Missing Link Live: How to create an unbeatable influencer marketing campaign

We recently attended JBH’s Missing Link Live Event where we listened to engaging and valuable talks from a range of digital marketing experts. One which stood out for us was a session on influencer marketing from Viv Yau.

With brands and agencies alike aware of the positive impact that influencers can have on the success of a campaign, Viv reminded us that there are a few things to bear in mind when considering adding influencer marketing to your mix.

1. There are different types of influencers

When influencer marketing was first emerging as a strategy, it was predominantly content creators who were considered true “influencers” from social media platforms like Instagram or YouTube.

With the resurgence of reality TV and the likes of Love Island, however, influencers now come in all shapes and sizes with very different niches. An influencer can be a social media personality, or a TV celebrity.

What works best will really depend on you, your brand, and the specific campaign you’re pushing.

2. Size really doesn’t matter

When working with influencers it can be easy to assume that the bigger the following, the better for the campaign. But that just isn’t the case.

Large followings do not equate to high engagement rates, or even good ROIs.

So ignore the follower counts and instead focus on how good of a fit they are for your brand, how much affinity they have with the brand and the product, and how good their engagement rates are.

3. Don’t forget about diversity

Diversity in influencer marketing has been sorely lacking since the industry developed, but partnering with more diverse influencers is not only a good thing morally, it can also come with a whole host of other benefits.

It’s fantastic for your brand image and can stop negative press, but most importantly it can enrich your content in unexpected ways, open up your audience to another important segment of the market, and can help you gain invaluable new perspectives.

4. Stay natural

Influencer marketing works best when it doesn’t feel like marketing or advertising at all.

The best way to ensure this natural endorsement is by involving your influencers in the creative process and allowing them to keep their own style. Ask them what they think would work on their channels and what their follows respond to – this is especially important if they are content creators.

5. Don’t make assumptions

It’s easy to assume that an influencer who has agreed to work with your brand will already know everything they need to, but remember that probably isn’t the case – you likely don’t know everything about the influencer either.

So, while in the discussion and planning stage, make sure to write very clear and concise contracts and briefs to make sure everyone stays on the same page.

If everything is made extremely clear to all parties, then no one will be left disappointed or out of pocket once the content has been created and published.

6. Video is king

Finally, video content continues to be king, so ensure you influencer partners are using video content as much as possible.

With the rise of TikTok, short form video content will only get bigger and right now, there is no drop in sight.

Thank you so much to JBH for having us at your event, we’re already looking forward to the next one!