Influencer is a common buzzword that has gone mainstream. Influencer marketing is an important component for any public relations or marketing strategy. But, what is influencer marketing anyway? Influencer marketing is a type of social media marketing that uses endorsements from influencers. These individuals have a solid social media following, strong engagement, and viewed as experts within their niche.
Influencers have been around for many years now, but in the past, powerful influencers had celebrity status, such as athletes, actors or models. Then, the game changed with social media. Social media users, and your “everyday followers” achieving a prominent social reach, were considered influencers.
As technology and social platforms continue to shift, influencers, which are also known as “content creators,” are shifting too. We at Aspen- and Fort Lauderdale-based public relations and marketing agency Durée & Company keep a watchful eye on the trends in influencer marketing. Below, we share three strategies to ensure your brand is partnering with quality influencers.
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Work with authentic influencers.
When choosing the right partner for your brand, authenticity is key. Social media users crave authentic and relatable content from the influencers they follow. And they’d rather see organic content then scripted messages. For the message to be sincere and genuine, it’s important to give the influencer some freedom. Don’t micro-manage the campaign. This is one of the reasons why the stock of celebrities has gone down in favor of relatable micro-influencers. Celebrities will always draw attention. But without the proper brand alignment and creativity, it might not result in the best return on investment.
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Work with influencers who utilize shoppable content.
With the advancement of technology, it’s important to work with content creators that also evolve. Influencers can help consumers discover products on social platforms and other sites through shoppable content. For example, Instagram Stories offers a swipe-up feature. Here, influencers can direct their followers directly to purchase your brand’s products. Influencers can also utilize affiliate marketing, where they can receive a commission for any sales they influenced by utilizing commissionable links.
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Partner with influencers who utilize videos.
As you can assume from the success of TikTok and Instagram Reels, videos have a huge influence on consumers. Aside from the humor videos, the video format also gives content creators a dynamic way to engage with their followers. And video is the perfect format to showcase step-by-step tutorials, Q&As, and tips. Videos highlight authenticity by showing the actual uses of the brand’s products, rather than posting staged images.
When selecting which influencers are the right fit for your brand, choosing the account with the largest following is not always the most effective choice. If you’re looking for someone to create an effective influencer strategy for your brand, contact us today at 954-723-9250.
About Durée & Company, Inc.
Durée & Company, Inc. is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing and special events firm founded in 1999. The firm has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Aspen, Colorado. Durée & Company serves the corporate, agency and nonprofit arenas for local, national and international clients. Services include public relations, social media, marketing, digital marketing, content development, advertising, special events, branding, radio promotions, affiliate marketing and more. Durée & Company clients include well-known names in yachting, business, real estate, hospitality, travel, cannabis and hemp, wellness and CBD, art and culture, fashion, nonprofit organizations, legal and professional services. Durée & Company is a member of PR Boutiques International™ (PRBI), an international network of boutique PR firms. To learn more, call 954-723-9350; go to dureeandcompany.com; or visit its new, specialized cannabis- and CBD-specific site at cannabismarketingpr.com. Join the social conversation and follow Durée & Company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn at @DureeCoPR.
