On 28 March 2016, Instagram continued with its plans to change its photo and video feed model to one which is algorithm-based rather than organic. This is not on the cards just yet – the plan is to introduce it over the next few months – but for a platform which supersedes the others in terms of engagement and interaction, this move is very interesting indeed.
It is also one which is going to have a marked impact on brands, users and consumer behaviour. Like Facebook, this new structure will now see images slotted into streams based on user actions, not in reverse chronological order. For the A-List it probably means very little indeed. For the rest, well, there is a now almost dreaded ‘turn the notifications on’ post waiting for your eyes to land on it.
It’s probably not a good idea to tap that Follow Me unless you’re desperately keen to keep up with your favourite Jones’, there are enough pings and dings in our lives as it is. However, as a brand, you’re probably wondering what this is going to mean for you and your audience.
“The new Instagram algorithm is designed to focus on quality not quantity,” explains Kirsty Sharman, Head of Global Operations at Webfluential. “What it means is that brands are now required to focus on relevance to drive engagement, not just on volume. This is a powerful shift in how Instagram will play out for the brand and is the perfect opportunity to harness the right influencers in the Instagram market. There’s no need for the audience to tap the Follow Me button at all, they need only Like posts from their preferred Instagram personalities to see them recur in their feeds.”
Ultimately, as put forward by Instagram themselves, the goal here is to show the moments which map back to user interest and engagement. The optimised order means that if people frequently interact with a specific person or series of posts, then those are the ones they will see first. It’s simple – if a brand wants to be featured as part of the new algorithm they need to create posts which get more likes and audience engagement, or they need to work with the influencers that do that already.
It is the ideal time for brands to work together with influencers who understand the value of relationships and powerful content.
Webfluential has found that Instagram is one of the fastest-growing platforms for our brands and influencers with significant reach and superb results. These are not come about as a result of volume, but as a result of focus, quality and targeted user engagement. Brands should start aligning to the influencers that reach the audience they’re after – to get them to be a constant point of contact in the social feeds of their consumers.
“The best content is about to rise to the top and it will be that which truly captivates the user. Cream always rises to the top,” says Murray Legg, Head Of Strategy at Webfluential. “To truly harness the capabilities of Instagram and the influencer, you need a platform which recognises the value of content and connects the right influencers to your brand – that is the Webfluential technology we’re seeing do great things for brands.”
For now, however, mass panic can die down and hysterical ‘turn on notifications’ must stop. “This change is designed to make Instagram better for the end user, let’s use it as an opportunity to make us better marketers too,” says Kirsty Sharman.
You probably tip your waiter more than you pay for internet services
At Webfluential we’re all about giving you the tools to grow your influence and take your personal brand to the next level. With the launch of Booked By Webfluential, we’ve taken it one step further. Now brands can book you directly from your own website, using a slick-looking booking form that generates a quote for your work. Like other web-based booking tools, we charge a small service fee for each booking you accept – about 10%. What you’d usually tip your waiter.
Let’s talk about Airbnb, another online booking service. They’re the guys who changed the face of rental accommodation, convincing ordinary people to open their homes to local or foreign guests and make some extra cash at the same time. So, just like the local B&B or hotel – but at a more affordable rate. Today Airbnb is the best thing to have happened to the tourism industry world-wide.
But Airbnb isn’t alone. Freelancer.com and Upwork.com are two sites that have made a name for themselves as portals to cash for hardworking freelancers.
Then there’s our influencer marketing platform, reinventing the relationship between brands and influencers by making it easier than ever to connect and collaborate, with our Booked By Webfluential technology.
These sites all have one thing in common – we all charge a small percentage on a transaction or booking. Charging a fee makes business sense. It allows us to keep custom-developing useful tools to make your lives easier.
For Airbnb, Freelancer.com, Webfluential and Upwork, this percentage is determined by demand and value to both our customers and users.
Let’s compare:
Airbnb
The service is quick, easy and fun. Today you’re drinking a cup of tea in your backyard, tomorrow you’re under a brolly in London. Travellers pay a guest service fee, which can be anything from 6-12%. An additional 3% service fee is collected from the host for each reservation. That’s a percent on each side to ensure Airbnb delivers on the following guarantees and services:
Customer support
Host guarantee
Transaction fees covered by Airbnb
Personalised service and pretty impressive holiday experiences
Airbnb also charges VAT for hosts and guests in some regions and their own variable exchange rates. There’s quite a bit more happening behind the scenes than what appears on the surface, but still not as complicated or pricey as many other holiday booking sites.
Time saved: What’s a few percent when you’ve just saved hours scouring for deals on the internet and you get to live comfortably at a cheaper rate in someone else’s home for a few days?
Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com charges the client a small project fee dependent on the size of the project. Their table can be a little daunting and expects you to do a lot of reading in order to figure out how to get the best value for your bid. The site also charges a percentage fee in contest winnings by taking a 20% service fee from the total service price and a 15% project fee if a freelancer is awarded a recruiter project. What does it offer the user?
Anytime cancellation up to seven days from booking with a full refund
Protection of payment until work is done to specific standards
A project-based structure for cost-saving and broader reach
Access to a broad spread of work and opportunity for those who want it
Time saved: Need a competent freelancer without the hassle of emailing a thousand people referred by friends? Here you go.
Upwork.com
Upwork has a service fee – 10% of the total amount charged to the client – which is paid by the freelancer. The client gets the freelancer and the contacts for free. The freelancer has to work out a final charge which can include the service fee as part of the overall price. What are the benefits?
Central location to find verified clients and work
A clearly outlined rate calculator and help system
Access to a pool of talent which is ready to grab and bid on a job
A well-established system which accesses a global market
Time saved: All of the freelancers in one space across multiple platforms. When it comes to cutting on time, this is a big one for both client and freelancer. Time saved is enough to take on a new commission and accept payment from an old one.
Webfluential
Webfluential’s booking form Booked By Webfluential is easy to use, plugs into WordPress, and gives you instant credibility as an influencer. The charge is 10% off the top, without any hidden agendas or secretive extras. And the value add?
Free and simple to install which allows a booking from anywhere, anytime by any brand
Brands get a professional quote instantly. You get to generate a quote easily
Pricing support that ensures that you stay in line with market demand or use your own structure
Get paid on time
Improved collaboration and reporting with everything from a one-on-one Chat Room function , to bookings, briefs and payments – all in one place
Time saved: One form. A thousand brands. You don’t need 1 000 forms with vendor details, agency lists, payment chasing and frustration. Time saved is enough to write another blog post, engage another reader and build on your influence.
Today Webfluential has more than 7,300 influencers, 2,800 marketers and a reach across 185 different countries. We cover five leading social media channels, have created more than 7,200 pieces of brand-rich content through our network of influencers, and our audience has just recently crossed the 225 million mark.
That’s still a figure we’re still working on getting our heads around!
“For any marketplace application, there needs to be a certain critical mass achieved before it’s credible and efficient, and I feel that we’ve achieved that now,” says Murray Legg, Head of Global Strategy at Webfluential. “The platform allows brands to run anything from local to multi-country influencer campaigns from one place as our audience now stretches across the globe. This not only improves on the ability for marketers to reach more of the right market, but it allows for consistency in pricing, execution and even reporting.”
“Webfluential’s audience figure shows that the combined social following of thousands of influencers has greater reach than some of the biggest names on the online block. Mashable reached 45 million in August 2015, its biggest traffic month to date; The Huffington Post achieved 126 million in September last year and Buzzfeed captured 178.8 million global uniques in February 2016. Having reached the 225 million mark, positions Webfluential as one of the biggest content media owners on the internet. That’s really exciting for us” says Murray Legg.
Webfluential gets more than 1,000 brand searches monthly as brands seek to connect with the right influencers, and our technology impacts both marketer and influencer in the most positive ways. Influencers gain access to a free, easy to use technology – Media Kit builders, WordPress plugins, collaboration areas, automated reporting, guidance on pricing and even payment security. And it’s all in one space.
For brands the benefits are just as exciting – pricing in seconds, influencer credibility, collaboration areas, reporting to ensure you get a the right ROI on your Influencer Marketing budgets, as well as the opportunity to build great relationships with new influencers every week.
“We get to work with some of the most creative and influential people on the planet” adds Kirsty Sharman, Head of Global Operations at Webfluential. “We’re extremely proud of the work produced through our platform, and we’re excited to be part of the collaboration journey between brands and influencers every day. The fact that technology can change the way people have done things for years is incredible, but the thing that gets me out of bed every morning is knowing that we’re building technology to empower influencers all over the world – giving them the tools they need to turn their passion for content creation into a meaningful revenue stream.”
From every member of the team at Webfluential, we’d like to say thank you. A great big THANK YOU to our influencers, our brands, our people, and all those who believe in our vision to build the smartest technology for brands and social influencers to connect, tell stories, and positively influence consumers.
