy solves several problems: it simplifies your business, promotes and strengthens your brand, creates clear incentives for affiliates and influencers, and allows you to experience the best that both marketing worlds have to offer. 

Sources: 

• Business insider. The Affiliate Marketing Report. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-affiliate-marketing-report-how-mainstream-publishers-are-turning-performance-based-marketing-into-a-fine-art-2015-11
• eMarketer. U.S. Affiliate Market Spending, 2015-2020. https://www.emarketer.com/chart/198481/us-affiliate-marketing-spending-2015-2020-billions
• Finances Online. 20 Best Affiliate Marketing Software Solutions of 2020. https://financesonline.com/top-20-affiliate-marketing-software-solutions/

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Check out the Award Below!

https://enter.avaawards.com/entry/berkshire-hathaway-homes-influencer-marketing-campaign/

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Nowadays, every company seems to be trying its hand at employing influencers.

As a means that has become more common practice than merely supplementary, how do brands and influencers manage to keep engagement fresh and innovative? This article will explore every fabric of this question, proposing three ways in which influencer marketing can innovate beyond its oversaturated landscape. 

Examining the Industry

Before diving into how to best utilize influencer marketing, we should iron out some definitions. What exactly is an influencer? Or, more accurately, who is an influencer? 

According to an Elon University study, a social influencer:

• Is a third-party endorser with the ability to affect audience attitudes
• Gains popularity through social networking and online media
• Acquires a following by making their personal narrative accessible to audiences
• Is viewed as more “organic” than high-profile actors or celebrities

Quality Over Quantity 

65% of influencers expect some form of compensation for their services, so influencer marketing undoubtedly comes with a cost. Thus, before investing allocated money in an influencer, it is crucial to select the influencer(s) that aligns with your brand and intention. 

Establish Your Goal

Not every business has the same objective. The top three goals that influencers are most frequently used for are:

1. Brand advocacy
2. Building awareness of a product, brand, or service
3. Appealing to new target audiences

Depending on your company’s specific goal, particular influencers may be more suitable to achieve the desired outcome, especially once you have established a budget. 

Finding Your Influencer

Where can you begin the search for your influencer?

• Agencies – If there was any doubt about the role of influencers, they have been dismantled by the existence of influencer talent agencies. Unable to connect with an influencer? Use an agency to make contact.
• Blogs – Similar to celebrity tabloids, keeping track of names who frequent blogs relevant to your niche may give you a good starting ground.
• Influencer Software – Solely relying on the word of an individual may not be enough. Install specific software to view social media trends and verify potential ROI.
• Referrals – There is no better time to make use of your network than now. Discover candidates through connections.
• Social Media – When completing background research, you will surely use social media. Straight from the source, you may use it to explore influencers and their work directly.

Choose Wisely

Here are a few tips to take into consideration before committing to particular individuals:

• Enlist a handful of long-term, highly-targeted influencers who have impeccable and consistent engagement.
• Ensure their audience aligns with your desired demographic by looking for overlap with their followers’ geographical distribution, age range, gender, tax brackets, and language.
• Influencers should only post about one or two brands on their account.
• Evaluate their relatability, knowledge, helpfulness, confidence, and articulation.
• Utilize a third-party tool to discover the influencer’s reach.

Micro-influencers with Big Results

Contrary to what might be a business’s first instinct, it isn’t necessarily the best move to immediately seek out the most prominent celebrity. Instead of relinquishing a hefty chunk of your marketing campaign funds to a macro-influencer, consider the following statistics about micro-influencers:

• Micro-influencers charge $1,000 at most per sponsored post.
• A HelloSociety study found that micro-influencers generate 60% greater engagement than other campaigns.
• Micro-influencer content is 6.7 times more effective at engaging than macro-influencers.

But, who exactly is considered a micro-influencer? Any influencer with 3 to 100,000 followers may be categorized as a micro-influencer. Beyond this sweet spot, engagement begins to decline as follower count increases correlatively.

Although their audience size may be smaller, their relationship with their fan base is stronger, which remains true of the average engagement of nano-influencers (<3,000 followers) as well. Resultantly, micro- and nano-influencers’ followers are more likely to place confidence in and accept what comes across as a recommendation from a confidante rather than a celebrity endorsement.

Real Thoughts, Not Bots

Authenticity is in. 

Read that again. Got it? Good. Because that one word should be one of the primary focuses of any influencer campaign in 2020. 

The draw of influencers stems from the fact that they are people their fan base can relate to and trust. Thus, avoid relying solely on follower counts and regurgitated statistics with no correlation to your intention. 

The Elon University study (aforementioned) identifies the sense of reliance behind Social Influencer Theory:

Influencers give off a sense of trust as a third-party sponsor for a product because of their consumer peer status…Influencers who maintain this sense of identity to their communities are looked at as relatable and credible, allowing them to become important messengers for consumers looking for recommendations on products.

By selecting influencers that genuinely believe in and love the brand they advocate, consumers will be more effectively compelled to make a purchase. According to surveys, 73% of influencers will also dedicate more effort into promoting a product if they feel passionate about it. 

With intimate details provided by the influencer, consumers may feel a reliable source has validated their purchase. 8 out of 10 consumers have actually bought a product after seeing it recommended by an influencer.

Referring Friends

In addition to endorsements, referral marketing has become a lucrative method of increasing sales and building trust among consumers. According to a study by Nielsen, it outperformed every other kind of marketing strategy across all demographics. Take a look at the numbers yourself.

Which respondents trust referrals?

• 80% of Boomers 
• 83% of Generation X 
• 85% of Millennials 
• 83% of Generation Z 

By implementing a referral program with a hired advocate, there is potential to create a self-sustaining positive feedback loop, meaning that those who accept the influencer’s referral have a higher probability of going on to refer it to their connections. 

With active effort made to build positive customer experience, 83% of consumers are willing to refer business to others. Additionally, they are 16 times more likely to share if there’s a call-to-action placed on the designated post-purchase page.

Create An Experience Consumers Want to Invest In

The days of static advertisements are long gone. Consumers need to be sold an experience to resonate. This requires a significant amount of thinking outside of the box. So, simply posting is no longer sufficient. Allow followers to be a part of the experience and ensure that the influencer’s lifestyle matches the product’s motto.

How do you craft experiences as opposed to just promoting features? Focus on cohesion and encouraging exchanges.

Brand Consistency

After selecting influencers, be sure to structure events around the influencer’s lifestyle. With a successful match, your business will be promoted organically to followers. Develop a cohesive campaign by:

• Maintaining the same language across each medium.
• Commissioning a long-term partnership with regularly scheduled series rather than singular and sporadic posts.
• Choosing influencers that post weekly or several times a week consistently.

If there is one takeaway from cultivating interactions among followers and influencers, it is that storytelling remains essential to marketing in every form. Consumers can tell when advertisements have been excessively manufactured and artificial, so give your influencer the artistic license to produce content that matches their aesthetic. 

Stimulate Dialogue

The beauty of social media is in its ability to reel in a wider range of eyes with minimal to nonexistent physical contact. By encouraging people to participate in something that can also be shared digitally and via word-of-mouth, you open the gates and the potential to reach a broader audience.

Influencers that consciously create a dialogue with their audience drives high rates of engagement. Allowing for direct communication with a few loyal consumers and externally engaging with followers about their partnership helps show consumers that their purchases are valued, further galvanizing brand loyalty.

Be Indirectly Direct

No one wants to be inundated by blatant advertisements. The entire appeal of influencers is their authenticity. These are some tactics to minimize artifice:

• Strategically place the product in photos, so they aren’t at the forefront. Tag the company, so that it remains visible but not overtly.
• Make the caption something related to the photo and not necessarily the product. This subtly hides the upfront ad-quality yet still successfully makes the consumer curious about the product.
• Use stories for more direct promotion. Influencers can discuss the product, use the swipe-up feature on Instagram, or hashtags (you want the least disruption possible). This will keep the influencer’s page engaging while encouraging followers to remain curious and active.
• Be candid with ad disclosure. Although the goal is discretion, there is a fine line between that and duplicity. 

Transparency and Accountability

Market research conducted by Label Insight discovered that 94% of the 2,000 individuals surveyed would be more inclined to be loyal to a brand if it was fully committed to transparency. With an increasingly skeptical audience, the effort to be transparent with consumers can differentiate your business from spam to potential sales.

Remember to Refresh

Amidst a society that constantly craves new content, businesses must continually search for novelty takes and twists to appeal to consumers. 

It appears that influencer marketing is not only here to stay, but ready to evolve yet again.

Keep your business aligned with current social trends or risk falling behind the competition. So, reduce your marketing team’s workload by investing in an influencer who successfully caters to their fan base. 

With intelligent research, influencer marketing has the potential to revolutionize your outcomes overnight. It’s not by chance that it’s been so pervasive, and it’s not by chance that companies are going to shift their focus from likes and follower counts to fan engagement and authentic content.  

Source: 

Extole. 15 Referral Statistics You Need to Know. https://www.extole.com/blog/15-referral-marketing-statistics-you-need-to-know/

Medium. Consistency is Key in Influencer Marketing, Pick Your Influencers Accordingly. https://medium.com/@sponsokit/consistency-is-key-in-influencer-marketing-pick-your-influencers-accordingly-96ed050a6e07

The Drum. Why Marketers Need to Get More Creative with Influencer Marketing. https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2019/03/12/why-marketers-need-get-more-creative-with-influencer-marketing

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