In 30 seconds:
- Influencer marketing is on the up, and it’s going to stay. We’ve listed the 4 steps you need for your influencer campaign: Create, Scale, Influence and Measure.
- What’s the best way forward with these campaign tricks? We discuss the importance of a longer-term strategy for your brand’s influencer marketing.
- Want insider knowledge from the brands getting it right? Check out Fanbytes’ exclusive event on how to nail influencer campaigns once and for all.
If you’re reading this, you may well be thinking about creating your next social media influencer campaign. Congratulations! You’re already on the right track. Influencer marketing is the new way of building brand awareness, boosting sales and gaining traction that traditional forms of marketing sometimes can’t always offer.
Put simply, it works, and we have the proof.
For a while, influencer partnerships were seen as risky options for companies’ marketing budgets. But nowadays, it’s the opposite. 89% of marketers say ROI from influencer marketing and influencer programs is comparable to or better than other marketing channels. Furthermore, a whopping 71% agreed that customer quality and traffic from influencer marketing is superior to other sources.
The impact of influencer campaigns on Gen Z
Generation Z are the most significant group for growing businesses to tap into. Gen Zers have a spending power of over $140 billion. They are social media natives. This is what makes them the perfect audience for influencer campaigns.
54% of Gen Z list social media as their number one buying influence. 76% follow at least one influencer on social media, and 45% follow over 10. Gen Z are also very receptive to influencer marketing for their purchasing decisions – a particularly interesting characteristic given their distrust of traditional marketing channels.
That’s why, if you’re attempting to reach Gen Z, your content marketing strategy should be lazer-focused on influencers as brand ambassadors and content creators.
Looking to perfect your Gen Z influencer strategy?
Fanbytes recently hosted an event that explored how to create the ideal influencer campaign for your brand. If you missed it, don’t worry: we’ve put together our top takeouts for brands.
100 Days to Engage Gen Z
Building influencer marketing strategies can feel overwhelming. That’s why, in our event, we got into the nitty-gritty of what works – and how to get there. Download the guide to learn just how impactful TikTok and influencer marketing can be.
In the meantime, we’ve broken down what an influencer marketing campaign should look like and how you can make simple steps to bring it together.
The anatomy of a perfect influencer campaign
Think of this as your influencer campaign template. It consists of 4 simple steps: Create, Scale, Influence and Measure.
Ready? Let’s go through them.
1. Create
So, how do you create an influencer campaign? It all starts with understanding your audience.
Getting into the minds of Gen Z (or whichever target market you’re looking to win over) is a vital step. Think about their wants, interests and desires. How do they interact with social media platforms? What makes them tick? Where can you find them?
Where to market your campaign
Knowing where to find your audience is key.
85% of Generation Z learn about new products from social media. This already gives you an insight into how critical social media channels are for them.
TikTok is Gen Z’s favourite app, with 69% of U.S. teenagers being regular TikTok users. So this would be the perfect place to boost your growth among this age group.
Twitch is also a hugely popular platform for young people. 26% of young adults say they access the live streaming at least once a week.
Social media platform Snapchat reaches over 75% of the millennial and Gen Z population in the US. But if brands want to repurpose ephemeral content, a better bet would be Instagram. This app is most popular with millennials.
Understand your goals
Identifying your marketing goals is vital to a successful campaign. Are you looking to boost brand awareness? Do you want to drive sales conversions? Do you want to reach niche groups of potential customers? All of these questions will help you hone your strategy.
Successful influencer marketing techniques assess brand goals, and choose the right messaging, content streams and types of influencers to achieve each.
Create your budget
How much does an influencer campaign cost? Well, what do you want to achieve? Influencer marketing agencies (like ours) take a variety of factors into account for pricing, including how long the campaign runs, and the nature of influencers used.
If you are looking to create far-reaching brand awareness, paying for macro-influencers with millions of followers could be the best route. If you want more engagement with your business, a micro-influencer or nano-influencer may be better for you (on average, they have more engagement than larger influencers).
It’s all relative. For sure, brands are increasing their budgets for influencer marketing year on year as they realise just how beneficial it can be. 62% of marketers intended to increase their influencer marketing spend back in 2020, and it’s continuing to grow.
Once you have your destination, goals, and budget, it’s time to start thinking about how you can scale it all up to a target-smashing campaign that delivers.
2. Scale
How can you get the reach you yearn for on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, and how can you work this through all social media platforms?
Get on-trend.
Finding the “next big thing” to tap into for influencer marketing trends can be difficult for brands. Creating your own trend can be equally tricky. But to “get down with the kids”, you need to meet them where they’re at. Conduct research on the kinds of subjects that get your target market excited, then create your campaign around it. Most effective influencer campaign examples have trendsetting themes, so take note.
It’s hard for brands to predict the future, but that’s why Fanbytes has our industry-leading tool that helps us see what trends are about to explode, before they become widely known. Want to know more? Check out our Bytesights tool here and learn how it works.
Stay authentic.
Authenticity is king with any social media channel, but Gen Z (and their favourite app, TikTok) champions this above all.
Why do influencers have… well… influence? Because they are trusted. Influencers have an ability to create a personal connection with their audience, and that’s what your brand needs to tap. Globally, an average of 64% of TikTok users say they can be their true selves on TikTok. So capitalise on this, and you’ll be sure to win hearts.
If you tick off these two boxes, you can start implementing your content through most social media platforms. It works in many contexts, so start as you mean to go on.
3. Influence
With the fundamentals of a good campaign under your belt, it’s time to start influencing.
Finding the right influencer
Your brand needs to align with the influencers you work with. Remember what we said about authenticity? If the influencer you pick doesn’t fit, their endorsement or sponsored content won’t read as genuine.
It’s not about simply picking influencers in your niche, however: consider Francis Bourgeois’ Gucci ad. The juxtaposition of identities – and the genuine joy in this viral “moment” – is what makes influencer marketing work. Celebrate the influencer for who they are too, and you have the perfect partnership.
How to find influencers
There are several methods you can use to secure the best influencers for your brand. We’ve listed the best ways to see them in our awesome article: How to Find TikTok Influencers: 5 Insider Tips.
Searching for influencers through hashtags, location and engagement rates works well, but sometimes it’s easier to get some expert advice *waves from across the internet*.
TikTok and influencer marketing are what we do well. So take a look at our influencer marketing platform services and how we can help here.
How to work with influencers
Handing over creative control can feel like giving away the keys to your brand’s new Tesla. Sometimes though, it’s necessary to relinquish a little power to give your influencer the freedom to show their followers what they want.
There are loads of ways that influencers can promote your business. Below are some influencer campaign examples to inspire you:
@vestiairecollective How to style your fav bag? Obsessed @Mira Al-Momani 🔥 #outfitinspo #secondhandbag #howtostyle ♬ original sound - Vestiaire Collective
1. Tutorials
Gen Z loves video content, which is great news for brands launching new products or finding new ways to inspire shoppers. Video-first platforms like Tiktok are the perfect space to enlist influencers to show off your items.
@lick ✨ S A T I S F Y I N G ✨ Our eco-friendly decorating tools never sounded so good 👌 @fixing_no3 using Green 04 #asmrsounds #paintingchallenge #unboxing #homedecor #decorinspo ♬ Umm yeah ft Lil Jon - Cursed Mashups
2. Unboxing
“Unboxings” have been getting increasingly popular on social media, linked again to the rise in video content. The grand reveal is what keeps fans watching to the end (and video completion rates are key for going viral)
@actressbecc Link in my bio if you’re thinking about straying from the registry…#LeloPartner #cometogether #wellwithLELO #fyp #ad ♬ original sound - Becca Bastos
3. Skits
Gen Z has a notoriously short attention span, so how do you relay more complex information online? Influencer skits can bring a new angle to a product – check out this influencer promo for sex toy brand Lelo we worked on:
4. Instagram stories takeover
This type of ephemeral content has high engagement rates across the board, including millennials and Gen Z. Instagram influencers regularly post about brands on their Stories, but allowing them access to your brand’s own Instagram account brings a huge number of followers across, and can help bring an extra dimension to your brand.
@charlidamelio my new fav @takisusa💜 #takisusa #ad ♬ BORN FOR THIS - Foxxi
5. Personality snippets
TikTok is the number one app in the entertainment section of the App Store because it’s a place where users feel free to be themselves. TikTokers love the app for its short-form, fun content. So use this to your advantage like Takis did here:
@_queenmojo_ Howdy 🤠 @dualipaofficial #loveagain #thunderthighs ♬ Love Again - Dua Lipa
6. Dance routines
Music is central to TikTok, and anyone who’s encountered a Gen Zer will know the power of TikTok dance crazes. Brands can tap this to send themselves viral, as users will want to copy TikTok influencers’ dance moves.
7. Giveaways
Who doesn’t love free products? The trouble for new brands, however, is even when there’s a prize to be won, your digital marketing efforts can feel like shouting into a void. This is where influencer posts can truly help: tap into the content creator‘s audience, encourage them to follow your social account and enter the competition or giveaway. You’ll see huge account growth through their larger reach.
4. Measure
You’ve created your campaign, handled your influencer outreach and relationships and put your brand out there. How do you know if your hard work is… working?
Measuring your marketing campaign results is essential. Make sure the influencer you collaborate with will be happy to share their stats with you and keep tabs on how your content is doing.
It’s important your metrics align with your specific goals. A common error with social media marketing is expecting one campaign to achieve everything, all the time. That’s setting yourself up for failure: a nano-influencer will be able to drive sales and engagement, but they won’t be able to unlock mass brand awareness. A discount code may help drive e-commerce goals, but it may not help drive social account growth.
This is why the best influencer marketing strategies are never “one and done” – it’s an ecosystem that brands should continually nurture to unlock the best results.
Don’t stop now.
Having one successful influencer campaign is excellent, but nothing lasts forever. Once the campaign is concluded, it’s time to think about the long term strategy for influencer marketing success.
Even better? Employ the minds of the professionals and let them do all the analysing for you.
Our savvy tool, Bytesights doesn’t just find influencers for your brand. It allows us to measure the effectiveness of every campaign, meaning ongoing data that will fuel your future marketing.
Every campaign is unique.
Creating the perfect influencer campaign is simpler than you think. Each step we’ve listed takes you forward to better brand awareness and marketing success. But taking these steps in a way that works for your brand is the tricky part. You are entirely unique, so the anatomy of your campaign must be too.
We have created stacks of influencer campaigns for brilliant brands in the UK, US and throughout Europe. Each one had different needs, goals and targets. We knew how to hit them – which is why we’re well known for what we do.
Our job is to help brands like yours excite Gen Z and make waves on social media. So get in touch with us to find out how we can do exactly that.
If you’re looking for more insights on how you can shake up the social media scene, check out our articles below on making your brand go viral.
