3 Golden Tips For A Killer Influencer Campaign

In Trends

Influencers are the hidden secret of the marketing world- whether they are a gold mine or an accident waiting to happen is a debate we’ll leave you to tackle on your own. But as the experts with these individuals and having done multiple campaigns that had our team stay up for hours trying to find the right voices for demanding clients, we thought we’d treat you to some insights on working with this new school marketing tool.

1. 1.Remember: The Brand Is NXT LVL

Let’s rewind to a few months ago when METRO FM “let go” of, arguably, the most recognizable face in South Africa’s entertainment business, Bonang Matheba, after some contractual disputes. People literally reacted as if it’s the end of the station or wait for it, “radio as an industry”. The hashtag #Bonang trended for days with the youth shouting for the SABC to reinstate Bonang, “or else”! Fast forward to a few months later and the station is doing better than ever, showing a rapid rise in listenership, despite Bonang’s absence from her morning show.

Learnings? Metro FM as a brand is the bigger player because it has been around for longer than Bonang’s association with it. So, we can put your mind at ease by letting you know that although your most followed social media influencer drops you in the last minute, which they often do, you can still survive it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Hold Them Accountable

Once someone has signed on to be an influencer for your campaign, it’s important to establish a close relationship with them and make them part of your “work family”, without being overbearing. Influencers are fast moving and are likely managing multiple clients at any given time, like a mini agency. Brands need to invest in their time to receive their full dedication. Decide how much of their time you’ll be needing, check in on them and find out if they are clear with everything that’s required of them. A brief alone is often not enough for influencers and a personal interaction goes a long way in making sure the influencer feels more connected and dedicated to your brand.

When our team did the mind-blowing influencer campaign for Samsung during the launch of S8,  there were very clear objectives in terms of the content the client wanted and what it aimed to achieve. This included “Pictures and videos for maximum interaction”, read the brief. As part of the execution, the team ensured they made use of an already strong relationship with the influencers involved, calling them in and checking if they need to run through anything ahead of the launch. This ensured a smooth campaign launch for the influencers, who then felt comfortable asking the team for help when unsure of any messaging directed to their following.

Top Tip: When it comes to content write down everything for influencers, down to the actual post suggestions and guides. It’s important to keep their authenticity in-tact but if any videos and pictures go out make sure that they are checked for quality because even the most tech savvy influencers may miss something important. Hold them accountable to your communicated objectives to ensure you get the best value.

3. 3.BLACKLISTED!

With any campaign, it’s important to set rules and know when to cut the apron strings with your beloved influencers. Imagine a scenario where you have confirmed all your influencers deeming them the right fit for your youth campaign that’s been planned for months.

Fast forward to the time of the campaign going live and there is no control over their work being produced or worse – content you did not brief is being shared by some of your influencers. This could leave you in an extremely awkward position and may even cost your brand reputational damage.

Some mistakes can be managed with your influencers while those who are consistent with their errors need to be dealt a harsher reality – blacklisting. Afrillennials lose trust in brands in a split second, so it is vital to ensure that the influencers you are working with have their social media skills on lock, because one mistake could have you trending for the wrong reasons

Top Tip:  Keep record of all social media influencers who have caused a glitch to any campaign so that you can make informed decisions when picking influencers for your next campaign or even deciding when to remove them from your campaign all together.

Don’t Be Caught Grabbing At Straws

The internet has provided an incredible platform for marketers to literally go wild with mind blowing ideas for the youth, through influencers. In a world where face to face connection is rare, the introduction of influencers has changed the game and allowed brands access to the youth. If done right, you could have the youth eating out of the palm of your brand’s offering. We can’t stress enough that you should always ‘Go For Gold’ when picking influencers and we are always here to hold your hand through the entire process. Contact us on 011 885 3918 or email to get us cracking on your new influencer campaign!