We’ve hosted several influencer marketing panels over the past few months, and our members have gleaned insights on trends, best practices and beyond from industry insiders. With so much to touch on in so little time, we wanted to take a deeper dive into some of the key topics talked about. Here are three takeaways that influencer marketing experts say marcomms pros and creators need to keep top of mind right now.
Tip #1: Embrace platform diversity
“Embracing platform diversity is essential for creator success,” says Jess Golden, Director of Talent, Lifestyle at Kensington Grey. “Our talent is required to be actively posting on at least TikTok and Instagram, as these two platforms remain at the forefront of brand opportunities – but don't sleep on other platforms! Having an active presence on multiple platforms increases your exposure and your ability to connect with diverse audiences and brands.”
She continues, “We often encourage our talent to repurpose content across platforms as a high-impact strategy that drives engagement without the constant creation of new content. It saves time and effort while maintaining a strong connection with your audience. You'll not only maximize your exposure to brands but also connect with diverse audiences, elevating your content and impact as a creator.”
Aïssata Diallo
Golden offers proof of why platform diversity is key: “Aïssata Diallo is a great example of the benefits of platform diversity. She often goes viral on multiple platforms through content repurposing on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. She recently started repurposing her TikToks on YouTube Shorts and, as a result, her audience on YouTube increased by over 70K in less than a month. Her most recent viral moment was for a GRWM featuring a dress by PH5. She shared the content across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube shorts and saw a combined view count of over 55M across the three platforms!”
Tip #2: Micro creators must be part of your overall influencer strategy
“Brands often see a large following number as the ultimate sign that an influencer is a desired business partner, and while we love a macro-influencer with a big audience, we often see brands disappointed when they allocate their entire budget towards securing just one or two big names,” says Ali Grant, founder of Be Social (and moderator of our recent LA panel).
Ali Grant, Stella Simona, Caitlyn Chase, Lauren Kim
“The truth is, follower counts don’t tell the whole story, and micro-influencers are just as valuable in your influencer marketing strategy as those big names are. What smaller creators may lack in following, they make up for with their high engagement rates and tight-knit communities of followers who trust and listen to their recommendations. In fact, social media company Later found that micro-influencers, which they defined as creators with between 10K to 100K followers, had an average 2% engagement rate compared to a 1.3% engagement rate for macro-influencers with between 500K and 1M followers (source). A higher engagement rate means that more viewers are actually liking, commenting on, and/or sharing the post and interacting with it, making them more likely to remember the post and what is being marketed to them and potentially purchase the featured product.”
It’s important to follow the quality over quantity rule, even if it feels counterintuitive at first. “While large followings may look attractive, especially to clients, it is crucial to incorporate micro-creators into your overall influencer strategy in order to reach and impact the audiences that matter most,” says Ashley Rosenberger, founder of Rose PR. “By prioritizing engagement rates over follower count, you can be sure to get the right eyes on your brand. Since shifting our campaign strategies from working primarily with macro-influencers, to instead dividing our budgets between fewer macro and more micro-influencers, we have significantly increased overall reach for our clients.”
To celebrate Global Running Day, On collaborated with influencers throughout Canada to advocate the wellness advantages associated with running. The partnership encompassed numerous micro influencers, allowing us to engage specific audiences in niche markets (Rose PR).
Not only do micro influencers help move the needle, but they also open up opportunities. Grant says that “working with micro-influencers also allows your brand to activate more creators, reach varied audiences, and secure more content for the same budget that you might have spent on one macro-creator. Especially when budgets are lean, testing out different creators and being able to compare performance can lead to a more successful campaign in the long run than throwing all your eggs in one macro-influencer basket. For brands with a focus on a high return on investment, micro-influencers are going to be great partners in your marketing efforts.”
Don’t underestimate the power of the micro-creator when it comes to ROI and campaign optimization. “Engaging micro-creators tends to produce more effective campaign outcomes thanks to their smaller, but highly-engaged communities,” says Rosenberger. “Now more than ever, people are searching for authenticity in online spaces, and micro-creators offer just that. They are often seen as trustworthy and relatable among their audiences. Fostering relationships with smaller creators also presents the opportunity to grow with creators and their communities in an authentic way. With all of these advantages, making micro-creators an integral part of your PR approach is a no-brainer.”
Deanna Ritter, Managing Director, Social at YMU sums it up perfectly: “Micro creators have a unique and extraordinarily strong selling power; they’re relatable, approachable, and their audience trusts their opinions which generates a positive sell-through and consistent brand awareness.”
Tip #3: Understand value and ROI
“At Momentum, our most successful partnership occurs when there's full brand and values alignment,” says Erin Bailey, founder and CEO of Momentum Management. “Many brands are beginning to see and treat influencers as another advertising channel and while that is one piece of the puzzle, brands that are prioritizing that piece aren't understanding the full value a creator is bringing. If there's too much emphasis on conversions you're only paying attention to the bottom piece of the marketing funnel and not compensating creators on the full top to bottom approach they're offering. It might have been the first time their community has heard about a brand's product, it might be an influencer adding credibility to a brand, it could be incredible content that gets repurposed, there's value beyond just a sale.”
She continues, “We also know which creators are strongest on these different outcomes, so if a brand is looking for strong conversions ROI we want to point them in the right direction of talent that we know convert well. We want brands to win, and the more information we get ahead of time to understand what success looks like, the better we can present talent that fits those measures, and the better we can prepare the talent for the partnership.”
TL;DR: As you work on your next influencer marketing strategy, or perhaps pitch it to your boss or client, make sure not to miss out on the value of platform diversity, micro creators and finding the right partners.
