Communicating brands to its target audience is a challenging task yet has lots of creative means to produce content from ideation to execution. Nowadays, almost all agencies in the world are in the process of innovating means and strategies to reach their target audience. One of the most common and in demand strategies is influencer marketing. This form of marketing involves endorsement and product placements from the so-called influencers or people who have high ranks in a particular organization or even celebrities. But the real question is, should agencies, particularly SMAs (Social Media Agencies) consider doing influencer marketing? Delving into this strategy has its pros and cons but it also depends on various factors, considerations, and main objective of the organization. Here are some of the main considerations when opting to use influencer marketing.
1. Check and analyze the target audience
The strategy will be effective if there is a specific target audience in mind.
The demographics should be specific, and the organization must align it with the type of brand they are promoting.
There are cases that the alignment of the audience doesn’t match the brand and the influencer being tapped to market the product.
When everything falls into place and aligned properly it can be a valuable and meaningful approach.
2. Branding Image and Values
Understanding the values of the brand and the way it is being represented in social media is a very important consideration.
Without the right alignment of who to place in the brand might cause chaos in the marketing process.
Influencer partnership should match the brand’s image and values, as it will create a harmonious process of communicating the image and the main goal of what the brand is all about.
3. Content Creation
Partnering with influencers will have an advantage in the creative aspect of content creation and production. These influencers have advanced knowledge and have their innate creative juices on how to communicate the brand. Both technical and creative skills are advantage from the SMAs who will consider going into this path should be very keen in the styles of content that these influencers are producing as this should also align in the brand that they are planning to promote.
4. The Reach and Engagements
Choosing the right influencer will lead SMAs to the right number of reaches and engagements.
If the client’s goal is to increase brand awareness and reach a broader audience, it is a wise decision to use influencer marketing. It will drive a better reach and traction of audience interaction.
Engagement is the key nowadays; audience are active participants when it comes to conversations dealing with influencers that they are following.
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5. Budget Concerns
Dealing with influencers can be very costly but sometimes can be an advantage budget-wise. It depends on the popularity and reach of the influencer.
Agencies should carefully evaluate and trickle-down options when choosing the right influencer and what are the other considerations such as the expected returns on investments and the overall marketing strategy.
6. Measurements and Analytics
At the end of the day measuring the analytics of engagement is important.
When doing influencer marketing, the focus should be on the evaluation of the metric analytics of the campaign to see if it is working or not.
Exerting so much effort in the creatives and content will be a waste if there’s no proper means of measuring the success of the strategy.
It is the evaluation of brand awareness impact linking to the relevant brand goals.
7. Regulatory Compliance
Taking this step of marketing strategy should consider regulatory guidelines in regards with influencer marketing.
Rules under this strategy should take place accordingly such as sponsored content and endorsements. .
Making sure that the company complies with relevant regulations as this is an important and crucial part of the strategy.
8. Integrating the Overall Marketing Strategy
Aligning this to the overall strategy will be a benefit in the holistic goal of the organization.
As SMAs it is very important to match how this influencer marketing strategy can contribute to the overall success of the campaign.
It should align the initiatives and how they contribute to achieving the client’s overall objective.
In conclusion, applying influencer marketing as a strategy for SMAs will be an impactful means of communicating brand awareness and sharing its values to a bigger network. Its effectiveness will depend on the considerations mentioned. Everything boils down to proper planning and execution of the strategy. It is essential to understand why it is important to use influencers and apply the techniques in a tedious and organized manner.
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