6 Most Wanted Abilities Of A Great Youth Influencer

In Trends

In the blink of an eye, influencer marketing went from being the new test subject marketers were hesitant to try, to being predicted as the future of marketing as we know it. As the world continues to use social media to inform their purchasing decisions, youth are growing the influencer marketing trend at an exponential rate.  In an increasingly digitised marketing landscape, influencers are the best means to spark a conversation online whilst still covering off the social scene. They are interconnected, enterprising and are the future of facilitating connections between brands and youth, but what does an amazing influencer do and how can they help your brand connect to the youth?

Create True Connection

One of the reasons influencer marketing has rapidly gained popularity is the fact that their authenticity resonates with the youth and that brands now have a greater pipeline for placing themselves squarely in front of this market. Good influencers ensure that brands no longer speak at the youth but speak to them and if done right, this could lead to a lifelong connection. From associating with how they dress, where they hang out, how they talk and their lifestyle, brands are able to craft their own personality amongst youth, through youth.

One brand that’s used influencers well is Adidas who regularly connects with influencers like Mini Dlamini, Bonang Matheba, Nomuzi Mabena and even non-celebrity influencers that resonate with their brand. An influencer going by @Craig0sexy_kgosietsile on Instagram, received support from the Adidas recently after they responded to his love for crazy gym antics and sporting apparel by sponsoring him with Adidas gear which he now proudly adorns on his Instagram feed.

Another brand that recently blew up in South Africa is Ciroc, which used Bonang Matheba to support their different flavours of vodka. As a result South African youth know that this brand is in the country and when they turn up, Ciroc is a popular go to brand to pop bottles with.

 

 

If there’s one thing the youth love, it’s sharing stories and experiences with their peers and of those they aspire to be like. A great influencer will help your brand fit seamlessly within that framework and strategically place your brand’s story or agenda in the right moments that will have their students wanting more.

Add A Personal Touch

Influencer marketing places individuals at the forefront of brands and its best to have the right fit of influencer representing your brand. Someone that suits your brand will deliver your brand message with greater conviction than any other can and likely have a natural affinity to stick to your brand, making your influencer marketing investment worthwhile, even in the long term. Nothing awakens brand love and creativity like a good youth to brand relationship ratio. When influencers are fully equipped with your brand they are prepared for any opportunity that comes their way and will be better prepared to place your brand in the moment.

Whisk Up Some Content Flair

Adweek recently reported that 50 influencers posted an Instagram picture of themselves wearing the same Lord & Taylor dress, on the same day, they told the Instagram fashion niche that the dress was a must-have article to be in the in-crowd. The dress sold out the following weekend.

Influencer marketing isn’t focussed so much on marketing but rather presentation. A great influencer will do well at crafting attractive content in a way that creates curiosity and excitement for those surrounding them. They also act as an active crossover between face to face interactions, social media and content creation across platforms, bringing just the right mix of persuasion to their presentation. Content flair is a talent many wannabe influencers fail to deliver as it not only takes a good influencer but a great brand collaboration.

Be Consistent

Everyone knows a one hit wonder from some part of their life. Because of this very phenomenon, ordinary people are often mistaken for influencers and brands end up engaging with the wrong influencers all together. Having one social media windfall or amazing event where an influencer becomes the talk of the event is not a great measure for establishing eligibility to influence on the long term. Consistency, is. Great influencers produce engaging and relevant content all the time and when they fail they continue to change up their game until it’s tweaked to perfection and a rhythm is found. Even then the work always continues. This consistency is what brings magic to influencer activations and it happens through the combination of achieving reach, relevance and ultimately resonance. Consistent brand association and messaging portrays influencers as living your brand naturally instead of forcing staccato inserts into little blips of their social life.

Establishing Authority

Influencers often engage with brands because they know the experience will entice their audience or at least give them an enviable experience worth talking about. The reason this is so important is because talking about a particular topic consistently and convincingly with loads to share, creates thought leadership and authority. Being a voice for a specific industry or topic leads to connection with other influencers in the same arena. When your influencer has the capability to grab attention and carry your message forward, the benefit of being seen as an authoritative figure immediately translates to the conversation being carried over to other like-minded influencers who will act and share your brand’s information too. This has much greater impact than any engagement an organic audience of followers could provide.

Monetising Their Interactions

Brands obviously all secretly want sales to increase when they invest in influencer marketing. Whether it’s adoption of an idea, use of a service or selling an actual product – where there is exchange, sales are taking place.

Siya Beyile, Tshepi Vundla and Monde Mtsi were praised by Livemag.co.za for their monetisation skills as influencers recently telling the story of how they got into their element. Many of these influencers use monetisation platforms like Webfluential and Weconnect which are a growing attractor for aspiring influencers to start getting recognition and moola flowing, at least through their online presence. This leads them to being approached by brands to do more work, and knowing how to hustle this cycle of income is now only a great trait for an influencer to have but an ability brands can benefit from. If they can monetise their personal brand surely they can do the same for the brands they represent.

The way monetisation has grown is that influencers make your business their business. They know that going the extra mile for your brand and seeing how they can adapt to bring you a one of a kind influencer experience will not only get them paid, but keep your brand coming back for more. This has also lead to influencers successfully becoming brand ambassadors in their own right.

Collaboration

Your influencer marketing strategy will take more than placing your brand in an influencer’s hands, as great relationships take time but the resulting benefits are evergreen. The recipe to creating a great influencer campaign lies as much in your execution, as it lies in finding the right type of influencer and knowing what makes them good.  If you find yourself a bit clueless in the mix of trying influencers versus your usual marketing strategy components, get in touch with Student Village on 0118853918 or email [email protected].