In the past, marketers would secure a celebrity, sports star or supermodel to be the face of a campaign or endorsement deal. Think Cindy Crawford for Revlon, or Tiger Woods for Nike. With the evolution of influencer marketing however, brands are getting savvier by partnering with social influencers with engaged followings to promote products across their social platforms.
Originally, influencer marketing was viewed as a smaller version of celebrity endorsements, but over the last two years, there has been a major shift towards brands partnering with micro-influencers. More cost effective and with a stronger connection to their audience, fashion, food and lifestyle brands are among the many ramping up their budgets and implementing influencers as part of their campaign strategy.
While activating influencers seems simple enough (and it is), there is a strategy involved to ensure campaign success. Here, we’ve listed a few DOs and DON’Ts to consider before partnering with a social star.
Make an influencer the face of your brand. This will backfire should the influencer become embroiled in scandal or undertake work for a competitor. Classic examples include Paul Marcarelli, who was Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” guy for almost a decade.
Marcarelli caused major embarrassment for the brand when he signed on as a spokesperson for Verizon’s competitor Sprint. And Subway couldn’t end Jared Fogle’s contract fast enough when he was arrested for pedophilia after gaining fame as “The Subway Guy” for years.
Partnering with influencers for long-term campaigns is fine, but making them the face of your brand leaves your company susceptible to risk that could take years to recover from.
Consumers are savvy, and know a shoddily constructed sponsored post when they see one. A well-planned and executed Instagram campaign is paramount to building trust with consumers.
Read MoreInfluencers are everywhere. There are many routes to take when searching for the right influencer, whether you are a well-known company, or launching a new business. It’s important to determine who is a real influencer.
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