It’s no secret that influence is shifting from traditional celebrities to digital influencers among both teens and adults. These new breed of creators are making waves in culture and providing
brands and agencies a greater return on their investment.
But that return is even greater when they’re used the right way.
Influencers can deliver more than a recognizable face and
personality. They have the potential for qualified reach, authenticity, participation, and creative efficiencies — all in one punch.
In order to reach the potential for these
partnerships, as an industry, we have to rethink how we approach and execute them. This doesn’t come easy and often requires a bit of trial and error.
But here are a few tips that have
helped us find success.
1. Give people a chance to show off what they know.
Why partner with someone who’s not widely known? When followers see one of their own "break
out," it triggers a sense of validation and advocacy among their audience. They not only feel in the know, but the first to know—because they had a hand in helping their influencer
achieve success.
Brands that help influencers break into more mainstream culture validate both the influencers and their audiences. This mutual validation can lead to advocacy for your
brand.
2. Make casting part of your job.
The more involved your brand leadership is in the influencer casting process, the better your results will be. Influencers represent the
far-reaching tentacles of digital culture and the landscape is vast. It takes a village of agency and client partners to discover and vet the right influencers for your brand and concept.
3. Unleash the power of peer pressure.
Anyone can buy reach, but you have to inspire participation. So you have to make audience participation part of your creative plan from the get
go. Access is one of the reasons why audiences are drawn to digital influencers instead of celebs, so not activating its audience is a missed opportunity.
4. Make it GIF-y, Meme-y, and
malleable.
According to a 2013 study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in
2013.
In order for your influencer-led content and brand message to travel, you have to consider how the end users will make it their own. Either make it bite-size by baking in GIF-able,
clippable elements or risk it getting tagged with TLDW (too long didn’t watch) and dying a quick death.
5. Let the players, play.
The barrier to entry and creation is
incredibly low on social platforms. As a result, there's something beautifully disposable and playful about this world that brands and agencies should embrace. Open up the creative process, let
creators be who they are instead of bending them to your brand’s guidelines, and bring them in as creative partners rather than as cast.
By all means, start bringing in social influencers.
But follow these tips and you’ll help create more interesting content—and a greater return on your investment.