In today’s hyper-connected world, social circles have expanded into networks whose communities and influence span the globe, online and off. Word travels especially fast for
Millennials, who on average spend more than three hours a day on social media. As such,
influencers who drive conversations and engagement are increasingly important to brands because they play a significant role in consumers’ purchase decisions. This is especially true
for Millennials.
Millennials trust friends and peers for
information far more than they trust traditional advertising. And when it comes to product suggestions, they trust YouTube stars over TV/movie stars. That’s quite an impressive shift considering the
massive role that the latter still play in the brand spokesperson arena.
At the same time, Millennials do not trust just any influencer or brand based on content alone.
Marketers need to work diligently to identify influencers who (1) have reach
within the target, (2) authentically love the brand, (3) are relevant to the audience and (4) are adept at creating content that drives engagement and — the ultimate goal —
conversion.
Brands can’t haphazardly formulate programs and simply cross their fingers that influencers will be inspired to participate and engage their audience to take
action. Brands must be innovative, constantly researching ways to activate the most highly relevant influencers on their behalf. The best brands are using a combination of techniques to achieve great
returns. Here are some examples worth exploring:
Exclusive Events
Either brands or influencers host fully immersive events with hand-selected influencers
that reach the target. This results in authentic, shareable moments that spread publicly across blogs and social networks. Events are perfect opportunities to capture real-time content on social
channels such as Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Vine.
Tip: Consider unique opportunities and experiences that are most meaningful for influencers and will elicit
authentic emotion that will compel them to share.
Event Coverage
For years, the press has been on the ground covering events. Now brands can partner with
influencers to publish content on their own channels (e.g., YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat) for third-party credibility, mass reach and entertainment. While this can be done on any
scale, many top brands have done this successfully at nationally televised events.
Tip: Consider long-term relationships with influencers to grow a close connection
between the brand and influencers’ audiences.
Social TV
Influencers host sponsored conversations before or after television shows. Consider prominent
shows that are highly relevant to your audience and theirs. This can be done through Twitter and/or, even better, a video chat “after party.” For influencers well-known for live tweeting
specific TV shows, this can be a great way to engage audiences who may not be familiar with your product or service.
Tips: Don’t bother the audience too much with your
product during the show or they will be turned off. Consider amplifying with in-person events and paid media (e.g., Twitter targeting).
E-Commerce
Curate
and publish high-quality influencer content on your brand’s website and product pages. Influencer content can serve as product imagery on-site and often receives higher engagement and conversion
rates than brand-generated content.
Tip: Contract influencers ahead of key product launches and seasons to get the photos when you need them most, rather than relying
only on organic user-generated content.
Brand-Sponsored Video Programming
Collaborate with YouTube stars already reaching the target audience to create
high-quality entertainment aligned with the brand. This approach enables brands to gain mass attention and engage the target in a meaningful way.
Tip: Empower
influencers to create content they know their audience will like; collaborate on the creative direction (e.g., extreme stunts, music videos, how-to videos, cooking shows, exercise demonstrations, live
interviews, etc.).
Product Development Collaboration
Brands collaborate with influencers for product lines. Influencers are highly in tune with their
audience’s tastes, which makes them the best collaborator for brands. They also have a built-in promotional network to share a brand’s message.
Tip: Focus on
trends and products that are most closely related to the influencers’ content.
Top brands see influencer marketing as an opportunity to connect with the Millennial
demographic and social media enables them to do so in many ways, online and off. Those brands that continue to innovate and identify the most highly relevant influencers for their business will
continue to win in the space.