Using Content Influencers to Shape Your Marketing Strategy

Over the last few decades, marketing as an industry has gone through so many changes! I’m sure there are a few individuals reading this who will remember the simpler days of flyers, billboard advertisements and thirty-second TV advertisements …

Then the digital world came along, making things that little bit more complicated for everyone. However, one of the things that has remained in our little bubble of marketing is brand endorsement.

Utilising brand ambassadors at the core of marketing strategies isn’t a new thing. But thanks to the internet, we have one of the biggest communication channels in history. People can talk around the globe, in real-time, news travels fast and marketing campaigns can become a worldwide sensation in a matter of hours.

Tapping into the reach of content influencers is just a quicker way to gain access to this incredible marketing channel. It means small and large companies are constantly looking for ways to engage and partner with anyone who can inspire and influence their audience to achieve their goals.

So … I should use a content influencer?

Yes and no … Depending on the product that you offer, there is probably going to be someone perfect for your brand, but you have to think about it because the first question you must ask yourself during this selection process is whether the influencer is relevant to your business. Really dig into the core of your brand making sure that the way they portray other brands and even themselves will suit your brand message.

• Ask yourself, will this content be shared to people that are going to buy my product or use my service? It is often difficult to measure the return on investment of content influencer focused marketing campaigns, but you stand to benefit more if the influencer’s audience is actually relevant to your brand.
• Don’t get caught up in a marketing campaign involving the super influential. There have been numerous successful marketing campaigns that make use of what we like to call “The Micro-Influencer”. Instead of relying on one huge presence on the internet, reach out to those interested in your niche with a small following. It can be more work, but the results can be incredible.
• Consider your own marketing efforts beforehand. The last thing to really talk about? How you are performing as a business at present. Often we see brands placing their marketing budgets on the line with an influencer in the hopes that it’ll improve their business. But if you don’t have a solid marketing strategy in place at present, it might be worth considering an evaluation of what you have done to date, after all, you might not actually need an influencer for your brand.

Incorporating influencer marketing in your strategy

You’ll find that most influencer marketing takes place on blogs, vlogs, and social media accounts, meaning that easy to digest digital content is incredibly important. It wasn’t always this way though…

The origin of influencer marketing can be traced back to the days when celebrities were utilised to endorse products or services and it simply meant wearing a suit or being featured in a magazine. So even though the channels that we market through have changed, the core concept of marketing with an influential individual has not.

Here are a few tips and tricks for using them in your marketing strategy in the digital age:

Don’t be pushy with your sales and ensure consistency!

Our first and biggest rule, don’t be pushy. People are more aware than ever of advertising, so try to make any marketing activity simple without a huge sales push. Ensure that there is a steady flow of content throughout your marketing campaign, which in turn helps to provide cohesive brand consistency. The psychology behind this? People will be more receptive to your brand message (turning them into real customers).

Be unique, and don’t be afraid to be different.

In marketing, people often attempt to mimic the successes of others, but don’t be tempted! If you showcase your product the same way, each and every time, then people will become less receptive.

Far too often we see companies sticking with the same brand ambassador or content influencer for a lengthy period of time, again, don’t be afraid to change things up. In essence, apply everything you know about crazy marketing campaigns to your content influencer strategy and reap the rewards.

Target influencers with marketing efforts,

Content influencers can be utilized as part of your marketing campaign without necessarily paying them large amounts of money. Like most things in the marketing world, you can acquire most things without a hefty hit on your bank account, which as a startup ourselves, we really do understand.

Creating valuable content that appeals to your target’s can have a cascading effect, leading to recognition, leading to your content being shared on their social media profiles or websites, free of charge. Take a moment and think about this for a second. You create an awesome digital marketing strategy - why not reach out to Neil Patel?

Digital content influencers, whether paid or acquired through valuable or appealing content, can provide the needed boost to your overall marketing strategy. However, it is important to measure success or lack of it in every marketing campaign you launch just as you would do in other digital marketing campaigns.

Author Bio:

Jamie Fuller is a digital marketing executive at AppInstitute, one of the world’s leading DIY App Builders (over 70,000 apps built). AppInstitute regularly provides leading publications with app , business data, case studies, white papers and statistics for established publishers across the world. They were named in the top 50 creative companies in England by Creative England.