How to Get In With the “In Crowd”: Digital Influencer Marketing for Brands

Getting In With The "In Crowd" Digital Influencer Marketing for Brands Digital influencers are leaders within their communities, with powerful social networks and industry-wide credibility. That means they can be a critical part of your marketing strategy. If you're a brand looking to connect with one, you're in the right place. DIGITAL INFLUENCE IS THE ABILITY TO CREATE AN EFFECT, CHANGE OPINIONS AND BEHAVIORS, AND DRIVE MEASURABLE OUTCOMES ONLINE, AND IS LARGELY THE RESULT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING. 92% of consumers trust their 65% of brands 65% 92% friends and family more than ads, and they're much more likely to make purchases based on recommendations than billboards. participate in digital influencer marketing. Connecting Your Brand with Digital Influencers Seek relevant influencers in the field you want to reach, and build a relationship that outlasts the brand campaign. Where do you find influencers? Here's where influencers are most socially active: Facebook 92% Has account 83% Posts more than 88% Twitter once per week 71% 76% LinkedIn 27% 74% YouTube 7% 74% Google+ 26% 50% Pinterest 18% 37% Instagram 14% According to the 2013 Technorati report, 86% of digital influencers also have a blog. Target relevant influencers, using digital analyst Brian Solis' three R's. Reach: Note an influencer's popularity or number of of influencers say brands contact them 61% for their access to followers on social networks. How far will the certain audiences. information he or she disseminates go, and which particular audiences will he or she reach? Relevance: of influencers report Examine an influencer's expertise and the types irrelevant pitches cause of social communities this influencer is a part of. How does his or her expertise align with your 50% most unsuccessful branding opportunities. own positioning? Resonance: Once you've built a relationship, trust your influencers to tell your brand's story in their Observe the typical duration, rate, and level of interactivity around an influencer's content or conversations. How long do his or her posts stay own words. alive in social streams? Partner with influencers the right way. Work closely with influencers 38% to create a message that is tailored of influencers express frustration when brands ignore their for both your and their audience. ideas about content that works for their audience. Compensate your influencers 68% for their time. of influencers report that brands expect them to donate their time for free. Even if you aren't paying your influencers money, find other ways to incentivize the partnership. Treat your influencers 24% with respect and maintain your relationship with them. of influencers state it is a major pain point when brands do not come through with the negotiated payments or products. Influencers and Brands Join Forces UNIVERSAL STUDIOS TYSON FOODS Coinciding with the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter park opening, Universal Studios hosted a private screening with the park Dozens of "mommy bloggers" decorated Chicken Nuggets as Christmas trees, reindeer, and snowmen during the holidays, sharing the developers, inviting seven of the series' most influential bloggers and fan site owners. creations across their social networks. The nugget-decorating extravaganza garnered 8.8 million social impressions, beating the Those seven influencers sparked conversation among an estimated 350 million people through their fan sites and blogs. initial goal by 70%. Top Digital Marketing Influencers A Leadtail and PunchTab report notes Twitter's top marketing influencers most retweeted by digital marketers. Check out the top 8, ordered by number of Twitter followers at time of publishing: Guy Kawasaki Chris Brogan Chief Evangelist of Canva CEO of Human Business Works @GuyKawasaki @chrisbrogan 1.4M followers 282K followers Ann Handley Brian Solis Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs Principal at Altimeter Group @MarketingProfs @briansolis 238K followers 223K followers Jeremiah Owyang Jay Baer Founder of Crowd Companies of Canva President of Convince & Convert @jowyang @jaybaer 150K followers 119K followers Lee Odden Vala Afshar CEO of TopRank Online Marketing Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme Networks ----------------- @leeodden @ValaAfshar 68.6K followers 32.6K followers Your brand has enormous potential for successful digital influence. Reach out to digital marketing influencers in the social spheres you want to engage with, and start building relationships today. CREATED BY COLUMN SOURCES: Mashable.com, Forbes.com, Technorati.com, Nielson.com, Briansolis.com, Hutfingtonpost.com, Techopedia.com, Leadtail, Punchtab Marketo FIVE