Influencer marketing is a huge opportunity for any brand and it shouldn’t be a tactic exclusive to those in the e-commerce space. It’s time to change the narrative and demonstrate how working with influencers can benefit brands in cause-led, education, public communications and beyond.

There’s no doubting that creator collaborations boost the sales and awareness of retail brands – there’s a host of insight proving so. The truth, however, is that influencers can be used in any category, any brand, any audience, and any objective. Working with a creator builds on what we know audiences respond to when it comes to advertising – authenticity.

Why is influencer marketing the right tactic?

It’s authentic. Beyond promoting a product, audiences are looking to influencers for advice and information. Word of mouth and peer-to-peer recommendations are trusted more than anything.

“Almost a quarter of all consumers (25%) are more likely to source news updates and opinions from influencers than journalists and established news outlets.” Into the mainstream: Influencer marketing in society, Takumi.

You have a ready-made pool of like-minded individuals who are engaged with the views and content of that creator – harness it!

How do you find an influencer to work with?

There’s no magic place to find whom to work with but the correct creator casting is imperative. 

Ideally work with someone who is already talking about or creating content organically about your brand, unlikely if you’re a Government body or public health campaign. Think outside of the box, is there someone who is aligning with your brand in other ways, perhaps they are a prominent figure in a particular community or a micro-influencer documenting their field of study.

Is working with a talent agency out of the budget? In-platform research is the place to go. Stalk follower lists, relevant hashtags, and location tags, it takes time but once you find the perfect match, it’s worth it.

 

How do you measure success?

Measurement for influencer campaigns outside of e-commerce is not clear-cut. There aren’t any sales or website visits to track but proving success to clients and stakeholders is still a must.

Audience feedback and sentiment are a strong sign of success, consider incorporating a paid-social strategy into the campaign too. By boosting creator content you can ensure you’re targeting the right audiences in the right location with figures to report back on.

Outlining in your influencer contract the requirement for behind-the-scenes analytics from your influencer’s account means you can have a better understanding of how content performed from their end too.

 

What does the future look like?

  • It’s professional. The launch of the Influencer Marketing Trade Body means marketers are taking influencer marketing seriously.  It’s setting standards and codes of conduct that are overdue.
  • It’s transparent. Creators know their worth and we have a responsibility to champion that. They’re providing a service and should be paid fairly for their time and skills. The, now inactive, Influencer Pay Gap Instagram account is advocating more transparency and more accountability.
  • It’s representative. It goes without saying that campaigns and their casting should be inclusive, diverse and representative of audiences. 
  • It’s niche. Influencers are carving out their niche. We can all be influencers in our own way.

Influencer marketing has and continues to, come a long way. As a communications tactic, it has matured thanks to regulation and provides a real opportunity for those in public sector organisations to utilise creators in their campaigns. If you’re interested in learning more here are some helpful links: