by Prezly
The phrase Influencer Marketing is cropping up more often than ever. The concept of creating relationships with those who have the ability, authority or platform to influence a certain audience has evolved wildly over the last ten years.
When scouring the web we saw plenty of experts and information out there, but nobody had joined the dots. It was like seeing all the ingredients to bake an incredible cake but nobody had put it in the oven.
So we decided to mix up these ingredients and spice it up with interviews from some of the best in the industry.
This guide looks at influencer marketing through the eyes of brands, marketers and PR professionals to identify the key themes around exerting influence, regardless of channel, medium or even message.
It’s essential to focus on the elements of the campaign that match up with your most important objective. We spoke to Digital Marketing analyst and anthropologist Brian Solis who shared a research report with us where he explains it like this:
“If brand lift or awareness is the desired outcome, recruiting individuals who are popular, or have earned affinity or goodwill, will do the job. If the result is to entice voting in a particular direction or attempting to establish thought leadership, individuals who possess authority or trustworthiness become instrumental in steering potential outcomes.”
Brian Solis advises starting off an influencer marketing program with a pilot campaign.
Before reaching out to anyone, develop a list of pros and cons for each authority based on their work or activity to date to qualify a core set of individuals who are likely to become part of a pilot campaign. The individuals you choose should offer a notable balance of reach, reputation, relevance, and resonance.
Brian Solis notes that it’s important not to measure the impact of a campaign on so-called ‘social scores’ alone. Sites like Klout can be useful in setting a benchmark to improve on but they don’t link specifically back to real business objectives.
Aligning your brand with people who have notable scores is one thing. Aligning with connected consumers to accomplish something specific delivers measurable results.
Download the guide here.
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