Do you feel completely overwhelmed by trying to create a successful Influencer Marketing plan? Perhaps you are not sure where to even start, let alone knowing how to produce a winning plan.
Using influencers as a media channel is new and not everyone feels confident conceptualising, managing and tracking an Influencer Marketing campaign. This is where Webfluential can help you. Our six steps below provide guidance on how to create an industry-leading Influencer Marketing plan.
However, the best news is that our platform has all the tools you need to complete step two through to step six for you. All you need to do is define your target market and as Influencer Marketing experts, we will do the rest. Phew – it is ok to breathe a sigh of relief!
Define the target market
The first step to any marketing plan is to define your target audience. It is no different with Influencer Marketing. This helps you understand how your customer thinks, discovers, makes decisions and purchases product. Consider specifics like the gender, location, age and number of people you would like to reach.
Conceptualise your campaign Brainstorm concepts for your Influencer marketing campaign that will meet your marketing objectives and easily integrate into your marketing plan. Think of influencers as another media channel being added to your media planning. Just like you brainstorm a concept that works best for radio or television, think of a concept that works best for influencers. Also give thought to the type of content you would like created, what the key messages are and what format is best to share this message (video, blog post, photography etc.).Platform tip: Webfluential gives you access to a team of dedicated account and campaign managers that are pros at developing ideas for brands when working with influencers.
Discover relevant influencers You need to find influencers that are relevant to your brand and messaging you want to share. It is important to not only look at the reach an influencer has, but also how aligned they are to your audience and message. You want the content they produce for you to be relevant and resonate with their audience for better engagement and shares.Platform tip: Webfluential gives you access to a database of thousands of influencers as well as the tools to search for the most relevant influencers for your brand and campaign. Our search tool allows you to add filters to your search according to the interests of influencers. For example, you could search for a mommy blogger that enjoys running or fitness.
Manage workflow and logistics Monitor and manage all campaign logistics like briefing of influencers, content schedules, workflow and payment. As more influencers are added to a campaign, it is important to ensure you have enough time allocated to work closely with each influencer to get the results you desire from their content and audience.Platform tip: Webfluential campaign managers will oversee all your campaign logistics like briefing, follow up, content fact checking, deadline management etc. As content is posted online to blogs or social media channels by influencers, you can access a detailed workflow to view all posts, tweets and shares in one place, as they go live.
Track your results
Monitor the results and impact of your campaign according to your objectives and measurement indicators like reach, resonance, relevance, engagement, link clicks etc. You want to ensure that your budget spend has resulted in return on investment (ROI).Platform tip: Webfluential has a detailed tracking and reporting tool that actively measures and showcases your campaign results. The reporting tool has been built with researched algorithms to accurately measure the results of Influencer Marketing and ROI. Check out one of our reports here
Unpack your learnings Evaluation and learnings are significant for understanding both the successes and challenges of your campaign. This allows you to adapt and improve your plan for future executions. Some influencers might have worked better for your brand than others. Content may have resonated more with certain audiences. The more you learn, the better your future campaigns could be and the bigger your portfolio of best practice becomes.Platform tip: The Webfluential reports unpack any of the campaign learnings for you, so that you can take advantage of any successes or avoid mistakes in future campaigns. Our team spend time analysing each report for any key findings.
Sign up as a marketer if you would like to find out more or start using our platform to run successful Influencer Marketing campaigns.
Op:Ed By Jhene Nel, Divisional Head of Sales at Webfluential
A few years ago, as whispers of artificial intelligence (AI) began permeating the marketing sector, there was a palpable buzz. Part excitement, part scepticism. Across industry gatherings and in hushed conference calls, professionals half-joked about AI potentially rendering traditional skills redundant. However, as we ventured into this new terrain at Webfluential, our initial apprehension gave way to a profound realisation: AI wasn’t here to replace us; it was here to enhance our capabilities and extend our reach.
Reflecting on this, a quote by author Joanna Maciejewska comes to mind: “You know what the biggest problem with pushing all-things-AI is? Wrong direction. I want AI to do my laundry and dishes so that I can do art and writing, not for AI to do my art and writing so that I can do my laundry and dishes.” This insight beautifully encapsulates the ideal role of AI in influencer marketing – not as a creator but as an enabler, allowing human creativity to flourish.
The Benefits of AI in Influencer Marketing
Enhanced Targeting and Personalisation:
We know AI excels in processing vast amounts of data, in marketing this is a game-changer in identifying precise audience segments. It enables marketers to tailor their influencer campaigns with unprecedented accuracy, ensuring that messages are delivered to the most receptive audiences, significantly boosting campaign relevance and effectiveness.
Efficiency and Scalability:
AI-driven tools streamline campaign management from influencer discovery to performance tracking. This efficiency allows marketing teams to juggle and manage multiple campaigns simultaneously, scaling their efforts more effectively than ever before, and ensuring consistent performance across all initiatives. Gone are the days of one campaign per quarter.
Predictive Insights and Proactive Adjustments:
AI doesn’t just analyse current trends; it predicts future behaviours. Quite accurately, when done correctly. These predictive capabilities allow brands to stay ahead of market shifts, adapting their strategies proactively to maintain engagement and relevance.
The Irreplaceable Human Touch
The Psychological Need for Human Connection:
Despite the digital revolution, the fundamental human need for connection remains unchanged. Influencers fulfil this need by acting as relatable figures who share personal insights and experiences. They bridge the gap between a brand’s digital presence and its human audience, turning abstract brand messages into personalised interactions.
During a talk on the impact of AI at Suits & Sneakers, Richard Mulholland shared a powerful insight, reflecting on a personal experience that highlighted our human advantage. He noted: “Good service is defined by how well you do your job. Great service is defined by how well you do your ‘not my job.’ It’s the things that people don’t pay us for, that we do, that they remember us for. The machines can’t do this. That’s the unfair human advantage”.
This sentiment captures the essence of what machines can’t replicate: the unexpected, deeply personal touches that forge lasting connections and memories. In influencer marketing, this human element – our ability to go beyond the expected and genuinely relate – remains our greatest asset.
Authenticity and Trust:
Influencers are the human face of modern digital campaigns, providing a level of authenticity that resonates deeply with audiences. They build trust through personal stories and genuine interactions, which are critical in converting followers into customers. This human element creates a loyal customer base, as consumers are more likely to engage with a brand that feels familiar and trustworthy.
Emotional Intelligence:
People excel at understanding and conveying emotions, a nuance that AI has yet to master, and many suspect, never will. Influencers use this emotional intelligence to connect with their audience, crafting content that is not only relevant but also emotionally engaging, thus deepening the impact of marketing messages.
Strategic Integration of AI and Human Creativity
As businesses increasingly rely on influencer marketing, the collaboration between AI and human creativity has become a necessity. AI enhances campaign precision and efficiency, allowing brands to harness deep insights and scalability. Yet, the success of these campaigns still heavily depends on the nuanced, emotional intelligence that only humans can provide.
Delivering Data-Driven Insights in Influencer Marketing:
Influencer marketing thrives on data-driven insights that allow brands to react and adapt in real time. The industry increasingly relies on AI to sift through complex datasets, enabling marketers to refine their strategies for better engagement and ROI. Speaking from experience at Webfluential, we use AI to translate vast amounts of data into actionable insights, helping our clients understand and harness the dynamics of their campaigns effectively. This approach not only boosts campaign precision but also empowers brands with the agility to make informed adjustments as market conditions evolve.
The Role of Human Insight in a Data-Driven World:
Authenticity, which is central to the influencer’s appeal, cannot be manufactured by algorithms. This is why, even as we integrate sophisticated AI tools to enhance our campaign strategies, we maintain a strong focus on human creativity and intuition. The balance between machine efficiency and human empathy is crucial, ensuring that our technology enhances rather than replaces the personal touch that audiences value.
Finding Balance Between Technology and Personal Insight:
Successfully integrating AI with human insights does not just enhance operational efficiency – it enriches the creative process, making campaigns more effective and resonant. In practice, this means leveraging AI for its analytical strengths while still depending on human understanding to craft messages that truly speak to people. We strive for this balance, ensuring our campaigns achieve not only technical precision but also emotional depth, which is often the hallmark of influencer marketing success.
Conclusion
In the end, the tools and technologies at our disposal are just that. Tools. They are designed to enhance our capabilities, not to overshadow the irreplaceable human elements that are the bedrock of meaningful communication. As we look to the future, our focus at Webfluential remains steadfast on nurturing these human connections, ensuring that every campaign not only reaches but truly touches the audience. It’s in this careful balancing of technology and personal insight that the true art of influencer marketing lies.
And as someone who has seen both the possibilities and the pitfalls of this dynamic field, I believe our greatest successes will not be measured by the data we analyse but by the human moments we create and cherish. Let us not forget, in our rush to embrace the new, that sometimes the most cutting-edge tool at our disposal is a simple conversation, a genuine story, a moment of real human connection.
X (formerly Twitter). (2024). x.com. [online] Available at: https://twitter.com/MarkSham/status/1760909612478325021 [Accessed 12 Jul. 2024].
Cook, G. (2013). Why We Are Wired to Connect. [online] Scientific American. Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-are-wired-to-connect/.
Thousands of people are making a living from affiliate marketing today. According to Forrester Consulting, around 84% of publishers are making use of affiliate marketing as a means to drive revenue from their sites and content. Spending on affiliate marketing is expected to reach 7 Billion dollars by 2020.
Affiliate marketing can be defined as a performance-based business. A Brand can generate revenue by using independent marketers called affiliates. These affiliates earn a fixed commission which is paid only when sales are made, an action takes place or leads confirmed. The idea of Affiliate marketing is based on revenue sharing. Find out more about affiliate marketing here: Affiliate Marketing-The Ultimate Guide.
Influencers can be extremely successful by using Affiliate marketing. Right now most influencers rely on being ‘paid per post’ by brands, however, there is great potential for powerful influencers to take advantage of affiliate marketing. There is a way that influencers with large followings and real impact on their audience can monetize their influence.
Amazon is trying to bridge the gap between affiliate and influencer. This solution could be extremely lucrative for influencers as well as the Amazon’s marketplace. According to TechCrunch, Amazon is currently beta testing a much more targeted and finely tuned version of their affiliate program, designed specifically for influencers.
Amazon’s solution to bridging the gap between affiliate and influencer is to provide influencers with their own storefront where they can sell products that they believe in through their ‘influencer affiliate’ link to their audience. The products they sell on their store will be relatable to their audience. The influencer will only have to worry about driving traffic to their Amazon site.
Amazon’s interest in the influencer space is further proof that people buy from people they trust. And today, influencers are the ones driving purchasing decisions. While the program is still in beta testing will be very interesting to see how Amazon builds on the success of Affiliate marketing by empowering influencers to lead the charge.
