Part 2 Making it work - we delve into what it takes to keep the momentum going and keep the posts engaging.
P.3 - #BusinessInsights
In part three of this 3 part series we ask our Instagram stars, Robbie (londonfoodz) and Adam (londonfooddon) what advice they would give to businesses to form a successful influencer marketing strategy.
1. How broad should a brand's search be when looking for relevant influencers? Is it about the category, the audience, specific markets?
R.S - I don't think you can say that one process fits all, it absolutely depends on the size of your brand, the budget you might have and what your objectives are. Category and audience focus are clearly very important. I have seen a number of examples where brands have been pretty lazy with influencer partnerships; continuing to use the same people over and over without really knowing how successful it is. I think the focus really needs to be on which audience the brand is trying to hit with their content and investing time in identifying the influencers who connect with that audience and portray its message, rather than a wider blanket approach.
A.B - I believe, when a brand is looking for relevant influencers they should be targeting different influencers depending on the specific campaign or launch. To have one blanket approach to all influencers and using a very broad, wide scope can be limiting in terms of success for that promotion. For example, I have been contacted to attend restaurants that specialise in chicken wings. As someone who doesn't eat meat however, they clearly haven't done their research and tailored their approach.
2. Do numbers matter? Is it about the number of followers, engagement actions, steady growth? What, in your opinions, should brands take into consideration when searching for relevant partners?
R.S - I think it's important for brands to think closely about their influencer strategy, and to really consider who exactly they are trying to reach. Brands can easily fall in to the trap of just choosing to partner with the influencers who have the largest following, without really considering if they are reaching the right audience. For instance, if a restaurant wanted to reach foodies in London, it's probably more beneficial to work with micro-influencers such as londonfoodz and londonfooddon as you can guarantee that the content will be hitting people with a firm interest in restaurants in the city.
A.B - It is really a case of finding that balance. Of course, you want to be reaching out and using influencers who have a large following, but this has to be matched by engagement. To collaborate with an influencer who has a large following, but engagement is low, may be less beneficial than a smaller influencer who has loyal and engaged followers. In addition, top Influencers will ultimately charge more, so if you're working to a limited budget, this is something you will have to take into consideration.
3. Why is Instagram so popular amongst brands and influencers? Did it overtake video and YouTube - didn't it used to be all about vloggers?
R.S. - It's all about the visual impact. Videos and images grab peoples' attention and Instagram offers it in a more digestible, convenient way than YouTube, for instance. There's also the aspirational side to Instagram, everyone loves to show off! Therefore it's a perfect place for brands to showcase their products and partner up with trend setters who can advocate their services to a relevant audience.
A.B - I might be slightly biased, but I am going to say there has been a shift. I think you can see that all the big YouTube vloggers still have a great presence on Instagram along with Twitter too. However, Instagram isn't time consuming. You don't have to watch a 34 minute video of somebody eating a pizza to then tell you at the end it was bland and the garlic was too overpowering. You can see that in a picture with a caption and it takes of all 15 seconds. It is all about creating engaging content, that is easily digestible and I feel Instagram is the ideal platform for this.
4. Who is your favourite Instagram influencer and why?
R.S - The Fat Jewish cracks me up! He's done amazingly well from basically an Instagram which just posts memes and ridicules celebs. He's got over 10m followers and even has his own range of wine now!
A.B - For anyone who knows me, this is definitely easily. My favourite influencer is by far Kendall Jenner. She makes up to a $1million a post, she must be doing something right! I count myself lucky if I get a free bag of crisps.
Thanks for the insights guys!
If you’d like to learn more about how to create a future proof influencer marketing strategy and see how global brands leverage influencer marketing, you can watch our latest webinar - Influencer Marketing for Global Brands, here.
Tip: Tools like the Meltwater social media management platform are ideal to get insights into the communities talking about your brand, as well as the content and influencers that inspire them.
