The importance of research in fostering influencer relations
While the world breathes an extended, collective sigh, Trump continues to happen. Not long in office, he is doing a stellar job of decimating international relations. Frightening stuff really.
Though we could rant and rave, baby, this ain’t what you came for.
We know you came here to learn about how influencer marketing can transform your business. And it can. But it requires you as the brand to really think hard about what you’re trying to achieve. Because as wonderful as influencers are (especially those who are registered to the SushiVid platform — thanks guys), they alone can’t wave a magic wand and make your product a success.
Influencer relations require you to do your research on the following:
The Four Ps
In Trump’s political paradigm right now, P is for Putin and not much else. And we can all see how that single-mindedness is going.
It’s the same for marketing. While you may think that marketing is all about “Promotion” that’s actually just one of the four Ps of marketing (discovered by E. Jerome McCarthy):
As Purely Branded explains, brands need to be asking themselves:
- What do consumers want from your product or service?
- How does your product meet those needs?
- Where do potential buyers look for your particular product or service?
- How do you differentiate from your competitors?
- What is the perceived value of your product or service?
- What current interactions do you have with potential clients?
Who will influence?
Once your brand has considered the above, they will be in a better position to engage with an influencer in a way that fosters positive influencer relations.
But who should that influencer be?
An obvious starting point might be to consider an influencer’s reach. But there’s no point hiring an influencer with huge mummy blog reach if you’re flogging tequila, though perhaps there is a market there…
Then you might look at popularity (aka the scourge of any teenager’s high school experience). Sure, it’s also a reasonable metric, but consider, does popularity necessarily equal influence? Pretty much every celebrity in the world came out against Trump and yet, the man is now the POTUS.
On a less political level, consider Biebs. Yes, that delightful little ditty “Sorry” wormed Justin into the hearts of even the staunchest Non-Beliebers, but would you follow his comments or take his advice on handbags?
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.
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We thought not.
Which leads us to our next point on influencer relations…
Have they got the Midas touch?
Has your boss ever asked you to do work outside your skillset, then reprimanded you when you got it wrong? How did that make you feel? How were employee relations after that?
Let’s frame that experience in light of influencer relations by way of a case study…
You may know BryanLimTV (and if you don’t, you should) as an amazing videographer and director of short films. He’s a great, creative guy, but sadly his skills just didn’t transfer so well across to the giveaway format.
In short — if you’re asking an influencer to sell, be sure they’ve got the sales vibe in spades. Otherwise, the disappointment from both ends could lead to pretty frosty influencer relations.
Whatever you do though, never ever micromanage or control your influencer. Trust them to work their magic and let their unique qualities shine through.
It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen
Don’t be upset with your influencer when their sponsored content hasn’t gone viral overnight. These things take time.
That said, audiences are as fickle as Goldilocks, so what was trending two weeks ago, may suddenly be an ancient relic.
Be clear then with your influencer about how you are going to work together. And use the analytics that SushiVid helpfully provides. If they show people only watching 2 minutes of your 3 minute video, or not clicking through, speak with your influencer about how you can improve the video for maximum impact. But be sure to define the scope of your relationship from the very start, so they don’t feel they are being taken advantage of.
After all, positive influencer relations are the first step in a successful campaign.
Respect your budget and that of your influencer
No matter how big or small, there is always an influencer for you. In fact, we have over 500 influencers from South East Asia registered to SushiVid.
Key to your budget considerations, however, should be answering the question of how both sides of the partnership can add value. According to Forbes, this is one of the cornerstones of the maturity of the influencer market.
Take Away
Influencer relations are integral to the making of a good campaign, but also to your brand’s image; these are after all the trend makers of modern society.
So before you hire an influencer, do your research. Consider the Four Ps you are trying to achieve. Consider who would work with your campaign and work to that influencer’s skill set. The more defined and clear the relationship, the stronger the influencer relations will be. And that can only sound in campaign success for everyone.
This piece is written by Elle OC for SushiVid.
