Influencer marketing is the buzz of the marketing industry, but why are so many agencies and brands stopping there? Influencers are a largely untapped resource that can provide so much more than just pushing content and products. The next step is to develop these relationships even further.
Influencers should be incorporated into every aspect of marketing -- from product creation to market research and all the way through campaign planning and marketing execution. Integrating influencers into every step of product development is the future of the industry. Here's why:
Influencers are super consumers. Instead of just using consumer focus groups, why not use influencers? Influencers are similar to consumers in the fact that they go out and buy products like a normal consumer, but they can also give you feedback from tens of thousands (or more) of consumers. Their followers interact with them all the time and tell them what they want in the marketplace, how a product does or doesn't work, and more.
“I’m constantly getting feedback from my followers! My fanbase of 140,000+ includes females and males of all nationalities, ages and preferences," says Adyel Juergensen, Beauty YouTuber. "I interact with my followers to get multiple different opinions on many products, brands and innovations. Additionally, I try out new products almost every day for various different videos and brands. I am constantly on the search for the next best products and I try out way more products than an average consumer would.”
Influencers are knowledgeable authorities in their vertical. Being an influencer means they have inside knowledge that a normal consumer wouldn’t have. Take beauty influencers, for example. They receive products before anyone else and test them out, they are invited to go to the factory where they're made and are taught all about the new technology involved before a product even hits the shelves. They are not just beauty junkies, they are beauty insiders and experts. They are makeup artists, beauty editors and/or beauty vloggers. Beauty is their life and they are constantly on the search for the next big thing for themselves and their followers.
“Influencer insight is extremely unique. It is a rare fusion between intuition, traditional category knowledge and foresight for where the industry will be going," said Tom Vince, VP Consumer Market Insight & Strategy at L'Oréal. "If you want to know what the market wants now, ask a consumer. If you want to know what to anticipate for the future, ask an influencer.”
Influencers are skilled artisans with storytelling and branding expertise. Influencers are pros at branding. This is what they do for a living -- they brand themselves. They know exactly what their followers like and how to best appeal to your consumers -- their followers. You partner with an influencer because they align with your brand and they tell a great story to their followers. But also imagine a brand that wants to rebrand and attract a new audience. Why not go to influencers that fit the style of rebranding you want? Hold a workshop and directly learn how they would approach and engage the audience. Strategically empower your influencers to create imagery and content in their authentic style. Then, when it's time to re-launch your brand, you will have the influencers onboard and will hit their audience with the exact voice that appeals to them.
“Influencer research can give your brand strategic firepower, confidence and the ability to flex your communications approach to more authentically connect with your desired audience," said Laura Albers, a qualitative market researcher and professional moderator. "If you’re looking to become a more beloved brand, reach a new audience or increase your standing as a trendsetter and innovator in your industry, including influencer research in your process can give you deeper, more actionable insights for your brand.”
Influencers will become invested in your product.
The added benefit of integrating influencers from day one of product innovation is they are invested. When it comes time to spread the word about your new product, the influencers will have developed authentic brand loyalty. They can organically post about your brand, about how they are a part of the brand family and that they truly believe in this product because they helped mold it.
Another buzzword in the industry is "authentic." Everyone is trying to figure out how to successfully create an authentic influencer marketing campaign. From my experience, giving influencers creative control and ownership is the only way to create authentic influencer marketing. And this process of integrating influencers into all aspects of marketing is definitely one of the best ways to give influencers ownership.
