radintelligencecom

In case you havenrsquot noticed influencer marketing is no longer a novelty Itrsquos a promotional tool used by almost every single industry In fact for the foreseeable future whenever you spot a product when checking your social media feed or going to the cinema or even watching DIY videos online know that the product was most likely planted there to get your attention

The benefits of this type of marketing are potentially vast and far-reaching It has made the biggest advertising companies in the world rethink their business It has created the influencer industry Some companies find a brand new audience using these techniques while others risk looking outdated

For these reasons companies that are big and small are now willing to set aside a considerable budget for this sort of advertising And while Instagram may have surpassed 1 billion active users per day and PepsiCo may flaunt the fact that they promote more than 1100 products using these types of policies most influencer campaigns fail

Itrsquos time that we dissect influencer marketing Letrsquos look at the most frequent and resource-consuming mistakes

Influencer marketing basicsDorsquos and donrsquots of making use of celebrity culture

History has always offered the world extremely charismatic people whom their peers want to resemble As early as the 20th Century big-name brands aligned themselves with figures that could help promote their products Then celebrity culture made this all the more appealing By the 1980s pop stars such as Madonna or Michael Jackson were commanding millions of dollars in order to lend their names to the endorsement of various brands

What is the problemFinding the right ingredients to create the perfect influencer marketing recipe is no easy task

Do leverage the popularity of social media stars in the service of product sales but carefully consider the short and long term effects of these partnerships The days of booking an influencer and getting immediate ROAS are gone so choose wisely

The sharp rise of social media has created a new type of star Their daily activities are oftentimes obsessed over by their fans Influencer marketing aims to make use of all the eyes that are already on the influencers which is offered by the social media platforms that have amassed billions of active users The ultimate goal is to leverage the influencers fans into sales and awareness of your product or service

Donrsquot pick influencers based simply on their fame The wrong campaign can greatly damage your companyrsquos reputation

Influencers are usually self-ordained Therersquos no exam result or diploma that can declare someone fit to take on this job Not only that typical social media metrics donrsquot always provide quantifiable measurement

Dorsquos and Donrsquots of Adapting to the Latest Trends

Andy Warhol famously predicted the future when interviewed back in the whimsical 1960s when he said everyone would experience their ldquo15 minutes of famerdquo and that celebrities from media scandals to memes will almost always be fleeting In many ways this is what social media has created Athletes and movie stars now share worldwide fame with the pop stars of the world

What is the problem Marketing is in a perpetual state of evolution and influencer marketing is constantly evolving You must be a lifelong tinkerer

Do focus on online media and its most dynamic channels but be ready to adapt quickly By focusing on the specific social channels where your brand is strongest FIRST yoursquoll get a deep understanding of what yoursquore trying to achieve with each influencer campaign

The core tenets of influencer marketing have not changed since the early 1900s Then celebrities like actor Fatty Arbuckle were sought after to publicly endorse a product Now the medium has largely changed with a focus on online media with many influencers constructing their career to appeal to various brands and niches

Donrsquot delay changing your marketing strategy regardless of the effort involved Proactive over reactive strategies is a good mantra as it relates to any digital marketing initiative especially influencer marketing

Historically companies that have failed to maintain the marketing rhythm set by their industriesrsquo most important players tend to be left behind Influencers target brands just as companies target a particular audience

While this may sound cynical itrsquos also good news for your business whatever industry you are in It means there will likely always exist a voice that can competently speak on behalf of your product But should the message be spoken loudly or merely alluded to The problem is that with so many options and solutions the solution is in the grey area at best

The RAD Influencer platform is designed to automate each influencer marketing campaign with simplicity in mind RAD is the first marketplace that uses the network effect of real social media users to drive websites sales traffic and awareness Influencers share already-made digital content to their social audience and advertisers pay only for the performance

In case you havenrsquot noticed influencer marketing is no longer a novelty Itrsquos a promotional tool used by almost every single industry In fact for the foreseeable future whenever you spot a product when checking your social media feed or going to the cinema or even watching DIY videos online know that the product was most likely planted there to get your attention

The benefits of this type of marketing are potentially vast and far-reaching It has made the biggest advertising companies in the world rethink their business It has created the influencer industry Some companies find a brand new audience using these techniques while others risk looking outdated

For these reasons companies that are big and small are now willing to set aside a considerable budget for this sort of advertising And while Instagram may have surpassed 1 billion active users per day and PepsiCo may flaunt the fact that they promote more than 1100 products using these types of policies most influencer campaigns fail

Itrsquos time that we dissect influencer marketing Letrsquos look at the most frequent and resource-consuming mistakes

Influencer marketing basicsDorsquos and donrsquots of making use of celebrity culture

History has always offered the world extremely charismatic people whom their peers want to resemble As early as the 20th Century big-name brands aligned themselves with figures that could help promote their products Then celebrity culture made this all the more appealing By the 1980s pop stars such as Madonna or Michael Jackson were commanding millions of dollars in order to lend their names to the endorsement of various brands

What is the problemFinding the right ingredients to create the perfect influencer marketing recipe is no easy task

Do leverage the popularity of social media stars in the service of product sales but carefully consider the short and long term effects of these partnerships The days of booking an influencer and getting immediate ROAS are gone so choose wisely

The sharp rise of social media has created a new type of star Their daily activities are oftentimes obsessed over by their fans Influencer marketing aims to make use of all the eyes that are already on the influencers which is offered by the social media platforms that have amassed billions of active users The ultimate goal is to leverage the influencers fans into sales and awareness of your product or service

Donrsquot pick influencers based simply on their fame The wrong campaign can greatly damage your companyrsquos reputation

Influencers are usually self-ordained Therersquos no exam result or diploma that can declare someone fit to take on this job Not only that typical social media metrics donrsquot always provide quantifiable measurement

Dorsquos and Donrsquots of Adapting to the Latest Trends

Andy Warhol famously predicted the future when interviewed back in the whimsical 1960s when he said everyone would experience their ldquo15 minutes of famerdquo and that celebrities from media scandals to memes will almost always be fleeting In many ways this is what social media has created Athletes and movie stars now share worldwide fame with the pop stars of the world

What is the problem Marketing is in a perpetual state of evolution and influencer marketing is constantly evolving You must be a lifelong tinkerer

Do focus on online media and its most dynamic channels but be ready to adapt quickly By focusing on the specific social channels where your brand is strongest FIRST yoursquoll get a deep understanding of what yoursquore trying to achieve with each influencer campaign

The core tenets of influencer marketing have not changed since the early 1900s Then celebrities like actor Fatty Arbuckle were sought after to publicly endorse a product Now the medium has largely changed with a focus on online media with many influencers constructing their career to appeal to various brands and niches

Donrsquot delay changing your marketing strategy regardless of the effort involved Proactive over reactive strategies is a good mantra as it relates to any digital marketing initiative especially influencer marketing

Historically companies that have failed to maintain the marketing rhythm set by their industriesrsquo most important players tend to be left behind Influencers target brands just as companies target a particular audience

While this may sound cynical itrsquos also good news for your business whatever industry you are in It means there will likely always exist a voice that can competently speak on behalf of your product But should the message be spoken loudly or merely alluded to The problem is that with so many options and solutions the solution is in the grey area at best

The RAD Influencer platform is designed to automate each influencer marketing campaign with simplicity in mind RAD is the first marketplace that uses the network effect of real social media users to drive websites sales traffic and awareness Influencers share already-made digital content to their social audience and advertisers pay only for the performance

Dorsquos and Donrsquots of Choosing Between Influencersand Brand Ambassadors

While the terms may often be used interchangeably itrsquos best to look at the real differences between influencers and brand ambassadors before we go any further Letrsquos also discuss which category is preferable in the realm of influencer marketing

What is the problemCompanies need to choose between working with influencers or brand ambassadors In other words big versus small

Do decide on a budget This decision should be attacked in two buckets as both big and smaller budgets can be effective if executed correctly

Influencers are usually people who have earned a considerable reputation by way of their social media presence their blogs etc When they display their support for a certain product they have the power to influence those within their circle of admirers

Brands look to work with influencers in the hopes that by mentioning their brand their sales will skyrocket Soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo receives around $1 million per paid Instagram post reports Forbes Of course there are 1000rsquos of brands that would love to work with him But if your budget doesnrsquot permit then you must be smarter faster and more strategic with your thinking

Building a connection with a brand ambassador can be a difficult yet a rewarding task Brand ambassadors tend to engage in long-term relationships with companies and offer their unmitigated support using themselves as positive examples They are the people for whom the product in question has worked and they are happy to state it publicly Prior to RAD this type of relationship would require sourcing payments product placement and constant baby-sitting Luckily for you RAD seamlessly connects brands with influencers and ambassadors that will be happy to syndicate your best already made content

The service can prove a tremendous asset to influencers as well who are only one Facebook or Instagram login away from finding themselves working with brands and earning money

Donrsquot base your entire campaign on influencerrsquos reputation You must consider their audience the results of their previous campaigns and the relationship you are likely to have with this person over a period of time Furthermore we suggest calculating the operational resources needed to manage the influencer relationship

While the relationship between a company and an influencer may be short-term brand ambassadors tend to run the marathon when it comes to showing their approval They look to create believers not just fans

Their fanbase may not be as large as that of an influencer but it will likely be a group of people that they are closer to The ambassadors will look to show the product in a positive light usually speaking from the perspective of a consumer

Brand ambassadors are likely to create more devoted fans but choosing one for long-term representation is difficult Influencers can usually reach more people Still itrsquos important to collaborate with those who can provide something beyond short-term goals

Besides these two categories companies may also benefit from the help of Brand Advocates devoted fans that usually without having received compensation will want to share their positive experience The more real people you can get using your product the better

Dorsquos and donrsquots of setting up your social media campaign

Social media platforms are booming celebrity culture is at an all-time high and big brands are willing to spend a lot of money on these types of marketing techniques Why then do most influencer campaigns fail

What is the problemSocial media platforms are very popular yet most campaigns fail

Do focus on choosing the ideal candidate whose reputation aligns with your companyDo plan on your long term goalsDo make sure you use the right social media platform as your core medium of distribution

Influencer marketing may be all the rage nowadays but just like an iceberg it hides more than it is showing There are a plethora of reasons why these types of campaigns are more often than not unsuccessful Most frequently itrsquos a case of choosing the wrong person andor not having the right strategy There are many who are anxious to be referred to as influencers and eager to work with almost any company willing to pay them You must always think in terms of messaging and trust If the chosen influencer does not contextually align with your brand the results will be mediocre at best

Other times while influencers possess a large following of their own they are unable to get their own fans to engage with the campaignrsquos message There may also be issues with the way the influencerrsquos reputation connects with that of the company This is one of the reasons why choosing a service such as RAD can help a company connect with an influencer whose work truly matches the type of audience yoursquore trying to attractEnsure each influencer campaign is set up with the predefined expectation of using the influencers page to amplify your content The organic results of your campaign will ultimately dictate your paid amplification strategy This is typically where the ROAS can get exciting if executed correctly

Donrsquot rush into signing up an influencer whose personality is not compatible with your companyrsquos message or who may be unreliable Donrsquot choose social media platforms based solely on their popularity Donrsquot nurture short-term planning

Some marketing operations fail by virtue of the fact that they sacrifice long term plans for short goals Engagement on a post is great But ideally companies want to create long-term relationships with measurable performance metrics

Other reasons for campaigns failing may have to do with choosing the wrong social media platform a failure to communicate with the influencer or simply having your brand lumped in with numerous other companies that the social media personality is working with

The ideal type of contentDorsquos and donrsquots of leveraging the appeal of content is popular in 2020

Wersquove now established the potential importance of social media on your marketing strategy But just how many social media platforms are there There are more than 100rsquos of social media platforms that typically help with the search and ongoing management of influencer marketing

What is the problemThere are many social platforms in existence and choosing the ideal one is beyond confusing

Do focus on your essential goals and target social media channels where you will have the highest likelihood of being properly represented Demand real performance metrics and donrsquot let slick tongued sales reps deliver meaningless vanity metrics

Some companies strive to develop a social media presence across every channel Should you do the same Not necessarily In fact this is another common mistake Spreading out your resources is a sure way to fail A large amount of published content on across many different platforms does not in itself guarantee engagement

The first step is to implement a strategy driven process behind the posts which generate quantifiable traction The only way to get this data is to test tinker and execute The three most reliable social media channels in 2020 have continued to be Instagram Facebook and Youtube

Donrsquot overextend your resources by trying to be on every social media platform unless you are absolutely certain you can manage it Master one channel first and build from there

Facebook and Instagram are the two channels that should be of special interest to advertisers YouTube is great for creating video content and building value in your SEO rankings The main reason for this is because influencer culture is particularly prevalent on these channels While Facebook is typically not the ldquogo-tordquo for influencer marketing their paid media tools ensure

reach and subsequent traction if executed correctly Many of each platformsrsquo stars have worked with large companies and their audiences are aware of this This type of content involving brands is actually encouraged and expected by the publicCertainly there are other platforms that deliver content in an interesting way But before you dive headfirst try to analyze whether the effort that will be put into managing all these platforms will match the likely results At the end of the day the ultimate goal is to increase the popularity of your brand

Certainly there are other platforms that deliver content in an interesting way But before you dive headfirst try to analyze whether the effort that will be put into managing all these platforms will match the anticipated results At the end of the day the ultimate goal is to increase the popularity of your brand Donrsquot try and boil the ocean day one

Dorsquos and donrsquots of repurposing older contentWhat about companies that have been at it for a long time and that have amassed a good deal of content Can it be repurposed Should it be deleted outright if it has not performed well

What is the problemCompanies have amassed a large amount of content that they may or may not deem relevant anymore

Do attempt to repurpose it as long as it has the potential to be judged on the merits of its performance

Broadly speaking there are two types of content One is evergreen content such as lengthy blog posts that deal with a general topic If this content has the potential to educate and appeal to an audience long after it was initially published then by all means companies can choose to keep or repurpose it

However the majority of the content generated on social media has the tendency to age rather quickly This may be due to fashions changing to the influencersrsquo current popularity or to a shift in the companyrsquos philosophy

Donrsquot focus on volume but rather on quality Sometimes brands are better off removing obsolete content altogether High quality content however can have an amazing shelf life in the paid media ecosystem Understanding what works versus what is simply ldquonoiserdquo is paramount

Simply put influencer marketing works when it feels fresh That said you must remember the audience size that most brands are targeting are typically vast Most often than not influencer campaigns that have failed have done so because the campaign strategy was incorrect from day one Make certain the information your getting is based on actionable data

Dorsquos and donrsquots of budgeting your influencer campaign

We previously talked about how much money companies are willing to pay established influencers However money and popularity do not in themselves represent a sure fire roadmap to success Letrsquos look at a few noted examples All of these mishaps include valuable lessons

What is the problem Allocating a larger budget to your influencer campaign does not guarantee success

Do focus on the things you are able to control and adapt the size of the campaign to the needs of your business and constraints of your budget

Fyre Festivalrsquos influencer campaign convinced many to purchase expensive tickets to what was promised to be an exciting music festival in an exotic location Sadly the organizers greatly oversold the event The celebrity endorsements backfired when many unhappy festival-goers detailed their ordeal through frequent social media posts

Naomi Campbell is a world-famous model Naturally clothing brands will be interested in working with her However her 2016 campaign for Adidas may have done more harm than good when Cambell accidentally posted the companyrsquos instructions into her Instagram post

Donrsquot stray away from the things you are able to control and donrsquot presuppose that a well-known influencer guarantees a successful campaign

In 2018 boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr and rapper DJ Khaled were contracted to promote a cryptocurrency ICO The company behind the ICO was later accused of operating as a scam Not only did Mayweather and DJ Khaled risk their credibility but they found themselves in a legal mess

Clearly the exposure a popular influencer offers can backfire if all the details pertaining to the service or the campaign are not set up correctly RAD helps companies and influencers communicate in a way that is transparent and create realistic goals

Dorsquos and donrsquots of vetting influencersPlatforms like Facebook Instagram and YouTube can certainly be a good avenue for promotion However with so much active interest influencer fraud has sadly become a concern

What is the problemCompanies need to avoid fraudsters and meaningless statistics

Do make sure you have created a thorough analysis of the influencerrsquos reputation and performance metrics

Simply put some influencers attempt to inflate their engagement results to make themselves more attractive to businesses However a correlation usually exists between the number of followers and the engagement rate that their posts create This paired with their reputation may help in creating a portrait of their real social media presence You can simply dive into each influencerrsquos comments to get a feel for their audiences authenticy The larger the influencer the more opportunity for fraud

Donrsquot base your decision to work with an influencer solely on their numbers of followers or likes

For the reasons listed above it is important to research the influencers you will be working with or to seek someone to help you with this If yoursquore wonderinghellip yes RAD can do this for your business

Elements that make a campaign successfulDorsquos and donrsquots of measuring a campaignrsquos successOnce the influencer campaign is set up how exactly do we measure its return on investment In measuring success or failure it is important to have first set the campaign goals and KPIs (key performance metrics) Are you looking to increase brand awareness Are you hoping to reach a new audience with this campaign or to ignite the interest of your core base Are you hoping the campaign will directly boost sales

What is the problemMeasuring the ROI of the influencer campaign

Do set up a clear goal and make certain you have the ability to track performance and attribution

Once a clear objective has been set you will have to analyze the results of each campaign The most often used metrics to do this are reach likes comments (often referred to as engagement rate) and impressions These metrics should tell you whether people have been keen on taking time from their busy schedule to check out your product

Depending on your pre-defined KPIs measuring the click and conversion rate often will tell the story This can help accurately find out whether yoursquove chosen the right influencer and really understand the campaignrsquos performance Real clicks are the holy grail of metrics only if performance is deemed most important Predefining this environment will ensure your campaign goals are clearly understood by the selected influencer

Donrsquot let vanity metrics give you a fake sense of success

Itrsquos easy to deduce that a post that has garnered many likes is popular However itrsquos vital that you donrsquot forget the final goal which is to get the audience to engage with the content Revert back to your campaign goals and be ruthless with how you grade the success of your campaign

GET RAD INFLUENCEldquoAutomate your influencer marketingrdquo

Schedule a time with a RAD representative

Dorsquos and donrsquots of communicating with digital influencers

It is vital to promote a culture of transparency when working with influencers This in many cases is easier said than done As we previously talked about the large number of existing influencers makes for a diverse sometimes confusing playing fieldWhat is the problem The communication between the brands and the influencers may not offer both categories the information that they need

What is the problemFailure to analyze available data delays the progress of your marketing campaigns

Do make sure that your campaign has set realistic goals and that both the influencer and the brand reps communicate throughout the process

IIn 2019 the Advertising Standards Authority released a set of guidelines aimed at improved communication and transparency between influencers and brands The main objective is to ensure that influencers communicate reliable information to their audiences A secondary goal is for companies to be kept in the loop about the influencersrsquo activity during a campaign so as to communicate and offer valuable feedback

Most of the above processes are time consuming and confusing The RAD platform to solve these problems in a two-sided marketplace where both the business and influencers can find suitable partners and ultimately profit with minimal friction

Dorsquos and Donrsquots of Optimizing Your Campaigns

Working in influencer marketing over a long period of time takes a lot of tweaks and adjustments of initial ideas Only by studying hard data can you improve your activity

What is the problemFailure to analyze available data impedes the progress and success of your marketing campaigns

Do study the available statistics and create a reliable plan Wersquove mentioned this several times and will say it againhellip ensure you understand how to grade the success of your campaign

There is no better way to try and optimize influencer marketing campaigns than by studying the available post data First of all you will need the data showing you what how and when to promote your product Testing several post types across different influencer pages is a good way to start You should look deeper than just their subscriber count and likes to assess whether their content is truly returning a positive ROI or not

Finally you will need to identify the content you want to be shared the platform you will be using Next look to create a schedule showing when posts need to be published Once you have tweaked the strategy to your liking you will be able to correctly analyze the results and predict further outcomes

Donrsquot jump into a campaign without having done your homework first Sounds redundant but this is probably the most important variableSimply posting a large amount of content on social media will not automatically help your companyrsquos exposure Plenty of posts good and bad go unnoticed every day You will stand a better chance of being successful once you have created a reliable plan that is based on the available data quality content and several ldquotestsrdquothat is based on the available data

Dorsquos and donrsquots of protecting your brandrsquos identityIt goes without saying that your campaignrsquos goal is not merely to get people to notice your product but to see it in the light you want them to view it in

What is the problemCompanies must seek out influencers whose message will reflect positively on the companyrsquos image

Do try and work with influencers that are right for your company rather than merely popular

It is critical that you choose to work with someone whose message matches that of your brand Your influencer must effortlessly represent your companyrsquos core philosophies otherwise the campaign risks being confusing to their audience This in turn produces mediocre results and nobody is happy

Apart from that you also need to ensure that the influencer is on board with your posting strategy If they do not provide the agreed-upon number of posts at the right hours with the right messages the campaign is almost guaranteed to fail Reminding you here that getting those paid permissions is critical for every campaign you initiate with any influencer

Donrsquot assume that any celebrity will be able to sell your product

Not even the most popular people on social media are able to sell products that their audiences show no interest in Furthermore it is important to consider the long-term implications of the campaign Will it be something that your company will be able to take pride in for many years to come

ConclusionsRemember what we said about influencer marketing in the beginning Yes itrsquos here to stay and it affects all industries Used wisely it can greatly benefit a business Used poorly it can hurt it Left unused it could guarantee the company becoming a relic of the past

Finding the right environment in which to make the right choices about the influencers you choose is vital Make wise well-informed choices and success is most likely to follow

Stop being overly dependent on Facebook Instagram and ineffective influencer marketing RAD is the first marketplace that uses the network effect of real social media users to drive websites sales traffic and awareness Small and medium sized digital businesses automate every-step of their influencer marketing and get guaranteed performance

Schedule a time with a RAD representative Click here