Top SA Youth Influencers Share 3 Exclusive Brand Insights
It’s been almost a month since we released our insights on 3 golden tips for killer influencer campaigns, since then we’ve had some feedback from some of our trusted influencers. Get ready to learn about this complex marketing tool, straight from the horse’s mouth!
- 1.They’re Not Recyclable
We can’t stress the importance of picking the right influencers for YOUR brand enough. A lot of marketers make the mistake of thinking influencers are recyclable and can be influential in representing any brand well.
For example, influencer and TV personality blogger Roxy Burger, is followed by many for her influence in fashion and how she seems to always be at the top of the couture game. That’s a perfect brand fit for a Mercedes Benz Fashion Week or something fashion related. Would people still buy into her brand if she became an influencer for ‘Cape Town City’, the soccer team? Of course not!
“You can’t be influential in everything because every brand is unique! Campaign managers need to ensure that they get someone who will represent their brand well; not someone who is so far removed from the brand on their day-to-day posts that it starts to feel inauthentic.” Gabi, Comms Manager, Entertainment Influencer
- 2.Bigger Following = Bigger Influence: A Myth!
There’s a misconception that brands are only willing to pay big bucks to get celebrities behind their campaign because they have a big following, which makes sense, but we warn: A bigger following does not directly link to influence.
In fact- we had an incredible campaign running in August 2017 called #BeSomebody; where 25 ordinary South Africans doing extraordinary things were profiled to inspire the youth of South Africa. We used influencers to spread the word of the campaign and made sure the message stretched to reach even the smallest parts of the country to inspire graduates for their future. The most surprising finding?
The less popular influencers received more engagement on social media than the bigger guns, and they were also the reason that the campaign stayed at the top 5 trends for the entire launch day and beyond.
“Having a celebrity spokesperson may be advantageous because of reach, but engagement is where it’s at to dominate the competition.” Karabo, Presenter, Lifestyle Influencer
- 3.Collaboration For The Win
There are usually multiple people within any organization who are involved in making an online campaign work: from the creative team, right down to the graphic designer and copywriter. When it comes to collaboration, there are two mistakes that brands make. The first is thinking that just because there is a great idea in the boardroom, with a great internal team of “experts” running the show, that the idea is naturally going translate well when sharing it on social media. The second mistake is that brand managers think of influencers as the bottom of the chain and expect them to do as they feel will work best or ultimately, as they’re told. Wrong!
“Give the influencer a voice or rather do not ignore their voice, because the whole campaign could go totally wrong if the brand and influencer are not in sync.” Reggie, IT Technician, Brands & Events Influencer
Engagement Is Where It’s At!
Gone are the days where marketing executives sit in the boardroom and ask their “cool” Afrillennials to give a list of who is hot and happening when selecting influencers for a campaign. Now you can get special insights that do not only focus on your influencers, but their audience as well, so that you know you are getting the best bang for your buck. Let the experts take care of your next youth influencer campaign, contact Student Village on 011 885 3918 or email [email protected].