Building best-in-class influencer programs revolve around a simple mantra that most successful brands harness: identifying relevant influencers and nurturing their relationship. Deep dive into the tactics that will allow you to deploy these principles the right way.
Yet, even leading brands are in danger in this highly competitive context. In the first half of 2019, 18 of the 20 biggest beauty brands suffered from sales decrease ( -19% for Urban Decay, -24% for Anastasia, -7% for Nars, according to Business of Fashion). The landscape is increasingly cluttered and it has become crucial to elaborate on long term, adaptable approaches to communicate to consumers.
Implementing an innovative influencer strategy is one way to stand out in the already crowded scene of digital marketing. To bypass consumer fatigue, working on the long term --and taking your consumers seriously-- is key. Leaders understood that influencer marketing is not about transactions but rather about genuine relationships: genuine relationships between consumers and influencers, brands and influencers, and therefore between consumers and brands.
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We’ve established that consumers place an invaluable trust in influencers. Now it’s no secret legitimacy is vital to get to an active community. That is why best-in-class brands have made influencer marketing part of their communication strategy. But credit to the eyes of an audience cannot simply be bought. How can brands gain back the trust of consumers? Well, we believe that the key to getting strong credibility among social media communities is to invest in long term relationships with influencers.
Working with influencers is key to your communication strategy. Before going into specifics, here are some ethical ground rules to conduct a best-in-class influencer program. All in a matter of respecting your influencers and building a strong relationship with them.
As a brand, always be true to your influencer’s values, provided that they are in line with yours. Their credibility among their followers is at stake, and so is the impact of the message you want to convey. By consequence, taking consumers seriously is as crucial as respecting transparency in your relationships with influencers. It is essential to see and respect the link between an influencer and their followers: one of trust and friendship. Influencers owe everything to their followers. By extension, so does the brand.
If you value your brand, then you will work with refined talents. You will associate your name with their values and their image. Working with fewer influencers but working with them frequently means gaining excellent, credible visibility with their audience. If consumers see their favorite influencer, maintaining a lasting relationship with your brand, you will benefit from their trust too. Suddenly, you’re not a brand which comes to influencers for a one-shot product placement; you are a brand which is endorsed by a trusted influencer.
Influencer marketing is about telling a meaningful story to an audience who chose to listen. Influencers can be spokespeople who will help you reach audiences. Therefore, see them as strategic partners rather than marketing outputs. Working with your influencers on a regular basis will show them you respect and value what they produce. When you activate them, give them an essential share of creative freedom. Activate them yearly and with a mix of aspirational and transactional posts. Casual, impromptu favors will strengthen your bonds and your message to their audience will be more credible and welcomed.
No matter what your goals and your strategy are, you need to evaluate your performance. Having a powerful tool to measure the results of your campaigns is crucial. It will enable you to see how your relationships with influencers evolve and to assess the impact of your campaigns.
NYX entertains long-term relationships with its influencers @sananas2106 mentions the brand 2.3x each month
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