Influencer marketing tactics are not intuitive. There are many assumptions around what the right influencer can do for your brand, once s/he has been identified and hired to work for you. And the main assumption – that the lion’s share of the work is done once you’ve partnered with these folks – is pretty much the exact opposite of reality.
A brand’s real work begins once they’ve partnered with an influencer, as it’s time to get to work. And it’s why we’re sharing the five best influencer marketing tactics to amplify your brand’s presence – to give you a jumpstart once you’re ready to launch!
And what are the other influencer assumptions? That’s probably a post for another day, but to sum up a few:
- One influencer will work for every brand need.
- Follower count is the most important metric.
- Influencer identification is easy.
- Your brand doesn’t need to work with influencers.
None of these are true.
And now – to those tactics!
Tactic #1. Find an Unexpected Influencer for Your Space to Shake Things Up
There aren’t just unexpected audience adjacencies to be found when you’re exploring conversations in your category or about your brand – there are unexpected influencers waiting to be found online as well!
Imagine a smartphone company wanted to create a campaign with unexpected influencers, for example. Exploring influencer conversations . . .
Could lead to some strong possibilities. Like these Nigerian boys who are making SciFi short films using a simple green screen and a smartphone:
A smartphone provider creating a campaign that features these boys and their creations would likely do well. A bit more exploration around how their efforts resonate with a brand’s target audience would be in order, but it’s a likely candidate for capturing the hearts and minds of consumers.
And as we’ve shared again and again – brands that become part of consumers’ life, creating a bonding experience with them from knowing who they are and what they want – those brands are winning on and offline. They’ve discovered the gold standard of influencer marketing tactics. And here’s a way to get in on that:
Tactic #2. Create “Every Day Influencer” Campaign
Brands are limiting their reach when they only focus on celebrity influencers, and savvy brand marketers know this. Consumers are in charge, after all. They “seek out the advice and opinions of other consumers regularly via social channels – and they trust these opinions over information coming from brands; even when they come from total strangers.”
It’s why we see lots of user generated content-type contests happening online. And it’s why we see nationally recognized brands like Dove devoting 10+ years toward creating advertising that only features “real women, never models.”
Capturing a list of authors authentically interacting online about your brand and inviting them to connect in a way that amplifies their voice is powerful. And in NetBase, that list of potential “every day influencers” is easy to find via an Authors analysis:
And once you have those folks engaged, they can participate in any variety of brand activities in support of your brand – like interviewing other target audience members!
Tactic #3. Influencer Photos & Videos Interviewing/Interacting with Target Audience
An influencer doesn’t have to be a celebrity to have a celebrity-like following. Fans of influencers want to be part of the interactive online conversations that others are reading. And when they can be recognized and part of something larger, particularly something they can share with their online networks, even better.
These opportunities provide win-win scenarios at many levels:
- The influencer wins because it increases their credibility as an influencer and a thought leader in the space. It makes them more attractive to other brands (for future engagements). And it generates interest from their followers, who mostly marvel over the luck influencers have to capture such sponsorships.
- An audience member (or many of them) win when they’re interviewed, as it helps them create their own online presence. It provides a level of credibility. A proof point indicating their opinion is valuable to a wider audience too (like the influencer). And at the least, it offers a chance to be seen – and that is all many online participants seek. Not everyone interacting wants to be an influencer.
- The brand wins, of course, because its content is viewed and interacted with many times over. This continues as long as the conversation does, which can be quite a long time! And then other potential influencers take note and may reach out for collaborative opportunities as well!
Tactic #4. Reddit AMAs with Influencers
Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) events are wildly popular on this highly trafficked site. They’re also dangerous, so be sure to proceed with caution.
Brands and celebrities have done very well here. They’ve also gone down in flames. The latter typically happens when they’ve come to the site unprepared and seeking a quick promotional boost. Reddit is not the place for such things.
Having an influencer promote your brand on Reddit may feel foolhardy, considering – but it doesn’t have to be! Brands can support an influencer’s Reddit AMA and create a successful event for both the influencer and the brand, by creating a transparent offering.
The influencer should disclose his/her desire to share information about your brand, but that the conversation is certainly not limited to that topic. And then be friendly and engaging throughout.
Do not go the way of Woody Harrelson, who insulted the crowd, refused to answer questions and disappeared when things didn’t go his way.
Understanding trending topics in your space, and about your brand – particularly any challenging items, is necessary. You can be certain uncomfortable questions will be asked, and if you’re ready for the worst, you’ll do well. If you’re defensive about certain hot topics, and if there are hot topics to be defensive about, maybe skip this tactic for now.
Special note: There are also many influential folks on Reddit who you may want to connect with. It’s a site worthy of exploration, for sure. It does take a level of commitment to master though.
Tactic #5. Create IRL Influencer Events at Crowdsourced Locations
Where is your audience most active in your region – or in the world?
Where would you like it to be? Maybe your competitor has a particularly lucrative area locked-down sales-wise and you’d like to hone in. Create an IRL influencer event with someone your target audience will want to come see.
For instance, back to the Nigerian boys again: Imagine hosting IRL events where they create short films using smartphones on location and invite others to participate or even be in them?
With sentiment at 100% (on a scale measuring online love from -100 to 100) and everyone behind them – these unexpected influencers will likely experience a meteoric rise to fame once they pick up steam.
How amazing for a smartphone company to get in on that? One that is listening closely online surely will.
Influencer Marketing Amplification
Amplifying your brand’s presence with influencers can be rewarding and set the tone with your target audience for future campaigns. But, before you can employ the tactics detailed above, brands much select the right influencers for a given purpose. And social listening allows brands to make confident influencer partner choices, so the outcome is on point.
Reach out and we’ll walk you through the influencer identification process – and well before the holiday season hits!
