9 Influencer strategies to level up your Influencer programs
One of the reasons we love Influencer Marketing is how many different strategies and tactics there are to support your broader marketing strategy.
Hold on, you're telling me Influencer Marketing is NOT just an Instagram sponsored post? Ah yep. Here are our favourite strategies to level up your next Influencer campaign:
Stories first, give me that swipe up link!
Blogs to support your SEO
Co-create content with your Influencers
Co-create products with your Influencers
Use Influencers as talent in your TV, Radio, Digital campaigns
Use your best performing Influencer content on publisher networks
Amplify your Influencer content as paid media
Content only strategies
Turn your campaigns into ambassador programs
1. Stories first, give me that swipe up link!
If one of your marketing goals is to actually get a person to do something - like follow you on social media, or visit your website or buy your product... then you need to make it VERY EASY for them to get there. A regular post on Instagram does not support a clickable link. And engagement with posts is at an all time low. So a story-first strategy, with Influencers who have over 10k followers that can add a swipe-up link directing their followers to your website - is a great way to make it easy for people to take action!
2. Blogs to support your SEO
Smart Influencers extend their influence off their Instagram feed and back to a website or blog, where they can share longer form content with their audiences. This is prime real estate for brands to both connect with new audiences, but also get a valuable backlink to please Google's algorithm. SEO rules still apply, so make sure you check on the domain authority of your chosen blogs by using tools such as Moz.com
3. Co-create content with your Influencers
One of the great things about working with Influencers to share your brand message is that it's not YOU telling potential customers to love your brand, it's an objective (well, semi-objective) point of view. Influencers don't have to only create content for their own channels, they can also create content for yours as well.
Check this out 👉Health + Fitness brand Fitazfk enlist Influencers to review their program, then use the content on their own YouTube account.
4. Co-create products with your Influencers
Think an Influencer is REALLY aligned with your brand? Nothing says next level than actually co-creating a product with them! There is a sizeable investment in product creation, exclusivity with the Influencer and their long-term commitment; so make sure you proceed with caution and have tested out the Influencer before making a bigger commitment.
Check this out 👉 Laura Henshaw, ambassador for JAGGAD collaborated on a capsule collection of activewear.
5. Use Influencers as talent in your TV, Radio, OOH and Digital campaigns
In our social media world, consumers now need up to 16 touchpoints (or interactions with your brand) before they make a decision to purchase. When you can, ensure continuity between touchpoints - like using the same Influencer on your billboard that is also sharing on their Instagram account. That's called integration, baby! 😍
6. Use your best performing Influencer content on publisher networks
When you run an Influencer campaign and there are standout Influencers and standout content, why leave it there? Maximise your investment by partnering with relevant publisher platforms to share your campaign message with a bigger audience.
Check this out 👉 Lancôme partnered with 40 Influencers for the launch of their 40 shades of Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation campaign. Each Influencer posted across their own social channels, and all of the images were used in a slideshow on the VOGUE Australia website.
7. Amplify your Influencer content as paid media
Someone once asked me if when an Influencer posted, if they could choose which people in their audience saw the post 🤣Funny yes, but wouldn't that be nice?! Well now you can! By turning an Influencer post into an ad using Instagram's Branded content tool, you not only get the credibility of the Influencer and their epic content creation skills, but also the exact audience targeting you need to connect with an audience that will buy your product. We call it, Hybrid Influence
8. Content only strategies
Keeping up with consumers incessant need for fresh, high-quality content everyday is bloody tough! Collaborating with Influencers who are amazing content creators is a genius way to create a bank of content for your social media, website or ads Check this out 👉Phoebe and Matt from Little Grey Box, visited the gorgeous Fraser Island for Tourism Queensland and created a bank of still and video content.
9. Turn your campaigns into ambassador programs
When you run any Influencer campaign, measurement is absolutely critical. If you don't know how it's performing, why spend the time? Depending on your marketing objective, you should be measuring: 👉Content 👉Reach 👉Impressions 👉Engagement 👉Saves 👉Views 👉Website traffic 👉Sales
The reason why measurement is so important is you want to do MORE of the stuff that's working. And when you go to implement a long-term contract or ambassador program of any kind you want a head start by knowing which Influencer has already performed well for your brand. Once you've got a good sense for which Influencers drive results, working with them in longer term arrangements can lift those results even more. Think about it, when you see an Influencer post, the thought does cross your mind 'I wonder if they really like that product?'. When you have an ambassador, who is posting regularly about your brand and product, and integrating it into their day-to-day, not only does it feel more authentic but consumers get multiple touchpoints with your brand which can lead to increased conversion.
So there you have it! 9 fresh ideas to level up your Influencer programs. We can't wait to see how you bring them to life! ❤️
