Commentary

Influencers Help Usher In Sponsored Social

  • by , Op-Ed Contributor, March 6, 2014

Did you missthe galaxy of stars huddled for the selfie at the Oscars? Did you notice the device? While the selfie might not have been dreamed up by Samsung, they are a brand that understands that the world is social.

The fact is that consumers engage with and value authenticity even when they know there might be a promotional thread. Couple that with spending more time on blogs, user-generated video, social networks and mobile devices than traditional mediums consuming television, radio or print.

As consumers shift their digital screen times to more of the social web, an entirely new medium has arisen to foster this sort of conversation called sponsored social marketing. Brands recognize that the influence celebrities, experts and other respected content creators have carries a lot of weight in consumers’ purchase decisions, as evident by the rise in popularity and spend of sponsored social campaigns and the compensation of those creators. 

advertisement

advertisement

We recently asked marketers if they’d engage with influencers in this way, and found that 60% said they’ve compensated an influencer with the expectation that there would be some mention of the marketer’s brand, product or service through their social stream.

When it comes to branded content, again, consumers value authenticity and transparency. As such, sponsored social provides that middle ground for both marketers and consumers: unique, fully disclosed branded social content from a trusted, influential source. It also gives them syndication of content through all platforms, the ability to target micro niches at scale, higher CTRs and lower CPCs than traditional display, fresh and lasting content, and finally, loyal partners that care and share.

While sponsored social is the new horizon for brands, widespread adoption has been a slow and steady process. Why? Sponsored social is still in the refining process, much like the early days of display. However solutions are coming, and here’s what brands and buyers should look for:

Simplicity: The ability to simplify what can be a complex process, from influencer discovery and managing workflow for content creation, to providing brand security and automating payments between brands and content creators.

Scale: With automation, the community of creators has to be deep enough to provide the scale that brands and agencies seek.

Breadth of Channels:  Consumers tend not to live in one channel, and those bringing scale to sponsored social should not either. Being able to automate across channels, as many as they evolve, will be critical for growth.

Developing relationships with content creators or gaining revenue from sponsored posts requires some manual work, but there are emerging platforms that streamline these processes which are coming, and when they do, expect more sponsored social in your feed.

Next story loading loading..