2.5. Use Platforms

● Define goals: Awareness, conversions, content generation

In an influencer marketing campaign, it's crucial to start by setting clear objectives. The three main goals you might focus on are creating brand awareness, driving conversions (such as sales or sign-ups), and generating content that can be used across your marketing channels.

• Awareness: If your goal is to introduce your brand to a wider audience, you might focus on how many people see the posts created by the influencer.
• Conversions: If you're more focused on sales, you'd want to track how many people make a purchase after engaging with the influencer's content.
• Content Generation: Sometimes, the content created by the influencer can be reused in your advertisements or on your own social media, adding value beyond just immediate engagement.

Imagine you are a baker launching a new cupcake flavor. If your goal is awareness, you partner with an influencer who has a large following, asking them to share a post trying your cupcake. If your goal is conversions, you might work with them to share a promo code that directly leads their followers to your website. If you want content, you can ask for high-quality photos of them enjoying your cupcakes, which you can then post on your own social media.

● Briefs: Brand voice, hashtags, links, CTAs

A well-structured campaign brief is essential for ensuring that influencers accurately represent your brand. This brief should outline:

• Brand Voice: Specify how you want the influencer to speak about your brand (e.g., formal, friendly, playful).
• Hashtags: Determine specific hashtags that should be included for brand visibility and to track interactions.
• Links: Include links that direct followers to relevant pages (e.g., product pages or landing pages).
• CTAs (Calls to Action): Encourage specific actions, such as 'visit our website' or 'use this discount code'. This guidance helps the influencer create content that aligns with your marketing goals.

Think of the campaign brief like a recipe. If you're baking a cake, the recipe tells you what ingredients to use, how to mix them, and what the cake should taste like. Similarly, the campaign brief guides the influencer on what your brand is about, the tone to use, and the specific actions you want their audience to take.

● Deliverables: Posts, reels, stories, reviews, UGC

Deliverables refer to the specific content pieces you expect from influencers as part of the campaign. It's essential to outline these clearly so that both parties have the same expectations. Common deliverables include:

• Posts: Standard photo or video updates on platforms like Instagram.
• Reels: Short, engaging videos on Instagram that can capture attention quickly.
• Stories: Temporary content that can be engaging and direct followers to a specific action.
• Reviews: Detailed feedback or discussion of your product, often valuable for conversions.
• UGC (User Generated Content): Content created by the influencer that reflects your brand and can be shared on your channels, enhancing authenticity.

Imagine hiring a painter to create a mural. You wouldn’t just say, 'Paint something nice.' Instead, you’d ask for specific styles, themes, and possibly even specific colors. Similarly, when working with influencers, you should define what kind of content they should create to align with your vision.

● Approvals, timelines, and performance milestones

Once the campaign elements are defined, it’s important to establish a timeline for when content needs to be created and posted, along with a process for approvals.

• Approvals: This involves reviewing the content created by the influencer to ensure it meets brand guidelines and messaging before it is posted.
• Timelines: Set specific dates by which content should be ready, as well as dates for posting to align with promotional events or product launches.
• Performance Milestones: Establish metrics or checkpoints during the campaign to evaluate how the campaign is performing against the goals set earlier and adjust strategies if needed.

Think of planning a community event. You wouldn’t just set a date, but also check off key things along the way: booking the venue, confirming the speakers, and making sure marketing materials are approved in time. For influencer campaigns, having milestones ensures everything is on track and achieves the desired impact.

● Use platforms like Upfluence, AspireIQ, Influencity

Different platforms exist to facilitate influencer marketing by helping brands connect with suitable influencers, manage campaigns, and track performance. Some popular platforms include:

• Upfluence: A comprehensive platform for influencer discovery and management, allowing you to filter by niche, audience, and engagement metrics.
• AspireIQ: Focuses on building long-term relationships with influencers and provides tools for collaboration.
• Influencity: Offers analytics and performance tracking to ensure you get the most out of your influencer partnerships. These platforms can save you time and provide insights that enhance the effectiveness of your campaigns.

Imagine you want to organize a soccer tournament. Instead of doing everything manually, you might use an event management tool to find teams, set schedules, and manage registrations. Similarly, influencer marketing platforms streamline the entire process, making it easier for brands to run successful campaigns.

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