Influencer marketing is disrupting the way brands reach their target audience and more and more companies are starting to realise the potential of this booming marketing channel. Some companies are extra successful and have managed to make influencer marketing an integrated, and crucial, part of their media mix.
Traits of successful influencer marketing brands
So, why do some companies struggle while others succeed with their influencer marketing? In this article, we highlight five of the things that these influencer marketing brands have in common, and why it makes them so successful.
1. They have an elaborate strategy in place, right from the start
Defining a clear strategy for your influencer marketing from the beginning is equally important as for all your other marketing investments. Still, this critical step is many times overlooked in the quest to achieve quick results. An elaborate strategy gives you an overview of your investment and your desired results, which can reduce potential skepticism internally and help you work methodically towards your marketing goals. By setting relevant KPIs and defining your target audience properly, you will also be much more likely to see long-term results compared to if you “try a little and see what happens”.
2. They focus on their target audience when they choose influencers
When searching for the right influencers, you need to base your decision on hard facts – that is, which profiles are most likely to reach your target audience? What does their followers base look like in terms of age, gender, interests and geography? In other words, you should not listen too much on which influencers your friends or family follow, but instead focus on where your target group is to be found. It sounds simple, but trust us – many times the most experienced marketer fall into the trap of choosing a specific influencer just because he or she is very trendy and on everyone’s lips right now.
3. They set aside a considerable budget (percentage wise)
Even though research shows that brands increase their spend on influencer marketing, it still constitutes a relatively small part of their overall marketing budgets, in terms of percentage. This, despite the fact that 92% of marketers find influencer marketing to be an effective strategy. The companies that are really successful with influencer marketing know that they must set aside a considerable, percentage wise, on influencer marketing. They do not just spend the money that is left when the marketing year is coming to a close. Instead, they realise the value in the channel and are prepared to pay for it (and of course, eventually gain ROI).
4. They have an always-on approach and work consistently
Every day, or even every hour, we are exposed to thousands of brand messages. Influencer marketing can be an excellent strategy to cut through the noise and reach your target audience. The companies that are successful know that one single collaboration every now and then won’t make a difference. The key is to work consistently and have an always-on (rather than campaign-oriented) approach to your influencer marketing.
So what is an always-on approach, you wonder? An “always-on” strategy is exactly that – content that is always on, always on top of mind through relevant influencer collaborations, and well-saturated across several social platforms, where you target audience is to be found.
5. They have patience and invest for the long term
In the same way as you rarely remember an advertisement that you have seen one single time, the chances that you make an impression on your target audience with only sporadic influencer activations every now and then are quite small. To succeed with influencer marketing, you need to see it as an investment for the long term rather than a way to boost your sales for the short term. Of course, you might see a direct increase in sales but the effect you can reach by working consistently over time is far greater than the sum of its parts.
Best of luck!
Influencer marketing is not just for large brands with millions of dollar to spend. The important thing is that you define a clear strategy that is aligned with your overall business goals, invest enough time and budget (with regard to your goals), and that you make sure to stay top of mind with your target audience though an always-on approach. Good luck on your quest to become a true influencer marketing brand!
