Five Influencer Marketing tips you won’t find in a Google Search

Influencer marketing within B2B Marketing is on the rise. As more marketers look to engage with their target audiences in new, effective ways, this form of engagement looks set to continue on its success. Recent months have shown that there is a need to have a digital-first approach in all marketing strategies, in order to maximise audience reach and increase engagement levels. From product launches to thought leadership to managing a brands reputation, influencer marketing is a great way to connect with audiences.

But when it comes to influencer marketing, how much do you really know and understand? Gravity Influencer Specialists share five tips that you won’t find if you Google ‘How to win at Influencer Marketing’: 

1. Do not get hung-up on the ‘perfect Influencer’ – you will need at least two to three options for each Influencer that you want to work with

This is an in-demand industry and you may find the people you want are not available or more frustratingly, they’re already working with a competitor.

49% of influencers have seen their work increase since the start of the pandemic
(B2B Marketing)

Finding the right Influencer for your campaigns is one of the most time consuming parts of Influencer Marketing. There are some great platforms out there that can help you locate the right influencer for your campaign or brand. Platforms such Whalar or Influencer.com are great examples. They have vast databases of opted-in Influencers who have joined their platform to find brands to work with. These platform-based solutions invest heavily in tech – not only take on the heavy lifting of sourcing and outreaching – but also to best match talent to your demographic and performance needs to the right Influencers. 

Tip: – take 30 minutes a day to look through Instagram to find influencers. There’s been a big rise in women discussing finance online. YouTube is full of people giving financial advice and Pinterest is booming with How To’s for B2B marketing. There’s a growing community of women who take a family-orientated approach to discussing finance and business:

Tailor – The Finance Mum 

Sarah Akwisombe

Clare – My Frugal Year 

2.  Get to know Talent Managers 

At the other end of the spectrum of Influencer Platforms lie the Talent Managers. They take a totally different approach to sponsored content. They do not offer scale or strategy like the platforms do, however, they are highly influential people in this industry and gate-keep the hottest Influencers. 

Tip: Get in touch with some of the managers from Insanity, Gleam, Sharper or a new wave of independent female-owned businesses like Season 25 that specialise in diverse talent… Ask for a Zoom to discuss ways of working with their talent! You’ll find average costs for content, what projects the talent are working on and also key nuggets of information about the Influencer that brings them to life as people and helps you with ideas.

3. Understand the tiers of Influencers and what they bring to your campaign 

As this industry has stabilized and matured, there are frameworks that are widely accepted by both the Influencers and advertising marketing professionals  – Tiers is one of these frameworks. 

Here’s a guide on the accepted level of tiers. 

Source: MediaKix

Tip: Now you know what a Nano or Macro Influencer is, don’t leave it there. Take a look at your campaign objectives and fit the right tier to your project. If you want to go to market with a bang, we always recommend Mega and Macro as you’re going to need well-known Influencers to elevate your brand and big numbers to ensure reach. If you’re starting out with a direct to consumer product, you’re going to need ‘real people’ like nanos and micros to provide you with relatable content that builds from the ground-up. This was Glossier’s one strategy! 

4. Influencers HATE being called Influencers 

The only group of people that are happy to be called an ‘Influencer’ are Z-list celebrities and reality stars. Mostly because being a Z-lister is more insulting than being called an “Influencer”  :o)
The types of Influencers we have worked with are – artists, performers, thought-leaders, graphic designers, comedians, stylists, photographers, technologists, videographers and actors… 

Tip: When you work with them, call them Digital Content Creators. Unless you want to work with an ex-Reality TV Contestant who fits your strategy perfectly, recognising that Influencers are content creators will help build relationships. True content creators deliver information, education, humour, and access to genuine online communities for true engagement. 

5. Influencer Marketing is a circle not a funnel 

It’s often asked what the costs are for Influencers and if it’s cheaper to simply use Facebook Advertising. Although often agreed, it could be cheaper to run Facebook Advertising, but the key question is – What is your objective to working with Influencers? The marketing funnel we’re all so familiar with is a circle in Influencer Marketing. What you put in returns to you in value to the brand. Unlike a funnel that requires more and more investment, when you invest time, resource and genuine interest in content creators, the investment returns to you in the form of further opportunities with the creators. And remember, you can also license influencer content for other digital and for paid too – a ‘best of both worlds’ mini production studio with the benefit of distribution too! 

Tip: Take a look at the smart brands who have worked with Influencers continually and check out the GymShark story. It’s fascinating look at the circle of Influencer Marketing which shows that when businesses invest in people, people will invest back with extra content, loyalty and provide true data that will give some of the richest insight you can get to understand your target consumers.

Gravity Global can work with you to create and manage an effective influencer marketing strategy for you and your brand. To find out more, contact us or email hello@www.gravityglobal.com.