Influencer Marketing: The Rockstar of Content Marketing Today

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Influencer marketing offers an ROI performance potential that’s 11X higher than all other forms of digital media.1

And that’s why it’s all the rage these days. Rather than marketing directly to a big group of consumers, influencer marketing inspires, hires, or pays influencers to get the word out for you. The influencer relationship grows and guides the connection with personalities who are perceived as having an impact on your purchasing client base.

While the concept behind the scenes may be nothing new, social media amplifies the possibilities, and you can now generate a buzz within your audience like never before. So how can you make influencer marketing the rockstar of your content marketing strategy? Here are some hot tips:

Get in tune with your targets.

What does your target audience care about? Which people do they find “cool?”

These are the questions to ask yourself so that you understand who your influencers should be. Then you need to identify exactly how to engage them with your message through your content — and this means doing it beyond the bounds of your own in-house channels. This could include payouts and quid pro quo for the team creation of good content as well as the earliest access to crucial insight.

Band with the right Influencers.

Choose your influencers wisely, as mistakes can ruin your brand image. A recent example of this is a reality star who copied and pasted an email of what he was told to Tweet about a product at a specific time. Of course this is an embarrassment, but beyond that, it created distrust between the brand and the target, the exact opposite of the goal of influencer marketing. A smart, creative, and passionate influencer is more likely to consistently convey the value of your brand instead of harming it.

Your channels set the stage.

Find out just exactly which channels are going to be your influencer’s priorities. This calls for early and detailed planning of content. Your influencers will usually have some solid ideas and input with content development, so don’t freeze them out of the process. After all, they are the ones who have clout with the target market, so it’s only reasonable to assume they know something about it.

Keep the setlist short, sweet, and consistent.

Key influencers need not be long-winded! Get them onboard with the ‘elevator pitch’ concept of presenting themselves to your customers; motivate your influencer(s) to explain in three brief sentences, or less, how the brand is relevant to customers and also how it works. The aim is to create a flow, or ‘waterfall’ of quality content at a very steady rate. Dribs and drabs of content are really not effective, and will eventually drive away your customer base and frustrate your influencer(s).2

Make authenticity your high note.

According to Forbes, 43% of millennials rank authenticity over content when consuming news, and they first have to trust a company or news site before they will even look at anything they produce.3 Authentic influencers’ content is more appealing to a consumer audience because they channel their passion for a product and post about it from a unique angle. This natural creating and sharing of social content generates relatable and appreciated conversations that offer consumers a fresh perspective on your products or services.

43% of millennials place a greater emphasis on authenticity over content itself.

By developing a clear influencer strategy tied to goals and following these best practices, you’ll broaden your brand’s visibility, increase your message reach, and build trust with not only potential customers, but those they respect as well. Influencer outreach in the B2B space is all about crafting genuine relationships and creating a culture of sharing, which will empower you to engage your target audience in a way like never before…just like your favorite rockstar.

  1. TapInfluence study with Nielsen Catalina Solutions, 2016