December 2, 2015 2:21 pm
Published by Kirsty Sharman
Monetising your blog or social profiles and marketing yourself to brands are challenges many Influencers face. From novice to professionals, discovering new ways to make money or build brand partnerships, can be stumbling blocks that many struggle to resolve.
Webfluential launches new tools to help monetize your blog and market yourself to brands
Webfluential has always offered a quick and easy solution to gain exposure to big brands looking for Influencers. Our platform has created the perfect space for Influencers to market their blog, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to brands, by simply completing your Webfluential profile.
Now we are taking things a step further. We are launching some new tools today that will help all Webfluential Influencers monetise their online influence, be it via their blog, their Twitter profile, their Facebook page, YouTube account and beyond. Putting you one step closer to turning your blog into a business.
Market yourself to brands
Build your media kit easily
Most online Influencers realise the value of a media kit, as it is often the first thing a brand will ask for when they consider working with Influencers. A media kit displays important data like your website traffic, the size of your audience on various social media profiles and audience demographics.
Although we understand the importance of a media kit – we also know it takes a long time to create and update. We have solved this by launching a customisable media kit tool that is so easy to use. If you can attach a file to an e-mail – you will be able to build your media kit with the Webfluential platform.
The Webfluential media kit tool will give you one consolidated location where you can showcase your social channel data, blog traffic data, audience location and other demographics and is also a space to showcase past work you have completed with brands.
Become Webfluential accredited
We manually approve each of our Influencer applications. Being part of #TeamWebfluential shows that you take creating content and your audience seriously. You are a professional that works with brands and it’s important that you can show your credibility as a Webfluential Influencer.
We’ve created a collection of assets (badges) that you can use on your blog to identify yourself as a Webfluential Influencer to potential brands visiting your blog. To get these assets simply login to your Webfluential account and download them from your “Influencer Toolkit”.
We are also working on a customizable widget that you will be able to embed on your site to show that you are a Webfluential Influencer, that we will be releasing in the near future.
Invite and earn
We know that nobody understands Influencers as well as other Influencers (it’s why we have a team of Influencers working for us). It is also how we know that Influencers connect with each other and establish their own Influencer networks to learn and help each other.
Our “Invite and Earn” program is built for current Webfluential Influencers to invite other Influencers to sign up to Webfluential. Best part is that you will earn a referral fee for each new Influencer you introduce to Webfluential that successfully signs up.
The referral fee ranges between $10 and $50 for each new Influencer that signs up to Webfluential successfully, depending on their tier. Login to your Webfluential account and head to the “Invite and Earn” page to get your unique URL, and start earning money for introducing your Influencer friends to Webfluential.
The best of all, Webfluential is an international platform, so your friends can sign up no matter where in the world they are.
Add new channels to earn
Most of you have been privy to our beta launch of our new Influencer Earning Channels already. We know the work that is involved in building and maintaining an online audience, and as such we want to offer you as many ways to earn money from your work as possible.
Let’s take a look at the four new channels we have added in more detail:
Event Appearance
Taking time out of your day isn’t always the only price you pay to attend an event. That is why we have now added the ability to charge for event attendance from your Webfluential account.
You can contract for a half-day event or a full day event. Simply login to your Webfluential account and set your event attendance prices from your Profile Dashboard.
Copywriting
Writing is a skill that many Influencers have developed, so we have provided the platform for you to leverage this skill and make money.
You can set a price per word, price per revert and also set a minimum amount of days that it would take your to write a piece of content. Simply login to your Webfluential account and set your copywriting price from you Profile Dashboard.
Banner Advertising
Having banner advertising space on your site is one thing, managing the advertising space on your blog is another thing altogether. That is why you can now manage your banner advertising space from your Webfluential account.
Simply add the banner space that you have available on your blog and Webfluential will do the rest.
Audience Remarketing
With Audience Remarketing brands can use your blog to display certain banners to clients that are being targeted with ads.
All you have to do to enable Audience Remarketing on your blog is login to your Webfluential Account and apply via the Profile Dashboard.
We need your help
We are really happy that we can help Influencers turn their blogs and online influence into a business. We are constantly working to create innovative ways for Influencers to do just that, as easily as possible.
With any project, there is always things that can be done better. Our team of Influencers are important to us and we value your feedback. Share any feedback with us via [email protected] or by simply sending us a message from the dashboard messaging system.
We love the conversations that have been going on online around #TeamWebfluential and we have all learned a lot from each other. Thank you for being the best online Influencers in the world.
Want to be a Webfluential Influencer? Are a marketer or brand that wants to work with Webfluential Influencers? Simply click the button below.
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October 13, 2015 4:12 pm
Published by Kirsty Sharman
Editors note: This article originally appeared on tech.co to help answer a question we get from marketers often on how to pitch Influencer Marketing and get buy-in from the top.
You have read all the recent Influencer Marketing case studies and are a little jealous of the return other brands are achieving. You would prefer to be the ‘cool kid’ rather than the ‘new kid’ on the block and have a great idea for an Influencer Marketing campaign. There is one thing stopping you from achieving rock star status with your branded content – approval from your boss.
You recognise Influencer Marketing is a necessary addition to your marketing budget, but how do you get buy-in from the top? It is simpler than you think. Just explain the concept of Influencer Marketing to your boss, as you would to an 8-year-old child.
1. Tell a story
As humans, we are wired to be captivated by stories and easily recall information if it is relayed to us with rich meaning and visual cues. Stories engage the emotional side of our brains and drive us to take action. If you open your pitch with a story, you will be able to grab attention, make facts stick and data more retainable and understandable.
You know your boss best and what story would be relevant to them. Perhaps share a personal story of why you booked the company lunch at a restaurant that a friend recommended on Facebook. You could relate your story back to relevant stats such as: the average consumer mentions specific brands over 90 times a week in conversation with friends or family or that 68% of people feel that Facebook is the most trusted platform for product and service recommendations.
Tip: Don’t make your story long, but make it memorable.
2. Be the favourite teacher
We all had a favourite teacher at school that was an expert at explaining complex topics. Influencer Marketing is new and can appear to be overwhelming if explained poorly or if not understood correctly. It is important to provide background information, definitions, statistics etc. but don’t overcomplicate things to appear smart or knowledgeable on the topic.
Instead, keep things simple and avoid using too many technical terms that although might be relevant, make your boss feel that you need to be a rocket scientist to run a successful Influencer Marketing campaign. Don’t make them feel you are under qualified to do the job. Instead, make them feel confident that you have done enough research to take advantage of this new opportunity and are convinced of the value Influencer Marketing can add to your business and marketing plans.
Tip: When explaining complex topics, show how something works rather than resorting to just talking about a topic.
3. Gives examples of superheroes
My own childhood superheroes were the Ninja Turtles and I was absolutely convinced that nothing could ever beat their ninja moves. In the world of marketing, there are many brand superheroes that kick butt at Influencer Marketing. The internet is full of case studies and examples that you can use to showcase potential success and return on investment. Search for case studies related to your industry, business objectives or even concepts you find innovative. These case studies will provide credibility to your pitch and also give you a foundation for best practice.
Tip: Show what your competitors are doing with their own Influencer Marketing plans and explain how you will differentiate your business. If they are not using Influencer Marketing yet, this is an added opportunity to highlight.
4. Show how you can achieve a gold star
Now that you have given the background into what Influencer Marketing is and have shown the results that other brands are achieving, you need to explain why you think it is relevant for your business and how you plan on achieving your own Influencer Marketing gold star status. This is the point you need to reveal how it will add value to your business.
The most effective way to do this is to show that you have already put thought into your own Influencer Marketing plan. As an Influencer Marketing platform, we have experience in planning campaigns and have developed a 6-step model to make building a successful plan easier. In short, a solid Influencer Marketing plan will specify the target market, propose a campaign that meets the business objectives, identify relevant influencers, explain how workflow and logistics will be managed, as well as how you will track the results.
Tip: Having a plan instils more confidence that the additional investment has potential to add value. Ensure that you showcase what you foresee as being the potential return on investment for the new budget allocation. Use your Influencer Marketing plan to propose not only how you will achieve your first gold star, but also how it is sustainable to be awarded ongoing gold stars.
5. Be ready to answer “Are we there yet?”
Once you have buy-in and approval to go ahead, first give yourself a pat on the back and then be prepared to answer many eager progress questions. Trying something new and innovative is not just exciting for you, but all the stakeholders involved. You will be anxious to prove your campaign victorious and your boss will want regular updates on the status and results.
Tip: There are Influencer Marketing platforms and tools which make tracking your campaign results easy. This is important to not only showcase success, but also to justify ongoing Influencer Marketing budget. Investment in tools like, Webfluential, help you answer the question, “Are we there yet”, with confidence and provide all of the relevant data of the journey.
The tips I have shared are intended to help you put your best foot forward when explaining Influencer Marketing to your boss. Just remember that you know the audience you need to pitch to best – so tweak and personalise your content to what is most relevant to them.
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September 25, 2015 10:18 am
Published by Kirsty Sharman
This blog post was originally written by Ruan Fourie.
An effective Influencer Marketing campaign is advantageous to both to the influencer and the brand. But Influencer Marketing as we know it now is relatively new, there are no rules set in stone to guide us. It’s important to understand how the relationship between marketer and influencer can be effectively maintained to help both parties.
Webfluential greatly simplifies the Influencer Marketing process with our intuitive tech platform that connects brands and the right influencers for a campaign. We have also managed a lot of campaigns and worked with a vast variety of influencers. Influencers that we are proud of. The Webfluential Influencer Marketing platform is a great tool to help you with your own campaign.
We decided to speak to two of our influencers and ask them for some tips on working with influencers. These tips have helped our account managers so much, that we have decided to share these tips with you too.
Sarah Bailey co-founded Uk-Bloggers.co.uk in 2013 as a place for bloggers to share, discuss and help one another. Since then UK-Bloggers have become more than just an information hub for bloggers, but now PRs and SEOs are also a part of the community. Here is what Sarah had to say about working with online influencers:
Be personal
It’s always much nicer to receive an email from someone who has taken the time to look at your blog, than someone who is obviously just messaging as many people as possible. With Webfluential you can easily see all the influencers social channels and familiarise yourself with what type of content the influencer shares.
Know a bloggers worth
Blogs have long gone past the days of just being a personal online journal. Blogs have become a legitimate media channel, and just like other media channels getting your brand to the audience has a cost. Webfluential helps make sure that you are not paying more than you should be, but also makes sure that influencers get paid, and thus do a professional job.
Know local rules
Make sure you are up are up to date with local rules/laws around disclosure and make sure that your influencers are also aware of rules and guidelines around sponsored content and native advertising. This is not just for your own protection, but also to protect influencers from any penaties. Added bonus is that it’s always best to be open and honest about the brand-influencer relationship, so that the influencer’s audience does not feel like there is an attempt to mislead them.
Don’t expect us to work miracles
While many of us can write quickly, we often need more than an hours notice to pull something out of the bag. Give influencers a decent amount of time to respond, and then produce the content. Briefing influencers in a timely fashion will ensure that you get the best content for your Influencer Marketing campaign.
Build a relationship with the influencer
If you are looking to work with bloggers again, treat the relationship like you would any other professional or business relationship. Maintaining relationships with multiple influencers can be a very time consuming process. Webfluential has campaign managers that are experts at doing exactly that, with every influencer that forms part of your campaign.
Feel free to give us constructive criticism
Notice a typo, or a grammar error? Let the influencer know, we don’t mind. Also if you have any constructive criticism, send it our way. Influencers are always looking for ways to create better content. Constructive criticism is a great way to learn and improve. This will also help strengthen relationships for future Influencer Marketing campaigns the influecner could be involved in.
Brent Spilkin has spent the last 20 years becoming an authority in the digital marketing space. Brent is no stranger to online influence as he himself has used his online persona to flourish in the public arena and work with international brands in the media space. “Spillly” is not just an online influencer, he is also Brent Spilkin the Founder of the Growing Pains business consulting. Here are Brent’s tips for working with influencers:
Give influencers the creative freedom to drive your campaign goals
Conversations can’t be faked, so don’t force your influencer to use your copy or tone. Allow them to speak in their own voice only giving them guidelines on your message.
It’s not just about follower numbers
Reach is important but the number of followers an influencer has is only part of the reason you want to use them in your campaign. Check that each influencer also has a high level of engagement and that historically their engagement is positive. Webfluential’s platform can give you insight into the engagement that an influencer’s content gets.
Make influencer campaign goals clear from the start
Clearly define what you hope to achieve for your campaign with the influencer at the briefing stage. Knowing that you want general awareness, test-drives, likes or leads, greatly changes the way an influencer will interact with his followers and how the campaign messaging will come across.
Turn influencers into brand ambassadors
Reward and treat your influencers with respect and they will become loyal brand ambassadors to your business that will speak highly of you long after the campaigns they were involved with are completed.
Give influencers the opportunity to work together
Inform each influencer who the other influencers are on the same campaign. Actively engage with more than one influencer in conversations to allow more engagement around your brand and ultimately reaching the primary audience.
Start your successful Influencer Marketing campaign today
At Webfluential we work hard at creating and maintaining healthy working relationships with influencers, so that every Influencer Marketing campaign is successful. Sign up as a marketer now if you are planning on making Influencer Marketing part of your future marketing strategy.
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