For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! Why Brands Should Develop An Instagram Micro-Influencer StrategyInstagram Micro-Influencer CampaignsBy 2020, spending on Instagram influencers is projected to reach $2.3 billion. Brands of all types are supplementing traditional advertising with Instagram influencer marketing to acquire customers online. As influencer marketing industry has swelled to $5-10 billion, two primary terms have emerged to distinguish influencer tiers: micro-influencer and macro-influencer. Micro-influencers are social media users, typically on Instagram, who have 10,000 to 50,000 followers. Macro-influencers are those with between 500,000 and 1 million followers. The Effectiveness Of Micro-Influencer CampaignsMicro-influencers surged in popularity during 2017 as more brands adopted an influencer marketing strategy. Search interest in the term “micro-influencer” peaked again in early 2019, jumping more than 5X since 2018. While the popularity of micro-influencers has grown, campaign results have been mixed. Micro-influencers have had their share cautionary tales—namely, the ability for anyone to become a fake micro-influencer overnight. On the other hand, working with Instagram micro-influencers enables brands to generate high engagement at a lower cost among niche communities. While macro-influencers reach more consumers overall, micro-influencers are wildly successful at cultivating loyal and engaged audiences. Once brands decide to partner with micro-influencers, the next step is finding the right ones. 4 Free Tools For Micro-Influencer CampaignsBuilding a robust micro-influencer strategy often requires the help of tools to find Instagram micro-influencers. We’ve gathered some of the top micro-influencer platforms, apps, and marketplaces to assist marketers in their quest to execute impactful micro-influencer campaigns. 1. SocialbakersSocialbakers is a search tool that allows brands to identify Instagram influencers across different regions and categories. By requesting a free demo with Socialbakers, you can unlock access to a full database of micro-influencers that display important information about the influencers, like age, interests, followers, number of posts, and more. 2. KlearKlear empowers marketers to research and measure Instagram influencers. Boasting a database of over 900 million Instagram profiles across 60,000 categories, Klear’s search functionalities allow brands to filter by four main tiers. The platform offers audience details to help with targeting the right demographic. 3. Influence.CoInfluence.co helps brands identify and connect with influencers by offering a vast influencer database across multiple niches. Brands can filter their search by category, location, and follower count. For instance, an activewear brand looking for fitness micro-influencers in Los Angeles can quickly narrow their search with this tool. 4. InstagramMany forget the value of using the Instagram platform itself as a tool to discover micro-influencers. There are various ways to look for Instagram influencers, including:
3 Paid Tools For Micro-Influencer Campaigns1. Brand SnobBrand Snob is an influencer marketplace that allows brands to post a campaign brief for $135 in order to gain access to thousands of opt-in influencers. Influencers who show interest in your brand and campaign can be approved based on your brand’s criteria. 2. UpfluenceThe Upfluence Search Engine offers brands the ability to use filters such as geolocation, engagement metrics, and language to find the right influencers. The tool also enables brands to analyze data from identified Instagram micro-influencers by giving historical insights into influencers’ audiences and how they interact with them. This way, brands can make informed decisions about how the micro-influencers will resonate with their target audience. 3. TapInfluenceTapInfluence is an influencer platform that offers data and insights into brands’ influencer marketing campaigns, along with a fully vetted marketplace of influencers. The analytics capabilities help brands get an accurate measure of engagement. The platform is useful for both identifying micro-influencers, as well as measuring micro-influencer campaigns. 5 Examples Of Effective Micro-Influencer CampaignsHere we break down the evolving consensus of micro-influencer effectiveness and examine how five major brands, many who are known for macro-influencer campaigns, are running micro-influencer campaigns to drive impactful micro-influencer campaigns. 1. Coca-Cola Goes Global In Micro-Influencer CampaignMiette Dierckx - 35.8K Followers Travel and foodie micro-influencer Miette Dierckx is a Coca-Cola brand ambassador with more than 35,000 Instagram followers who regularly posts photos of herself with a Coke in hand. While promoting the brand for specific campaigns is still part of Coca-Cola’s micro-influencer strategy, Miette more commonly shares sporadic sponsored Instagram posts tagged with #cokeambassador. Consistent with her posts, Miette captures happy snippets of life while sipping a refreshing Coke which ensures authenticity and strong appeal to her niche audience. Coca Cola benefits largely from the long-term relationship with this micro-influencer, effectively expanding the reach over time. Results
Yannick Merckx - 47.9K Followers Another travel micro-influencer, Yannick doesn’t miss a beat when naturally weaving an ice-cold Coke into his worldly travels. Similar to Miette, Yannick is a Coke ambassador who frequently shares sponsored Instagram posts with his nearly 48,000 followers, either donning his Coca-Cola sweater, taking a swig of Coke, or holding recycled Coke can objects. In each post, the micro-influencer seamlessly integrates the brand into his lively adventures abroad. Through a natural and long-term partnership, Coca Cola can rely on Yannick to execute Instagram sponsorships that align with the brand’s values while generating brand lift and affinity. Results
2. Forever21 Makes A Fashion Statement With Micro-InfluencersKristal Heredia - 13.8K Followers Plus-size fashionista Kristal Heredia is known for flaunting her curves while adorned in various outfits and accessories. She shares Forever21 fashion shots on an ongoing basis, landing her sponsored posts on Forever21Plus’s Instagram feed. While her captions are short and to-the-point, she puts Forever21 apparel on full display with stylish poses and backdrops. Cultivating a loyal audience of nearly 14,000 followers, Kristal engages her followers by replying to comments and showing her appreciation. This enables Forever21 to take advantage of a receptive micro-influencer audience and ultimately build brand trust among Kristal’s followers. Results
Arlette Jeanett - 15.7K Followers Another plus-size fashion blogger, Arlette’s Instagram feed is full of thematic shots featuring her fresh looks. Like Kristal, Arlette’s Instagram posts often get reshared on Forever21Plus’s main feed, extending her reach to an even broader audience for future sponsored posts. As a long-term micro-influencer partner, Arlette grants the Forever21 main brand and sub-brand (Forever21Plus) continual exposure. This also helps produce positive brand sentiment and ensures impactful results with each sponsored post. Results
3. CVS Pharmacy Hunts Easter Micro-InfluencersBethany Aroutunian - 24.2K Followers Bethany Aroutunian is a content creator and blogger specializing in lifestyle, beauty, travel, style, and DIY. For holidays, events, or other life adventures, Bethany shares Instagram sponsored posts of brands that help her prepare. Her longform, genuine captions and creative images help spread the word about many major brands, including CVS Pharmacy. Leading up to Easter, CVS looked to Bethany to drum up interest in the store’s seemingly unlimited supply of Easter decorations and treats. In two sponsored posts, the micro-influencer successfully relays the message about CVS Pharmacy’s limited time membership offer, while highlighting the value of the brand in prepping for the Easter holiday. Results
Samantha Scott - 45.1K Followers Samantha Scott (@charlieandcrewmama) is a mommy blogger with 45,000 followers who focuses on home, travel, food, beauty, and style tips. Her Instagram feed covers a gamut of content with a pleasing and clean aesthetic, much of which features products from brands she loves. In partnership with CVS Pharmacy, Samantha colorfully captures fun spring decorations and tasty goodies available at CVS stores across the country. Just like Bethany, Samantha includes a blurb about a limited time offer for ExtraCare members, further incentivizing already loyal customers to hop into a store near them to run some Easter errands. Results
4. Mattel Partners Up With Parent Micro-Influencers For Polly Pocket Blast From The PastPeace Love And Mommy - 15.8K Followers As a mommy and lifestyle micro-influencer, Heather’s Instagram feed puts a spotlight on her life with two young children. Her Instagram posts regularly share snippets of the children’s toys and other playful affairs, including Mattel’s Polly Pocket. Riding on the nostalgia of '90s kids, her sponsored Instagram post shows her daughter playing with a Polly Pocket, courtesy of Mattel. She also adds that the toy makes a perfect holiday gift for other young children. Overall, the post uniquely spreads awareness about a toy made popular in the decade that most parents of Heather’s audience would be pleased to bring back. Results
Always Be My Princes - 36.3K Followers Ares Valdelvira (@alwaysbemyprinces) is another mommy micro-influencer who gives lifestyle and design tips regularly throughout her Instagram feed. While toy reviews are not her primary focus, they fit with the theme of snapshots of her life with young children. Expanding Mattel’s international reach, Ares follows suit with tugging at the heartstrings of other ‘90s babies. The sponsored post features her daughter holding a Polly Pocket and reintroduces the wonder of childhood play with her followers. This natural integration gives Mattel’s brand a boost in the eyes of other parents who likely remember playing with the toy as a kid. Results
5. Samsung Targets Creative Micro-InfluencersCristian - 24.7K Followers Cristian (@cpwears) is a creative mind who influences in the menswear, lifestyle, and travel spaces. His partnership with several top brands comes across naturally and generates strong engagement within his niche. As a partner of Samsung Mobile, he effectively raises brand awareness by demonstrating Samsung’s devices’ features with his Instagram photos. Noting his status as a creative guest partner at Samsung’s Experience Tour Pop-Up in Brooklyn, Cristian recounts his collaboration with the Samsung team. His caption also sheds light on undisclosed features of Samsung’s new product, a low light photography setting. These qualities enable Samsung to generate buzz with an audience keen to learn more about its products. Results: His post produced 791 likes and 18 comments for an engagement rate of 3.3%. Urška Ahac - 11.8K Followers Samsung Mobile added a valuable partner to its roster—a kinesiology student and sports fanatic with an active presence on Instagram. Urška Ahac has posted a steady stream of content in support of Samsung’s products, including the Galaxy Watch and the Galaxy S10. Tapping into the network of the Slovenia native, Samsung is able to broaden its reach across the globe. Not to mention, Samsung can connect with an audience that shares Urška’s interest in technology and mobile devices. Results: Her post generated 424 likes and 9 comments for an engagement rate of 3.7%. 10 Tips For Successful Micro-Influencer CampaignsWhen launching a micro-influencer strategy, be sure to follow our 10 tricks below for successful Instagram micro-influencer campaigns: 1. Find Relevant Instagram Micro-Influencers In Your NicheBefore launching into a search for Instagram micro-influencers, outline what niche you plan to target on Instagram. Is your target audience on Instagram in the first place? If so, which micro-influencers do they follow and engage with? It’s also critical to know the goals and KPIs of your micro-influencer strategy. Are you trying to grow your social media audience, expand into new audiences, create positive social engagement, or drive conversions? Answering these questions will better inform your process for finding relevant micro-influencers within a particular niche. 2. Vet Micro-Influencers Based On Important CriteriaNext, carefully cross-check that the micro-influencers you’ve identified are actually legitimate and would be natural fits for the purposes of your campaign. Do they have fake followers or use Instagram bots to inflate engagement? Have they previously been involved in an influencer marketing scandal or lawsuit? Do they authentically engage with their audience regularly? Do they have a history of promoting any of your competitors? If the answer to any of these questions raises a red flag, evaluate whether your brand can run the risk of working with a micro-influencer who might jeopardize brand safety or pose a conflict of interest. 3. Measure Micro-Influencers’ Instagram EngagementThis step goes hand-in-hand with vetting micro-influencers. In order to understand the potential impact of micro-influencers on your campaign, monitor the engagement levels they achieve on both organic and sponsored content. This determines both their legitimacy and their ability to drive impactful results for your brand. Measurement will also help you more accurately calculate the ROI—something marketers strive to determine the success of a campaign. Do the micro-influencers generate likes, comments, shares, brand sentiment, and other valuable metrics that translate into positive value for your brand? Keep in mind that micro-influencers don’t have the same wide reach as macro-influencers, but they excel in cultivating highly engaged audiences within their niche. 4. Leverage Multiple Instagram Micro-Influencers At OnceWorking with just one or a couple of micro-influencers will limit the overall reach of your influencer campaign. To broaden your reach, work with several micro-influencers for a single campaign. While finding micro-influencers with a lot of overlap among their Instagram audiences will help solidify your message, be sure the micro-influencers you select also cover a more varied audience to avoid targeting the same set of followers across multiple activations. 5. Amplify Micro-Influencer Instagram Content Cross-ChannelIn addition, cross-promote micro-influencer content across other channels, and reshare their sponsored posts on your own Instagram feed. Amplifying the content gives your campaign an added boost, as well as exposure to audiences on other channels. This will also help your micro-influencer partners more keen to work with again in the future, as it creates a mutually beneficial relationship. 6. Engage With Micro-Influencers On InstagramIt goes without saying, but brands who work with micro-influencers should make a concerted effort to engage with their content. Again, this demonstrates your commitment to supporting micro-influencers and it also helps get the most out of their sponsored Instagram content. Comment on their organic posts, like their photos, watch their videos, and show that your brand is as interested in them as you’d like them to be in your brand. 7. Give Micro-Influencers Reasonable Creative Freedom On InstagramWhen working with micro-influencers (or any influencer for that matter), grant them the freedom to let their creativity run wild. While giving them briefs on the goal, key messaging, KPIs, deadlines, and other campaign details are important, the point of working with influencers is to ride on the successful innovation and creative formats that work for them already. If you control micro-influencers too much, their audience will detect the inauthenticity and the message will not resonate with them. 8. Craft A Solid Contract With Micro-InfluencersA concrete outline on the terms of your partnership will ensure that both parties uphold their ends of the agreement. Without a contract, a micro-influencer campaign can encounter troubles that lead to influencer marketing fails and ultimately create a bad name for your brand. Include elements, such as deliverables, timing, compensation, and other contractual arrangements that will better guide your campaign and give micro-influencers enough direction to be successful. 9. Keep An Open Line Of Communication With Micro-InfluencersIn line with staying organized, ensure that you’re communicating with each micro-influencer regularly so that nothing slips through the cracks, expectations are met, and no surprises arise last minute. As with most business partnerships, transparency and trust are key to a healthy relationship. Therefore, practice constant communication to relay important information about any changes, recommendations, expectations, requirements, and outcomes. Involving the micro-influencers throughout the process will nurture a more productive partnership, and those influencers will be more likely to work with you in the future. Professionalism also goes a long way for both parties. 10. Nurture A Long-Term Relationship With Micro-InfluencersLastly, on top of building a solid relationship with your micro-influencer partners, focus on nurturing it over time. Invest in working with micro-influencers who understand your brand’s voice, mission, and ambitions, as well as those who generate positive results. When you identify the best influencer partners, express genuine interest in partnering up for long-term partnerships Always-on influencer campaigns will help kick your micro-influencer marketing strategy into first gear. The post 5 TOP BRANDS LAUNCHING MICRO-INFLUENCER CAMPAIGNS appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/04/micro-influencer-campaigns/
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For the latest influencer marketing news, resources, and case studies, subscribe to our weekly newsletter! TikTok Influencer Marketing Case Study: TikTok Celebrities Walk The Red Carpet In MemeathonRising social network, TikTok, has been on a growth-charged path lately. With 660 million app downloads worldwide and 500 million monthly active users, the platform has quickly become the digital world’s hot spot for short-form, music-centric videos. Successfully cultivating a community of TikTok creators, online personalities from other prominent networks—such as Instagram and YouTube—have started to join TikTok’s ranks. Celebrities like Jimmy Fallon have also become a part of the influx, connecting with TikTok’s audience through the app’s unique format and popular user challenges. TikTok Celebrities Highlight 15 Seconds Of Meme-Worthy FameAs TikTok has increased its user base, brands have begun to advertise on the platform through influencer marketing. The app has also partnered with popular influencers on other platforms, such as Instagram, to introduce other audiences to their unique format and community. Expanding into the realm of mega-influencers, TikTok recently collaborated with celebrity creators around content generated through their app that was then shared on other social networks. Goals
Approach
Preview Of Influencers
Kris Jenner, Paris Hilton, and Charlie Puth posted videos to their TikTok accounts with an original sound and the hashtag #memeathon and #ad. Jenner and Puth’s videos featured sketch-like performances, while Hilton directly addressed her audience.
Each TikTok celebrity post was shared on their respective Twitter profile, using the same hashtags. Hilton and Jenner also included a URL that pointed to an Apple App Store preview page for the TikTok app, while Puth went on to share his video with his 12.3 million Instagram followers. ResultsThree TikTok posts: Social Reach
Engagement
*Kris Jenner’s TikTok post had an engagement rate of 178.35%. With more views on her video than followers to her TikTok account, Jenner’s post had a huge impact on the average engagement rate. Three Twitter Posts: Social Reach
Engagement
Combined Posts on Both Platforms (TikTok & Twitter): Social Reach
Engagement
TikTok Celebrity #1: Kris JennerTelevision personality, manager, and businesswoman, Kris Jenner captivates an enormous audience across a variety of top social media platforms. With more than 25.4 million followers on Instagram, 10.2 million followers on Twitter, and 5.6 million followers on Facebook, the multifaceted Jenner credits daughter Kim with teaching her to “have fun” on social media. The approach comes through in Jenner’s TikTok post, where the mom and manager—or momager—types away on her laptop and phone, playfully demonstrating frustrations and remarking, “Why is everybody so incompetent?” Jenner’s TikTok post received 138,600 views, 2,299 comments, and 8,249 shares for a massive 178.35% engagement rate. On Twitter, Jenner’s shared TikTok post received 247,000 views, 6,436 likes, 256 comments, and 757 retweets for an engagement rate of 2.52%. TikTok Celebrity #2: Paris HiltonComing into public view through Fox’s reality show, The Simple Life, Paris Hilton has gone on to become a household name and global brand. As a pop culture personality and businesswoman, Hilton has evolved with the ever-changing media landscape. In 2017, Vice published the article, “Paris Hilton Is Now a Meme Queen, Long May She Reign,” where the starlet was praised for her nostalgic, self-referential, and comedic memes. In her TikTok post, a luxury convertible drives up slowly, revealing Hilton behind the wheel. Stopping and lowering the window, the heiress comments, “It’s Paris, bitch. And I’m back. Because I’ve never been gone.” Hilton’s TikTok post captured 114,400 views, 1,610 comments, and 2,664 shares, for an engagement rate of 5.52%. For her Twitter post, Hilton garnered 28,500 views, 1,714 likes, 136 comments, and 318 retweets, resulting in an engagement rate of 0.18%. TikTok Celebrity #3: Charlie PuthSinger-songwriter, Charlie Puth, rose to fame through music he performed on his YouTube channel. Having now released two studio albums, Puth has stayed close to his online roots, posting regularly to his Instagram account. Puth’s latest post on TikTok features the singer in skit form, getting into a car where the driver is listening to “How Long”—a hit from Puth’s 2018 “Voicenotes” album. After cautioning himself against saying anything via voiceover monologue, the video cuts to the singer leaning forward and blurting out, “This record really just makes you want to get up and dance, doesn’t it?” Puth’s TikTok post received 85,500 views, 455 comments, and 1,355 shares for an engagement rate of 8.64%. Through Twitter, his post tallied 98,300 views, 13,852 likes, 275 comments, and 1,511 retweets, resulting in an engagement rate of 4.04%. On Instagram, Puth’s shared TikTok video went on to reach more than 1.3 million views. Both the Instagram and Twitter posts were captioned, “I want to see your best remakes of this!” Takeaways
The post Case Study: Memeathon Features TikTok Celebrities appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/04/tik-tok-celebrity-memeathon-influencer-marketing-case-study/ For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! Influencer Fails: Learning From Influencer Marketing Gone WrongDespite flourishing as one of the hottest industries in the digital marketing space, Influencer marketing is still a relative newcomer in terms of practices and strategy. As platforms, brands, creators, and even governing bodies attempt to define this new landscape, mistakes are bound to occur. After apparent teething issues which have yet to be fully solved, the FTC has been spending its efforts revising and evolving its guidelines to accommodate modern advertising on digital platforms. This is primarily in response to campaigns deemed to be sailing close to the wind with regard to ethical advertising standards. Unfortunately for brands and influencers, this won’t always save them from committing poor decisions and influencer marketing fails in this as-yet unrealized world. Lack of judgment has been prevalent with influencers, some seemingly doing their best to torpedo their online careers, but brands must be careful too in order to avoid common pitfalls and legal issues. Whether it’s a brand lawsuit or an influencer scandal, it seems like one controversy or another is right around the corner in this industry. Knowing the do’s and don’ts of an influencer marketing campaign; using a robust strategy for your brand; understanding a rapidly evolving environment—these are vital to keeping your campaign from derailing. We’re going to examine some of the biggest influencer marketing fails the industry has had the misfortune of witnessing, as well as how they could have been avoided. These instances will likely serve as reminders that influencer marketing can be a volatile field. Top 6 Influencer & Influencer Marketing Fails1. Fyre Festival Burns Out Before It BeginsWhat Went Wrong It would be far easier to answer what didn’t go wrong. Unless you were living under the proverbial rock, you’ll be familiar with the spectacular meltdown that was Fyre Festival; a luxury music festival on a Bahamian island two years ago. The strategy was akin to assembling a lineup of the biggest and best (and most expensive) social media stars on the planet. Using just one of these influencers would have created waves; a unified effort from all of them at the same time sent tidal waves—tickets sold out almost immediately. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end for Fyre Festival. After the hype, you know what happened next in what can only be politely described as a dysfunctional unfolding of events. The festival was poorly planned, with the vast majority of the over 400 influencers involved having little-to-no knowledge of the venture and the marketing team showing little compliance or regard for FTC guidelines—many influencers failed to disclose being compensated to promote the festival. How It Could Have Been Avoided Fyre Festival was something of a masterstroke of influencer marketing. The promotional material featured some of the world’s top influencers and the buzz it created is an excellent example of the power of influencer marketing. But the unfolding of the festival was a stark reminder of the responsibilities of influencers. The festival’s greatest success—the initial online campaign, was also a huge thorn in its side. What would normally be considered a win was instead a massive influencer marketing fail—all because influencers failed to adhere to FTC sponsorship disclosure guidelines. People lost faith in influencers’ ability to be straight with them, and the debacle shook confidence in influencer marketing as a whole. It might not sound glamorous, but stick to the rules—a lax attitude will come back to bite as it has with so many others. 2. Caroline Calloway Creativity Workshop Turns Out To Be A DudWhat Went Wrong Caroline Calloway is something of a rarity; an influencer who found fame using Instagram as a blogging platform, a trend that has since become increasingly common amongst online influencers. Calloway’s Instagram blog rapidly gained popularity while studying abroad at Cambridge University, using long-form captions to offer her followers an intimate, flowery portrayal of her personal life. She currently boasts over 800,000 followers, though now only posts to Stories of her day-to-day life in New York City. Trouble began when she began pursuing the financial incentives that arise from the macro-influencer status she had achieved. She received a half a million dollar book deal to publish a memoir in 2015 which later turned sour. It was, however, her creativity workshops which caused her the most problems. At $165-a-head, attendees were promised home-cooked lunches, elaborate care packages, and seminars on creativity; ‘how to cultivate it, how to nurture it, and how to express it.’ It wasn’t long before Calloway’s worldwide (yes, worldwide) tour began falling apart. Cancellations followed and events were unprepared. Some even compared the workshops to Fyre Festival, and customers complained about the fiasco. Put simply, she was in over her head. How It Could’ve Been Avoided Much like the aforementioned Fyre Festival, Calloway’s venture failed because she lacked the resources and skills to put on an event, let alone multiple events spanning many major cities. This is also a classic influencer marketing fail in that she underestimated the trust that her following had in her and her personal brand. Influencers command a lot of loyalty from their fans, and taking that for granted can lead to calamitous results. As is the case here, Calloway would have done well to better respect the relationship between herself and her fanbase before organizing such an ambitious programme of events. 3. YouTuber Olivia Jade Exposed In Light Of College Admissions ScandalWhat Went Wrong This is a story that is yet to quieten down since it blew up in March 2019. Social media influencer Olivia Jade and her sister were found to have illegally gained entry to USC, with their mother Lori Loughlin bribing the college $500,000. Olivia Jade has a substantial following on social media; her Instagram has 1.4 million followers, while her YouTube has 1.9 million subscribers. She usually uploads videos about fashion and beauty, as well as vlogs about her school life. She accrued partnerships with large brands including Amazon, Dolce & Gabbana, and Marc Jacobs. She is, in many respects, a typical young influencer enjoying the perks of lucrative brand partnerships that come in tow from building a large online presence. Unfortunately for her, being at the center of a major scandal has not done wonders for her influencer career. Since news broke, she has been dropped by several of her major backers, notably Sephora and TRESemmé, while other major brands are evaluating their partnerships with her. How It Could Have Been Avoided Of course, Jade isn’t principally responsible for this turn of events. Ultimate responsibility falls on her parents and her knowledge of the bribery is uncertain. It goes without saying that this could’ve all been avoided if her parents didn’t break the law. The main issue for Jade is her dismissive attitude to college, frequently telling her fans in previous vlogs and on Twitter that she cared very little for her college education and only showing interest in ‘partying and game days.’ She would later apologize for some of these comments but reiterated her disinterest in school. While it’s hardly a crime for a college student to be more interested in socializing than studying, it proved to be a huge sticking point after the scandal erupted—had she been more careful in opening up to her fans, she may have been afforded a lot more sympathy. 4. JetBlue Instagram Sweepstakes Encounters TurbulenceWhat Went Wrong This is the perfect example of a misguided marketing stunt. JetBlue announced a sweepstakes contest, with the winners receiving free travel on the airline for one year. The company asked Instagram users to delete or archive all their posts and upload a JetBlue image from the contest website with a brand-centric caption and hashtag. The intention was that in the course of the week that the contest took place, a slew of JetBlue material would appear on the feeds of users—not dissimilar to the orange tile that Fyre Festival used so effectively in their campaign. JetBlue employed several influencers for their marketing push, particularly travel and fashion Instagrammers. What’s clear in the influencers’ sponsored posts is a lack of clarity about what the contest involved. Just a quick scroll through the comments sections of these posts will reveal a litany of comments from users who looked at the contest rules; many expressing dismay at the prospect of essentially wiping their entire feeds to enter. Criticism also headed to JetBlue’s Instagram, with users venting their frustrations. Those that did follow through with the contest lost followers after having wiped their accounts to enter and the sweepstakes had the unintended effect of encouraging junk accounts to enter. The result was that the contest had many spam entries and lacked authenticity, a crucial element of any digital campaign, particularly on Instagram. JetBlue never publicly announced who the winners were, instead opting to simply declare that the contest ended. Again, this move opened up JetBlue’s Instagram account to verbal attacks from angry and begrudged contestants. How It Could Have Been Avoided This is a lesson in how not to conduct an influencer marketing campaign. Authenticity is key, and JetBlue’s approach to this campaign had several weak points; influencers involved were not clear in stating what the contest entailed and what was expected of entrants. The assumed intent of having the sweepstakes entrants effectively act as the bulk of the marketing themselves is a common tactic employed by brands—usually posited to followers through a question or call-to-action. Asking them to wipe their entire feeds, however, might have been a step too far, and anyone who knows anything about the internet would suspect that this would go down with users like a lead balloon. Worse still, some of the influencers recruited to promote the contest apparently did not participate in the sweepstakes, setting an odd precedent for the campaign. 5. PR Firm Makes A Snap Spectacle Out Of Luka SabbatWhat Went Wrong Grown-ish actor Luka Sabbat may not have a Wikipedia entry, but his 1.7 million Instagram followers certainly define him as a verifiable social media influencer. Sabbat ran into trouble in late 2018 when a collaboration with Snap Inc’s PR firm, intended to promote the company’s Spectacles product, went badly awry. In a $60,000 deal, Sabbat agreed to endorse Spectacles with one regular Instagram feed post and three Stories posts of him wearing the glasses. You can probably see where this is going. Sabbat uploaded one feed post and one Story post and failed to don the glasses at two events, the Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks. This predictably led to a lawsuit, causing embarrassment for both Snapchat and Sabbat. How It Could Have Been Avoided Instances like these often prompt the urge to state the obvious: be sure that the influencer and the brand are on exactly the same page in any given promotion. Misunderstandings can lead to major issues with collaborations. In this case, Sabbat caused himself a lot of trouble by not following the agreement—admitting that he didn’t follow through with what he was supposed to do. This isn’t the first lawsuit to be caused by an influencer not upholding their end of the deal and it won’t be the last. Brands would do well to be thorough and ensure that agreed terms are met by both sides to avoid a situation escalating this far. This is the definition of an influencer marketing fail, where nobody wins. Honorary Mentions: 6 More Influencer FailsBeyond the five influencer marketing fails we just laid out, here are six additional examples: 1. Kim Kardashian Violates FDA StandardsKim failed to disclose potential side-effects of morning sickness pill Diclegis, in violation of FDA standards. She had to issue a correction and amend the post after a warning. The incident caused several pharma companies to re-think their influencer marketing strategies. 2. Logan Paul Uploads A Video Of A Suicide VictimThis influencer fail hardly needs an introduction. Paul recorded himself with a dead body in Japan, prompting massive mainstream outrage and leaving many brands to question brand collaborations with controversial influencers. 3. Bethany MotaLike Luka Sabbat, Mota failed to uphold her end of a promotion agreement with Studio71. She agreed to promote a skincare brand in her YouTube videos in exchange for $325,000 but failed to do so. Subsequently, Studio71 has filed a lawsuit. 4. Laura Lee's Racist Tweets Are Unearthed Beauty YouTuber Laura Lee faced criticism when leaked racist Tweets from back in 2012 sparked outrage among fans. She lost hundreds of thousands of subscribers and several major sponsorships. 5. TanaConThe comparisons to Fyre Fest are endless, this time with YouTuber Tana Mongeau’s TanCon event. Unprepared and unable to accommodate 20,000 fans flooding the venue, it was eventually canceled outright, with Mongeau’s reputation taking a huge hit. 6. PewDiePieYouTuber PewDiePie stands out from the crowd; he has had a few influencer fails which may otherwise have tanked a career. FTC violations and being racially insensitive are big no-nos, but PewDiePie has accrued so much influence that he seems impervious. 10 Reasons Why Influencer Marketing Goes Wrong (And Tips To Avoid Fails)While influencer marketing is prone to blunders, brands and influencers can run through a checklist of reminders to prevent influencer fails from befalling their influencer marketing strategy. In general, influencer marketing goes wrong when there’s: 1. A lapse in judgment from either partyMake sure both parties are on the same page when launching a campaign to minimize potential issues. Clearly outlining expectations will likely prevent missteps rooted in uncertainty. 2. A general lack of education on how to conduct an influencer campaignUnderstand the channel being used and know what kind of campaign is appropriate for that specific platform. Additionally, know the influencer you’re working with and how they’ll resonate with your target audience on that channel. 3. Failure to clearly define or uphold agreementsBe crystal clear on what is expected in an influencer agreement in order to avoid potential legal issues. Loosely defined contracts leave more room for error. 4. Uncertainty about proper FTC complianceFTC compliance is a major issue and should not be taken lightly. Be completely informed with disclosure rules to avoid running into trouble with FTC guidelines. 5. A lack of communicationCommunication between the influencer and the sponsor is imperative; each party should be clear on what they expect from a collaboration by constantly communicating about deadlines, deliverables, payment, performance, and more. 6. InauthenticityAuthenticity is a staple of influencer marketing and one of the reasons brands invest in it. Users are good at picking apart campaigns without authentic messaging, so ensure authenticity is central to your campaign. 7. Tight restrictions on influencer creativitySimilarly, denying influencers creative freedom can cause campaigns to come across diluted and generic, failing to take advantage of the individuality that makes influencers in high demand. 8. Short, unrealistic deadlinesGive influencers an appropriate amount of time to craft their sponsored post, particularly when a creative element is involved. Rushed content will give the impression that the collaboration is an afterthought and will come across as sloppy. 9. Partnerships with the wrong influencersPicking the right influencer is an important consideration for a brand. Influencers should be receptive to the message and values of the brand to create a good, natural fit. Working with the wrong influencers will simply be ineffective. 10. Poor campaign execution and measurementOne way to ensure an influencer marketing fail is to not thoroughly prepare for the campaign. Make sure you have every step of the campaign mapped out so there are no surprises for the brand or the influencer, and don’t forget to benchmark and measure performance for insightful learnings. The Bottom Line—Don’t Become The Next Influencer Marketing FailThere are several ways that both influencers and brands can send an influencer marketing campaign off course, often stemming from a lack of organization on many fronts. Effective communication and a clear understanding of what both parties expect from an influencer collaboration are vital components to steer clear of influencer marketing fails. While influencer marketing has the potential to go wrong, brands and influencers just need to take the necessary precautions and learn from the mistakes of others. When in doubt, influencer marketing agencies can provide brands and influencers with an experienced go-between to conduct effective influencer marketing campaigns. The post Top 5 Influencer Marketing Fails: When Influencer Marketing Goes Wrong appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/04/influencer-marketing-fails/ For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! 30 Top Gamers Have More Than 340M Subscribers Across Major Gaming PlatformsBy 2021, the global gaming market is expected to exceed $180 billion in revenue—a 30.6% increase from $137.9 billion in 2018. In the last few years, gaming has grown more significant on existing platforms like YouTube and Facebook, but it has also spurred the creation of dedicated livestream gaming platforms, like Twitch and Caffeine.tv. Even staying up-to-date on gaming terms has proven crucial to understanding the industry’s growing value. As a result, the gaming community has evolved to include a wide variety of gaming influencers in different gaming niches. From the top female YouTube gamers and the overall top gaming YouTubers, to the top female Twitch streamers and most followed Twitch influencers, online gamers have established an impressive cross-platform presence. As these gaming platforms duke it out, most gamers are maximizing their presence across multiple gaming platforms. As the gaming industry landscape diversifies more, brands interested in partnering with the leading gaming influencers need to keep up with the changing tides. To help, we’ve collected a list of the 30 top gaming influencers in 2019 (nine of which are females) who reach more than 340 million subscribers on their top gaming channels:
30 Top Gaming Influencers On Twitch & YouTube GamingNow, we introduce you to the 30 top gaming influencers of 2019 ranked in descending order of subscribers on their top gaming platform. 1. PewDiePie - 90.1M YouTube Subscribers Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie, is a gamer and commentator best known for his humorous “Let’s Play” videos and vlogs on YouTube. As of February 2019, his channel has received over 20 billion video views. His Twitch account has also accrued 1 million subscribers. 2. VanossGaming - 24.3M YouTube Subscribers Evan Fong, the creator of VanossGaming, is an internet personality and video game commentator. His posts are typically montage-style videos of himself and other content creators playing popular video games. In 2016, his videos earned him a nomination for a Shorty Award in the “Tech and Innovation: Gaming” category. 3. Markiplier - 23.4M YouTube Subscribers Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Mark Fischbach is a well-known YouTuber specializing in “Let’s Play” videos. His games of choice are frequently of the survival horror genre. His videos have reached over 10.7 billion views, and his channel is currently the 44th most-subscribed. 4. Ninja - 21.8M YouTube Subscribers American video game streamer Richard Tyler Blevins, more commonly known by his online alias Ninja is famous for his gameplay videos and tutorials on both YouTube and Twitch. He is currently the most followed gamer on Twitch, ringing in at over 13 million followers. 5. Jacksepticeye - 21.7M YouTube Subscribers 29-year-old Irish YouTuber Seán William McLoughlin, or Jacksepticeye, is best known for his amusing Let’s Play series and comedy vlogs. His channel is the most-subscribed in Ireland, and he has 500,000 Twitch followers as well. 6. DanTDM - 21.3M YouTube Subscribers Known by online alias DanTDM, Daniel Robert Middleton is a British YouTube star, pro-gamer, and author. Videos on his popular YouTube channel cover a range of video games, but Minecraft is among his most frequently covered, in addition to the currently trending Fortnite. 7. KSI - 20.1M YouTube Subscribers Olajide William "JJ" Olatunji, known by his shortened YouTube name “KSI”, is a YouTube personality, comedian, rapper, and white-collar boxer. His channel initially focused on the FIFA video game franchise. More recently, he has become well-known for his music as well. His YouTube channel is the 65th most-subscribed. 8. SSSniperWolf - 14.8M YouTube Subscribers Alia Marie Shelesh, age 26, is a British-American YouTuber and gamer. Her online alias is a combination of her original channel name, sexysexysniper, and Sniper Wolf, one of the main antagonists of “Metal Gear Solid.” Her videos collectively have over 3.1 billion views, making her one of the most popular female YouTubers. 9. W2S - 13.9M YouTube Subscribers 22-year-old Harry Christopher George Lewis, known online as wroetoshaw or W2S, is an online gamer and YouTube personality. He’s the youngest member of the Sidemen, a group of seven British YouTube gamers who have since built a brand from their name. Lewis’ videos often revolve around FIFA series commentaries. 10. Syndicate - 9.9M YouTube Subscribers Tom Cassell, a British vlogger and gamer, runs one of the top 100 most-subscribed YouTube channels called “TheSyndicateProject.” Minecraft gameplays are among his most well-received uploads on YouTube. Cassell has an additional 2.7 million followers on Twitch. 11. TFue - 9.8M YouTube Subscribers Turner Tenney, age 21, is an American esports player from Florida. He’s known as “The Best Fortnite Player in the World,” beating fellow YouTube star Ninja. His videos have 730 million views on YouTube, with his Twitch account drawing in another 5.4 million followers. 12. IHasCupquake - 6.6M YouTube Subscribers Tiffany Garcia—also known as Cupquake, Tiffyquake, or iHasCupquake—is an American gamer specializing in YouTube gaming videos, DIYs, and cosplays. She’s best known for uploading plays of Minecraft Oasis. She also sells her own merchandise and has 85,000 Twitch followers. 13. Shroud - 6M Twitch Subscribers 24-year-old Michael Grzesiek, known professionally by the name Shroud, is a Polish-Canadian Twitch and YouTube streamer. The former professional Counter-Strike player has shared plays of numerous trending games, most recently Apex Legends. Although best-known for Twitch streaming, his 4.5 million subscribers puts him on the list of top gaming influencers on YouTube as well. 14. Tsm_myth - 4.9M Twitch Subscribers A 19-year-old gamer from Michigan, Ali Kabbani is equally popular on both Twitch (4.9 million subscribers) and YouTube (4.3 million subscribers). His livestreams and videos focus on games like Fortnite and Minecraft, and he frequently features other popular livestreamers. 15. Gaming With Jen - 4.9M YouTube Subscribers A YouTuber and gamer from Florida, 28-year-old Jennifer uploads daily videos that primarily revolve around her daily life. She also uploads gaming videos and is collaborating with her husband, another gamer under the YouTube name “PopularMMOs,” on a Roblox video series. 16. LDShadowLady - 4.5M YouTube Subscribers Elizabeth, who goes by Lizzie or LDShadowLady, is a British gamer most popular for her Minecraft gameplay series. Her unique sense of humor and charm have earned her channel over a billion views. 17. Aphmau - 4.5M YouTube Subscribers Jessica Bravura, known as Jess or Aphmau, is a Minecraft player best known for her “Minecraft Diaries” series. She also has thousands of followers on other social networks including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. 18. Summit1g - 3.7M Twitch SubscribersWatch trying to make money any way I can. [ @summit1g ] from summit1g on www.twitch.tv American Twitch streamer Jaryd Russell Lazar is a retired competitive Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player whose livestreams routinely reach 30,000 viewers. Lazar was the most followed Twitch streamer from January to March 2018. 19. Tim The Tat Man - 3.5M Twitch SubscribersWatch dbh.la/4mil - !charity | !metagaming from TimTheTatman on www.twitch.tv Timothy John Betar is an American Twitch Streamer widely known for his Fortnite gameplays. He is often seen collaborating with other major Twitch Streamers. His YouTube channel is also highly rated, with over 1 million subscribers. 20. Dakotaz - 3.5M Twitch SubscribersWatch TESTING STREAM PC from dakotaz on www.twitch.tv American Fortnite player and video creator Brett Hoffman uploads almost daily on both Twitch and Youtube. His gameplays and commentary have garnered 68 million views on Twitch and 210 million views on YouTube, with 2.7 million subscribers. 21. Riot Games - 3.5M Twitch SubscribersWatch (REBROADCAST) Week 9 Day 2 | LCS Spring Split (2019) from Riot Games on www.twitch.tv Riot Games is an esports tournament organizer and video game developer from Los Angeles, California. Their Twitch channel is best known for its League of Legends videos. They’ve also earned 3 million subscribers on their LoL Esports YouTube channel. 22. Pokimane - 3.4M YouTube Subscribers Moroccan and Canadian gamer Imane Anys gained popularity for her Fortnite YouTube videos. Her Twitch livestreams, which frequently showcase her League of Legends and Fortnite experiences, have garnered over 450,000 Twitch followers as well, earning her a place in the top 100 gaming influencers. 23. DrDisrespect - 3.3M Twitch SubscribersWatch BFV Battle Royale Destruction | !prime | @DrDisrespect from DrDisrespect on www.twitch.tv Herschel "Guy" Beahm IV is an American internet personality and Twitch streamer. Most famous for posting Battle Royale gameplay videos, his livestream views frequently reach the millions. 24. DrLupo - 3.1M Twitch SubscribersWatch dbh.la/4mil !charity from DrLupo on www.twitch.tv Benjamin “Dr” Lupo is a professional Rogue player and video game streamer. His videos boast 48 million views on Twitch, and his YouTube channel has over 1 million subscribers. Many of his videos have a unique charity component. 25. Little Kelly Minecraft - 2.8M YouTube Subscribers Irish YouTube sensation Little Kelly uploads Minecraft School games and CrazyCraft videos on her popular channel. She has multiple channels, including Little Kelly Plays and Little Kelly Roblox. 26. Nightblue3 - 2.7M YouTube Subscribers Rabia "Nightblue3" Yazbek has been a League of Legends streamer for over seven years. In that time, his informative streams have reeled in nearly a billion YouTube views and over 1,457,000 followers on Twitch. 27. ImaQTpie - 2.6M Twitch SubscribersWatch guy games from imaqtpie on www.twitch.tv Former pro gamer for Team Dignitas, Michael Santana pursued a full-time streaming career starting in 2014. One of the biggest League of Legends streamers, he earns over $3 million each year from Twitch streaming alone. 28. LIRIK - 2.4M Twitch SubscribersWatch Highlight: ples watch from LIRIK on www.twitch.tv Saqib Zahid, or LIRIK, is an American Twitch streamer featuring gameplays of multiple popular games. Zahid is one of 200 top gaming influencers sponsored by Discord. 29. StacyPlays - 2.4M YouTube Subscribers American content creator Stacy Marie Hinojosa is well-known for her popular gaming channel StacyPlays, plus a second vlogging channel. Her most popular Minecraft series is called “Dogcraft,” and she frequently shows appreciation for her fans by highlighting submitted fan art. 30. KittyPlays - 1.1M Twitch SubscribersWatch i love squad filling from KittyPlays on www.twitch.tv Kristin Michaela, known on Twitch and YouTube as KittyPlays, shares videos on games like Dota 2, CS:GO, and more recently Fortnite. While her popularity is greater on Twitch, she also has over 600,000 subscribers on YouTube with over 56 million total views. The post 30 Top Gaming Influencers To Follow In 2019 appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/top-gaming-influencers/ Case Study: Hilton Marketing Strategy Globe-Trots To 7 Urban Wonders With 7 Travel Influencers3/27/2019 For the latest influencer marketing news, resources, and case studies, subscribe to our weekly newsletter! Instagram Influencer Marketing Case Study: Hilton Journeys With Travel Influencers On Wondrous, Wanderlust CampaignIn today’s strategically curated social media landscape, hotels and resorts have become popular settings for users to showcase their outings and adventures. Creating increased awareness around destinations and amenities alike, hospitality brands have also been investing in influencer marketing as a means to woo more followers and customers. While hotel brands have reaped many likes and comments from travel influencers bringing the world to their followers, fake and disingenuous influencers have also begun to take advantage of hotels and restaurants looking for exposure. In this way, today’s brands are learning that influencer marketing isn’t a plug-and-play practice but, rather, requires research, planning, and thorough implementation. Recognized for its social media and influencer campaigns, Hilton’s marketing strategy has enabled its family of brands to succeed within a competitive space. With 267,000 followers, the company’s flagship brand, Hilton Hotels & Resorts has one of the most popular Instagram accounts within the hospitality industry. 7 Top Travel Influencers Venture To The #SevenUrbanWonders Of The World With Hilton Hotels & ResortsAs the company moves into its 100th year, Hilton is coming off an impressive 2018. Hilton's marketing strategy has positioned the brand as a pioneer within the hospitality industry, as its innovations expand beyond its resorts and into its marketing campaigns as well. With their “Seven Urban Wonders of the World” study, Hilton crowdsourced top metropolitan destinations through various social media influencers who had a combined audience of more than 3.5 million. The information was analyzed by tech partner LikeWhere and compared against other data, including traveler preferences, as well as “cuisine, culture, architecture, diversity and Instagrammability.” Hilton announced their “Seven Urban Wonders of the World” on October 8th, 2018:
Following the announcement, Hilton collaborated with several travel influencers to promote their new list. As a growing category on social media, travel influencers are helping hospitality brands reach relevant and targeted audiences with their various messages and campaigns. Goals
Approach
Preview Of Influencers
Themes
ResultsCombined Results (15 posts): Social Reach
Engagement
Junell Cornejo Impresses Audience With Videography SkillsTravel photographer Junell Cornejo’s portfolio is filled with gorgeous global locales spanning from Bali to Bavaria. In his top performing Seven Urban Wonders post, Cornejo presented a stunning video of the architecture, shops, and environment in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. In the caption, the Dubai-based photographer mentioned to his 91,000 followers that @hiltonhotels helped him to find Al Noor Island—a location that was shortlisted in the Seven Urban Wonders study. Cornejo’s video received 532,849 views, 18,574 likes, and 341 comments for an impressive engagement rate of 20.79%. Alixe Lay Captures Iconic ViewsLondon-based photographer, Alixe Lay, shoots rich, moody images of travel, food, people, and still life. For her highest performing Seven Urban Wonders post, Lay shot an area of Edinburgh, Scotland from iconic Calton Hill. The richly dark image with hazy highlights included Lay’s description of Calton Hill’s impressive views for her 55,300 followers. Lay’s image garnered 7,219 likes and 111 comments, resulting in an engagement rate of 13.25%. Guillermo Zambrano Sits Among The Louvre’s ArchitectureBrazilian/Colombian travel influencer, Guillermo Zambrano, better known as @heymemozam on social media, has more than 41,000 followers on his Instagram account. Zambrano’s most engaging post from the Seven Urban Wonders campaign featured the traveler inside a top pick on Hilton’s list—the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Surrounded by modern design inside the bright photo, Zambrano’s caption describes some of the important works at the Louvre Abu Dhabi, while also thanking Hilton Capital Gran Abu Dhabi. Zambrano’s post received 1,662 likes and 55 comments, achieving an engagement rate of 4.18%. Takeaways
The post Case Study: Hilton Marketing Strategy Globe-Trots To 7 Urban Wonders With 7 Travel Influencers appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/hilton-influencer-marketing-case-study-instagram/ For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! Instagram Is Promoting IGTV Videos In Its Main Feed To Boost Popularity Among Advertisers & Influencers—What It Means For IGTV AdsWhat Is IGTV?IGTV is Instagram’s foray into long-form, vertical video content on mobile. Launching last summer, it is the first major update to the platform since Instagram Stories came about in 2016 and looks to move Instagram into a space long dominated by YouTube. In the seemingly everlasting rivalry between Facebook and Google, IGTV represents a new attempt from the former to compete with YouTube and set up shop as an alternative destination for both businesses and creators in the $1.7B Instagram influencer marketing industry. IGTV is, of course, closely tied to the main Instagram platform—the same accounts are used across both formats and it can be accessed either through Instagram or via the standalone app. Instagram has also sought to assuage fears about IGTV’s struggles to attract eyes by featuring aspects of IGTV with the main app; primarily by having previews of IGTV videos appear in the main Instagram feed, causing views to subsequently skyrocket. What Does IGTV Have To Offer That YouTube Doesn’t?Why not just use YouTube? Well, in a bid to sufficiently differentiate itself from YouTube, IGTV is distinct in a few ways:
How Do Brands & Influencers Use Instagram TV?IGTV Adds New Content Formats & Diversifies Instagram User BehaviorAs far as IGTV’s relation to brands and influencers, the platform is positioned to take advantage of Instagram’s staggering base of 1 billion users. Creators have the opportunity to nurture their existing followerships, while brands will be similarly keen to invest in IGTV if established influencers see positive engagement. In many ways, IGTV runs counter to the reasons people use Instagram—videos are longer and less digestible, content is highly edited, and the impromptu style of Stories that users find appealing is lacking. Assuming users start using it in increasing numbers, the investment in IGTV will pay off as there will be more incentive for brands and influencers to collaborate on the platform meaning IGTV ads will run abound. IGTV Looks To Increase Reach & Audience EngagementIncreasing engagement with their existing audience and attracting new followers are obvious reasons that both influencers and brands will take to the new format. IGTV Benefits For Creators Influencers who have a following on Instagram may struggle to translate that popularity to the crowded YouTube space, so an Instagram-based, video-sharing platform can provide a launchpad for existing Instagram influencers looking to move into video content without starting from scratch.
This also provides a chance for influencers to carve out a new niche and expand the types of content they create, which can, in turn, allow them to diversify their brand partnerships and the sponsored content. IGTV Benefits For Brands Brands, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to reach their target audience in new ways and gain visibility among new audiences. Like Google, which has been encouraging longer-form videos on YouTube for years now, Instagram understands the marketing potential of longer content for developing the all-important positive influencer—and brand—connection. IGTV is just another avenue for brands to exercise their marketing muscles. How Can Brands & Influencers Succeed With IGTV?Like any successful influencer marketing campaign, strong investment by top brands is key to unlocking the potential of IGTV. Teaming up with the right influencers to ensure a mutually beneficial partnership is just one aspect of cultivating a great IGTV influencer campaign. To succeed further, consider doing the following:
Why Should Brands & Influencers Use Long-Form Vertical Video?IGTV Mobile Viewership Will IncreaseWith 75% of all worldwide video viewing on mobile, it’s no wonder that Instagram is pursuing a strictly mobile format for IGTV with vertical video. While marketers have been slow to adopt vertical video as a standard format for their content, there are more frequent signs that brands are embracing the change as users discover and consume video content on mobile devices. IGTV Channels Go Beyond In-The-MomentWhile Stories goes hand-in-hand with influencers offering their fans a slice-of-life perspective, IGTV is well-suited for branded content and influencer collaborations that go beyond unscripted content. The long-form nature of the platform enables brands to use creative and production resources to carefully craft and edit quality content for IGTV, such as how-to’s, tutorials, interviews, or anything else that lends itself well to long-form video content. It also offers the ability to repurpose existing video content. If a brand or influencer has a video on their YouTube channel already, they can easily reformat it and publish on IGTV. IGTV Enables Cross-Format PromotionBetter yet, brands and influencers can share IGTV videos in their Stories which viewers can then tap to view entirely in IGTV. IGTV videos can also be shared on Facebook Watch. The versatility of IGTV advertising is one of its biggest selling points. Ultimately, there’s no reason brands and influencers can’t make a second home on IGTV. Examples Of Brands Using IGTVTop brands on Instagram which command large followings, such as Louis Vuitton, Spotify, and National Geographic, have all begun producing vertical video and long-form IGTV content. These brands have been crafting content conducive to the new platform, pushing the boundaries of IGTV advertising potential. Below we take a look at some major brands that have experimented with IGTV content: Nordstrom Nordstrom consistently publishes IGTV content often featuring snippets of fashion trends, designer interviews, or behind-the-scenes looks. You can find plenty of IGTV content in the brand’s main account feed indicated by the IGTV icon in the upper right of the thumbnail image. Good Morning America Good Morning America repurposed this from a broadcast interview to fit vertical mobile screens on IGTV. This a good example of a brand adjusting its 16:9 format content for the benefit of mobile users. BuzzFeed Some brands, like BuzzFeed, have made a more seamless transition from making vertical format videos on Snapchat to utilizing IGTV for much the same purpose. Netflix The streaming giant came straight out the gates with a video of Cole Sprouse eating a burger for one hour, garnering 1 million hits so far and creating a certified meme in the process. The extended length of IGTV videos has proved a useful tool for brands looking to try new and interesting ways of resonating with audiences. NYX Cosmetics brand NYX has used IGTV for tutorials to promote its brand, a natural extension of its regular feed uploads featuring the results of using its products—often in collaboration with influencers. Examples Of Influencers Using IGTVOn the other side of the coin are influencers who have taken to IGTV with a different approach from brands. So far, it appears to serve as an extension of Stories—letting fans have an extended candid look into their lives. But it’s also an offshoot into more edited content, similar to what YouTubers create on their native platform. Here are a few Instagram influencers who have found success with IGTV video content: Lele Pons A former Vine star and YouTube influencer, Pons has used to IGTV for behind-the-scenes content and, primarily, a comedy cooking show which wouldn’t be out of place on YouTube. This is the sort of content Instagram will want to encourage from influencers to challenge its rival. Chiara Ferragni An Italian fashion designer, Ferragni has an Instagram following of over 16 million and used IGTV to give her fans a view of her personal life through vlogs. King Bach
Internet personality and comedian King Bach uses his IGTV feed to upload comedic skits and pranks—typically filmed on a cell phone—which have so far garnered millions of views. Hannah Stocking Another online comedian, Stocking frequently uploads episodes of her comedy show onto the platform. The production quality is high and slickly edited—again, it would be right at home on YouTube. Why Have Instagram Users Been Slow To Adopt IGTV?Unlike Stories, which caught on like wildfire back in 2016, IGTV has had a much harder time getting off the ground. Long-form video on Instagram is still in its early stages, and many creators appear reluctant to start pouring time into the platform. IGTV Requires More Creative EnergyIGTV content takes longer to shoot and edit than a simple photo or 15-second Story. Influencers seem happy to watch from afar as the new format finds its place in the video-sharing market. YouTube Commands The Online Video ArenaIn addition, the space that YouTube occupies in the video-streaming space is so dominant that it will take time for Instagram’s vision of a vertical long-form platform to take hold with creators and tempt them over. Instagram Is Patiently Confident In IGTVInstagram doesn’t seem too concerned with the apparent lack of progress, instead assuming a patient approach to the platform and treating it like any other startup for the time being. They’re placing their bets on its popularity increasing as more users become familiar with IGTV and the kind of content that engages its audiences. What IGTV Monetization Options Exist For Instagram Influencers?IGTV Doesn’t Support Native Advertising—YetThe lack of IGTV advertising options limits marketing options for brands. For creators, Instagram doesn’t pay for content made by influencers, so financial incentives may be slim.
It is, however, early days for IGTV ads, and there’s no doubt that further down the line, Instagram will begin exploring options to monetize the platform. Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom has said that ads on the network are a ‘very reasonable place to end up.’ IGTV ads seem to be a matter of when—not if. Implications For Influencer MarketingIGTV Is A DarkhorseIGTV hasn’t made waves the way Instagram or Stories have, yet Instagram appears comfortable with the low-key approach. Without users fully migrating over to the new format, it has prompted IGTV’s closer integration with the main platform. To their credit, this move has more users interested, and brands and creators have been experimenting with different content formats—episodic uploads have proven to be very popular among audiences. IGTV Will Mature With TimeAs more influencers and brands use IGTV and learn what content works with fans and what doesn’t, a clearer landscape of the platform will take form and allow marketers to better realize and take advantage of sponsorship opportunities. With Instagram supporting IGTV for the long haul, it appears that patience is key. As viewing figures rise, more content diversifies, and ads are implemented, the expectation will be that brands can begin running IGTV ads while influencers can leverage sponsorship opportunities and monetize their content. Interested In IGTV Opportunities?While IGTV works out the kinks, don’t shy away from experimenting with your own IGTV strategy. If Instagram is new territory for your brand, be sure to check out our beginner’s guide to Instagram influencer marketing. You’ll find pro tips on how to leverage Instagram features and steps to honing your Instagram influencer marketing strategy so that you can get the most out of the platform. The post Are IGTV Ads Around The Corner? What The Recent Uptick In IGTV Videos In Your Feed Means appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/igtv-ads-instagram/ For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! How To Leverage Top Instagram Hashtags As Part Of Your Instagram Influencer Marketing StrategyWhat Is An Instagram Hashtag?Comprised of letters, numbers, or emojis and preceded with a pound sign (#), Instagram hashtags enable Instagram to sort and organize the platform’s content, making it easier for users to filter topics. Instagram hashtags are a crucial tool for the blossoming Instagram influencer marketing industry. While they certainly aren’t the be-all and end-all, they are significant drivers for finding an engaged audience for your brand’s content, as well as raising brand awareness. Similar to search terms, the more generic the Instagram hashtag, the broader your reach. The more specific and niche Instagram hashtags are, the more targeted your audience will be. If you’re not using Instagram hashtags, then you should jot down notes from our guide to bring your hashtag game up to scratch. Are Instagram Hashtags Important For Business?If you live and die by post views, then hashtags are bettered by several other metrics in bringing eyeballs to content, such as comments, followers, and likes. Nonetheless, Instagram hashtags remain valuable marketing tools because of the other benefits that they bring to a business, including:
Do Instagram Hashtags Effect Engagement?Instagram hashtags are useful for searchability and reach, but do they have a positive impact on post engagement? Not necessarily. In a recent analysis, Trust Insights collected 1,590,037 Instagram posts and found that there was an average of about 3 hashtags used per post. In determining which factors matter most to generate more post views, hashtag usage had no statistical relationship. In other words, using more hashtags does not correlate with higher engagement. Do Influencer Sponsored Hashtags Increase Engagement?That said, the sponsored hashtag "#ad" generates the highest average engagement. This means that while the hashtag by itself may not increase potential reach, properly disclosed sponsored posts with #ad rack up more likes and comments. So, Instagram influencer marketing is effective in that audiences are engaging with the sponsored content. When Should Your Brand Use Instagram Hashtags?When crafting an Instagram influencer marketing strategy, marketers use Instagram hashtags to cultivate and engage their target audience. Hashtag usage typically covers a wide range of goals, and can be implemented in various ways: 1. AwarenessHashtags increase brand awareness, either by using words or catchphrases that resonate with your audience or with branded tags to boost social engagement. In either case, Instagram hashtags are designed to push promotional content in front of followers and potential customers. 2. BioOn your Instagram Business profile, share your brand message with followers by featuring an Instagram hashtag central to your brand, as REI does. You can also invite them to show interest in your ambitions by using the hashtag as well. 3. Instagram StoriesUsing hashtags in Instagram Stories is more versatile than other platforms, such as Snapchat, and extremely useful for catching the attention of more viewers in a creative and visual way. When influencers use your branded hashtag in their Stories, your campaign will be more cohesive. 4. EventsEvent-based hashtags drum up interest in your brand’s events, while also generating anticipation among your brand and influencers’ followers. 5. GeographicalWhile different from geotags, geographical hashtags help brands reach local or geographically-relevant audiences—a particularly useful feature in Stories and for travel brands. 6. CTAGenerate interest in contests, causes, or other campaigns with hashtags that call followers to action by using actionable hashtags, like Neutrogena’s #ShowMeYourDay, or REI’s #OptOutside. These hashtags work exceptionally well in direct response influencer marketing campaigns. 7. Product LaunchesUsing hashtags for product launches effectively raises interest in your product and can drive conversions when influencers naturally implement them in their sponsored content. 8. Cross-Channel PresenceUse your hashtags across different social media channels and create a consistent brand message on all your active social networks. 9. Niche AudienceSpecific hashtags will narrow down your audience, meaning your content is more accessible to those who want to see it. When used correctly, targeting niche hashtags will help bring in better-qualified traffic. Top 50 Instagram Hashtags In 2019Below is a list of the top 50 Instagram hashtags in 2019. Relying on generic hashtags like these will have your Instagram influencer marketing campaign competing with millions of daily posts. While none of these should be your brand’s main Instagram hashtag, marketers will benefit from knowing which ones are trending among Instagram users.
11 Ways Brands Can Use Top Instagram Hashtags For Influencer Marketing1. Generate Instagram Hashtags Using Free ToolsWhy do you need help with Instagram hashtags? Well, using hashtags is something of a science on Instagram; the platform’s algorithm will penalize you if your tags are repeated from one upload to another. Hashtag generators, like All Hashtag and Instavast, are useful for avoiding a faux pas like this. Hashtag generator tools liven up the hashtags you use and give you insight into top trending and live hashtags that are best suited to your brand’s content. 2. Find Trending Instagram HashtagsFinding trending hashtags that relate to your content allows you to keep a pulse of what’s popular and what you can key into. Looking at Instagram’s ‘Explore’ section is a good start, which displays the top trending content and hashtags. In addition, there are a plethora of social media monitoring tools to help you find trending hashtags, as well as analyze other metrics on social media platforms. Ultimately, you’ll want to use trending hashtags for inspiration—don’t just use what’s already out there. Otherwise, your hashtag campaign will get buried beneath the noise. 3. Follow Instagram HashtagsDid you know you can follow hashtags on Instagram? If not, then you should start doing so to monitor what's of interest to your brand. This enables Instagram’s algorithm to populate your Explore feed with topics that are relevant to the top Instagram hashtags that you follow. Following hashtags also gives you the opportunity to understand what kinds of influencers and brands (and regular users) use that hashtag, providing you with audience insights, content ideas, or even potential influencers to partner with. 4. Create Branded Instagram HashtagsInstead of following only top Instagram hashtags and using them in your campaigns, we strongly suggest making your own. Be clever by crafting a unique, funny, silly, or meaningful hashtag. Additionally, don’t be afraid to use your branded Instagram hashtags with individual influencer partners as well as broader branding initiatives.
5. Measure Instagram Hashtag PerformanceKeeping tabs on the performance of Instagram hashtags can give you insight into which ones work best for your Instagram influencer marketing campaigns. Use free hashtag tracking tools, like Social Searcher to help you measure the reach of your hashtags, the engagement of those tags, and the top influencers on Instagram who use them. This way, you'll have a firmer grasp of which Instagram hashtags are the most effective in your influencer marketing campaigns and with which audiences. 6. Use Hashtags In Instagram StoriesIn Instagram Stories, brands can use hashtags in stickers, text, or through the location tag. Most locations aggregate their Instagram Stories, so by putting yourself out there with a geotag, you can get your brand some much-needed exposure in a given location by being part of a location’s highlight reel. This is especially useful for events and a great way of raising awareness in a specific area. Try peppering your business Stories with branded hashtags as a way to engage your current audience even more, but remember to add a personal touch. Instagram Stories are premised on authenticity, so be sure to connect with your audience by analyzing how they use and engage with hashtags organically. These hashtags will also weave a consistent story and messaging across influencer sponsored Stories, allowing your brand to tap into their audience’s interests.
7. Use Solid Captions To Boost Resonance Of Hashtag MessagingMaking sure you’re using Instagram captions correctly and to their fullest potential is a must for Instagram influencer marketing. A strong caption, in addition to your hashtags, will give a welcome boost to audience engagement. Take for example Like captions, hashtags can be used to provoke a response from audiences, generally through posing questions to them or by using a strong call to action. When used together, they improve engagement with and resonance of your posts. See our guide to writing good Instagram captions to optimize your Instagram messaging. 8. Promote Instagram Hashtags Cross-ChannelInstagram may be your primary platform, but don’t neglect the many other social media networks out there. You can broaden your reach by promoting your branded hashtags on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or even the increasingly popular TikTok. Promoting Instagram hashtags cross-channel will give you the opportunity to reach other audiences and demographics that might not be possible on Instagram alone, while also solidifying your branded hashtags across multiple platforms that you’re active on. 9. Avoid Overusing Instagram HashtagsAs we mentioned earlier, authenticity is a huge part of influencer marketing, particularly on Instagram. Thus, brands should bear this in mind when advertising on the platform. Users are good at sniffing out fakeness and don’t engage well with it. Loading up on top hashtags should not be central to your brand’s Instagram influencer marketing strategy. Instead, brands should consider adding hashtags in moderation, as a surplus of spammy, generic, and overtly promotional hashtags can overwhelm and deter audiences. Instead, opt to use a hashtag generator and make sure that each post uses a variety of hashtags instead of taking a copy-and-paste approach. 10. Include Strong Calls To ActionHaving a solid call to action is intimately tied to the engagement your content generates. Be sure to ask questions of your audience, require action to be taken, or leave a link in the description for them to explore.
CTAs can come in a variety of forms. Teasers are a common form of promotion to ignite interest in your brand, while followers can be encouraged to share or tag their friends in your post—a good way of expanding reach among new audiences. Instagram hashtags are great vehicles for CTAs, so be sure to use one that demands action from your audience (#DareToCreate) and elicits a response to your brand message. 11. Check Your Instagram HashtagFinally, make sure you’re not treading on any toes with your hashtag (or tripping over your own feet). Be sure that it’s not offensive, or that someone else isn’t already using a specific tag for their own campaign. Doublecheck your hashtag for any double meanings, and keep up to date with current events to ensure it’s being used appropriately. Why Do Brands Need To Use Instagram Hashtags?Creating hashtags is an art akin to writing clever advertising taglines. With the right balance between catchy prose and professional messaging in Instagram hashtags, brands can achieve more success with their Instagram influencer marketing strategy. Follow our guide for creating and leveraging Instagram captions and your brand will be on its way to making waves in your next Instagram influencer marketing campaign. The post A Marketer’s Complete Guide To Top Instagram Hashtags: 11 Best Practices appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/top-instagram-hashtags/ Case Study: Starbucks Marketing Handcrafts Success With NYC Influencers For Its New Upscale Roastery3/19/2019 For the latest influencer marketing news, resources, and case studies, subscribe to our weekly newsletter! Instagram Influencer Marketing Case Study: Starbucks Reserve Brings A Premium Coffee Experience To The Big Apple With Help From NYC Lifestyle BloggersHaving helped turn specialty coffee into a tempting and permissible daily indulge, Starbucks has become a ubiquitous part of today’s on-the-go, cosmopolitan culture. In 2018, the Seattle-based drink giant generated $24.7 billion dollars in revenue, helping to make it the second most valuable worldwide fast-food brand—exceeded only by McDonald’s. As the coffee chain market leader, Starbucks not only understands the food and drink industry, it’s also an expert at reaching and communicating with its customers as well. Using influencer marketing as one of its advertising methods, Starbucks has repeatedly created successful marketing campaigns across top social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram using Starbucks influencers. Starbucks Influencers Savor New Flavors At Exclusive New NYC Reserve RoasteryThe specialty coffee market that Starbucks helped to create has become increasingly sophisticated and competitive, with brands like Dunkin’, known traditionally for its donuts, moving into the coffee market. In a bid to satisfy the demands of coffee-drinkers looking for a more artisanal “cup of Joe,” Starbucks launched its own premium brand, Starbucks Reserve, in 2014. Serving hand-crafted drinks within immersive “Roasteries,” Starbucks Reserve has reasserted the Seattle-based company’s dedication to, and innovation within, the coffee marketplace. Currently, there exists a several-million follower difference between the accounts of Starbucks’ flagship brand and its select offering on Instagram. To help spread the word about a Starbucks Reserve Roastery opening in Chelsea on December 14, 2018, the coffee producer partnered with three New York City bloggers notable for their style and taste to run a successful Starbucks influencer marketing campaign. Goals
Approach
Preview Of Influencers
Themes
ResultsCombined results for eight sampled posts by three different Starbucks influencers: Social Reach
Engagement
Alyssa Lenore (Styled & Smitten)Alyssa Lenore is a longtime New Yorker who has a special reverence for her Filipino culture. Using social media to connect with people from around the world, Lenore is a go-to resource in categories such as fashion, food, and travel. Publishing long-form content on her blog, Styled & Smitten, Lenore’s personal Instagram account broadcasts out to more than 132,000 followers. Lenore’s Starbucks Reserve post features a cropped picture of the smiling blogger enjoying a latte and chocolate cornetti. Citing the coffee-themed tones of her outfit in the Instagram caption, Lenore also noted that the NYC roastery was “Not your average Starbucks.” Collecting 2,869 likes and 97 comments, Lenore’s post achieved an engagement rate of 2.25%. Will Taylor (Bright Bazaar)With 270,000 followers on Instagram, Will Taylor had the highest follower-count of the sampled Starbucks influencers promoting the new roastery. Taylor started publishing popular style and design blog Bright Bazaar in 2009 where different aspects of the creative consultant’s life and passions intersect. Taylor’s Starbucks Reserve post featured the lifestyle blogger seated at the bar, enjoying a drink in his “best plaid pants.” In his conversational caption, Taylor calls the Reserve roastery “a theatre of coffee,” remarking on its many edible and visual delights. Amassing 10,160 likes and 495 comments, Taylor’s Instagram post achieved an engagement rate of 3.95%. Chelsea Henriquez (Chelsea As Of Late)Chelsea Henriquez, better known to her followers as Chelsea as of Late, is a Latin American New Yorker and blogger who documents her interests and adventures across a range of social media platforms. Style, fashion, and travel are strong features on Chelsea’s Instagram profile, which reaches 47,400 followers. Her blog offers more detailed posts, including reviews, “top” lists, as well as tips and DIY advice. In her Starbucks Reserve post, Chelsea was featured at the bar enjoying a drink against a warm bokeh of the expansive space. In her caption, Chelsea describes being cozy and drinking a unique “Pantheon Blend.” Chelsea averaged the highest engagement rate among the sampled posts by Starbucks influencers on the Starbucks Reserve influencer marketing campaign. Her post garnered 2,825 likes and 161 comments, resulting in an engagement rate of 6.30%. Takeaways
The post Case Study: Starbucks Marketing Handcrafts Success With NYC Influencers For Its New Upscale Roastery appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/starbucks-influencer-marketing-case-study-instagram/ For the latest authoritative social media and influencer marketing news, trends, and statistics, subscribe to our industry digest newsletter! Tips On Finding Instagram Influencers From Marketing Agency InsidersHitting the 1 billion global user mark and predicted to reach a $1.7 billion influencer market size in 2019, Instagram is on a steady ascent. In 2019, 89% of marketers rated Instagram as the most important strategic social media channel in their influencer marketing strategies. Instagram is about as crucial to executing effective influencer marketing campaigns as turning the oven on when baking chocolate chip cookies. Brands of all types seek to capitalize on Instagram marketing by partnering with top Instagram influencers for cost-effective, high-reach, and engaging sponsored posts for both branding and direct response marketing. In order to execute these campaigns, brands must first know how to find the right influencers for their campaigns. So we asked our very own marketing experts their advice on the following:
Before we give the ingredients for finding Instagram influencers, it helps to know the biggest errors marketers commit when trying to find them. 5 Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Finding Instagram InfluencersWhether it’s your first time running an Instagram influencer marketing campaign or you’re a seasoned veteran, marketers have to keep pace with the ever-evolving influencer marketing trends. This includes knowing costly errors marketers make when trying to identify the best influencers to partner with. Do your team a favor and brush up on the biggest mistakes to avoid: 1. Misunderstanding Your Instagram AudienceBy now, your brand likely knows who your target audience is—things like how old they are, where they live, how often they shop, what their core interests are, if they work, if they travel, what causes they support—the list goes on. In the same way that you’ve built a customer profile or buyer persona, your brand needs to understand how that translates over to Instagram users. That starts with knowing key statistics and demographics on Instagram’s user base. Who is on Instagram, and what are their user behaviors? Approximately 64% are 18-29-years-old, 42% have earned a college degree, and users overall spend an average of 53 minutes a day on the app. Diving into statistics like these that are relevant to your brand’s audience will help you determine if they’re even reachable on Instagram. From there, ask yourself whether or not influencers can reach your target audience on Instagram. A solid understanding of the relationship between your audience, Instagram influencers, and their audience ultimately ensures that the influencer(s) you partner with will be effective in reaching your target demographics. 2. Forgetting To Set Clear Campaign GoalsA successful influencer marketing strategy starts with clearly defining your campaign’s objectives and KPIs. Without an understanding of what you want out of an influencer marketing campaign, how will you know which Instagram influencers will propel your brand or product? The absence of campaign goals makes for unmanageable expectations, meaning your brand’s success rate with finding the right Instagram influencers will be low. You can't find the right Instagram influencers without knowing what “the right” influencers look like. Save yourself time and energy by establishing whether the goal is to raise brand awareness or drive particular conversions. From there, you can get more granular and better understand whether an influencer is capable of achieving those KPIs. 3. Focusing Only On Follower CountsThe classic vanity metric—follower count—is a notoriously deceiving factor that many marketers take into account when finding Instagram influencers. While reach is undeniably important, it doesn’t always correlate with high-performing campaigns. Knowing Instagram influencer tiers will help you distinguish types of influencers based on both follower count and engagement rates. While follower count gives you an idea of how many potential impressions an influencer will generate, the engagement rate tells you how many followers will actually interact with the content (i.e., likes, comments, shares). On Instagram, you can calculate the engagement by adding up total likes and comments and dividing that by the total number of followers the influencer has. Multiply by 100 to get the engagement rate. However, it should be noted that looking at these two qualifications alone doesn’t paint the entire picture—do your homework and make sure the influencers you identify have actually earned both their following and engagement rates. 4. Failing To Check For FakesThat brings us to the next mistake that has a majority of marketers in a tizzy--fake Instagram followers and/or fake influencers. With 50% of marketers saying that spotting fake followers and inauthentic engagement is a chief influencer marketing challenge, brands must be on the lookout for frauds. To safeguard your brand, be sure to thoroughly vet Instagram influencers and check that they have a legitimate profile, followers, and engagement. In some cases, influencers employ Instagram bots to inflate follower counts and engagement rates. In other instances, users will feign influencer status to strike brand sponsorships. Don’t be fooled and jeopardize brand safety—review our marketer’s guide to spotting fake followers to learn how to avoid committing this colossal misstep. 5. Limiting Your Campaign To One Influencer Or One-Off PartnershipsAs the saying goes, don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Basically, don’t look for one Instagram influencer and expect to move the needle much. Instead, find multiple influencers with varied followings, interests, and styles to ensure you get the most bang for your buck. The benefits of doing so include reaching a more diverse audience, lifting brand awareness, strengthening campaign messaging, and deriving richer learnings. In a similar vein, don’t limit your influencer marketing campaigns to solely one-off influencer relationships. Sure, you can sprinkle those in when they make sense, but invest in long-term influencer partnerships to guarantee more fruitful and long-lasting results. A long-term approach relies on constant nurturing from both the brand and influencer side to build stronger partnerships and ultimately a stronger influencer marketing strategy. Don’t make the mistake of viewing influencers as a quick-hit advertising avenue. Realize their value as business partners and your brand will be on the road to long-term success. 3 Free Tools For Finding Instagram InfluencersAlong with knowing common mistakes people make when finding influencers, it’s helpful to know what free tools are available to search for Instagram influencers. We’ve gathered a list of some of the most resourceful, free tools that our marketing professionals recommend—ones you can use in your hunt for Instagram influencers. 1. SocialBladeSocialBlade is an incredible, free resource that provides continuously updated rankings (top 10, 100, and 500 channels) from multiple platforms including Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch. On the quest to find high-reach Instagram influencers for sponsored content, it's helpful to know the top social media influencers from other platforms. The tool also gives insights into audience size, user demographics, followers to following ratio, and other important channel statistics. While Instagram may be a newer platform compared to blogs and YouTube, it has quickly burgeoned into the most popular influencer channel. Oftentimes, established bloggers and YouTubers will also have adjoining Instagram channels—a direct result of having already amassed vast amounts of followers and viewership on other platforms. So, if you come across influencers whose primary channel is YouTube, chances are they probably have a successful Instagram account as well. Be sure to cross-reference influencers across platforms so you don’t miss out. 2. HypeAuditorHypeAuditor is a tool that lists the top 1,000 Instagram influencer rankings by the number of “quality” followers and how much authentic engagement their posts receive. Using AI, the tool analyzes Instagrammers by gathering open-source data, evaluating authentic engagement, and tracking and ranking the top Instagram influencers daily. Searchers can filter from a list of several categories and countries, or they can simply type in the username of known Instagram influencers to find out basic information on audience demography and interests, follower growth, account activity, and rank at the worldwide, country, and category levels. 3. KlearKlear enables marketers to find, research, and measure Instagram influencers—all in the name of confirming they align with your brand’s values and building a successful campaign. With a database of over 900 million Instagram profiles broken down into 60,000 topics, Klear touts that its repository of Instagram influencers is the most advanced worldwide. The search functionalities on Klear also allow marketers to cast a wide net or hone in on more niche categories of influencers. Another beneficial feature is the option to filter by Celebs, Power Users, Casual, and Novice. Additionally, the platform is equipped with demographic features that show which audiences follow the influencers you’re interested in working with. This obviously increases the likelihood of selecting influencers who will resonate with your target audience. 10 Tips From Marketing Pros For Finding Instagram InfluencersIt's no secret—running a successful Instagram influencer campaign starts with identifying the appropriate Instagram influencers. Without the know-how to do this effectively, marketers risk time-consuming searches that could lead to working with the wrong influencers, ultimately putting their ROI on the line. Below are 10 tried and true tips on how to find Instagram influencers according to our agency professionals:
1. Listen To Your Target Audience By Keeping Tabs On Who & What They Follow On InstagramFirst and foremost, you need to listen to your audience. The reason you’ve chosen to work with influencers is that they’re able to reach and engage your community authentically. If you have an established Instagram brand account with a following who is representative of your target audience, monitor how they engage with your Instagram content. Which posts do they “like” most, or which posts prompt them to comment positively? You can also look into what influencers they follow by peeking at their following list. Additionally, stay alert for those who are mentioning or tagging your brand on Instagram. You may discover that influencers or brand advocates are already promoting your business to a loyal and relevant following. These Instagrammers will be more prone to working out a formal partnership with your brand. By understanding who already supports your brand online and what your audience responds well to, you can quickly narrow down on a short list of Instagram influencers. 2. Perform A Targeted Google Search & Leverage Existing Lists From Reputable SourcesThis may seem an obvious step to finding Instagram influencers, but there are a few tips that can make a standard Google search yield impressive results. First, dial in your search terms by industry. Instead of searching "top Instagram accounts," try searching "top 20 fitness Instagram influencers." As can be expected, the first search yields general and broad results: Though the results from iNews, Wikipedia, Rollingstone, and Business Insider look promising and reputable, a deeper look at their lists produces many mainstream Instagram accounts including celebrities, such as actors, athletes, and rockstars—unattainable or irrelevant for most brands looking to partner with social media influencers and drive tangible ROI. To find both relevant and reputable lists and sources, try a more targeted search that pinpoints the influencer channel and category. Searching "top 20 fitness Instagram influencers" returns more refined results for influencers on Instagram within the fitness industry: Not only are the top results from reputable industry sources (with targeted lists from Refinery29, Harper’s Bazaar, and Mediakix), but they also point to more attainable influencers compared to their celebrity counterparts. Not to mention, the results are more specifically tailored to brands, products, or services within a specific industry.
3. Search Relevant Hashtags Via Instagram’s Discover ToolIn many cases, brands that decide to dip their toes into the influencer marketing pool are probably already familiar with running social media campaigns, many of which incorporate branded or campaign-specific hashtags. Ever since Twitter initiated the trending hashtags, the pound symbol has functioned as a way to discover new, relevant content. Begin by searching hashtags that are related to your brand, product, or service. For instance, if you’re looking for nutrition experts, type in hashtags like #livegreenhealthy. Once you find an influencer’s post, see what other related hashtags they’ve used to find other avenues to related content. On Instagram, you can even “follow” hashtags so that if a trending one is of particular interest to your brand, you can keep a pulse on who’s using it in your feed. This comes in handy when studying your target audience or identifying potential influencer partners. 4. Locate Previous Instagram Sponsored Content & Review PerformanceDespite influencer marketing being a relatively new addition to advertisers’ repertoires, it’s been around long enough that anyone can locate sponsored content from prior influencer campaigns. This can be done by searching for posts with the tags #sponsored or #ad, or you can skim through influencers’ previous posts to find ones that mention or tag another brand. If your brand already has a wishlist of influencers in mind, it’s likely you’ve seen examples of their sponsored content before. Be sure to search for fresh sponsored content and review closely for evidence of how the collaboration performed to ensure a partnership with said influencer will be a natural fit. To take it one step further, look at who else engaged with the sponsored post to see if any other influencers “liked” or commented on it. In most cases, influencers have built vast networks with similar influencers, so their sponsored and organic content will likely attract the attention of fellow influencers. 5. Comb Through Known Influencers’ Instagram NetworksSpeaking of influencer networks, you can also filter through the followers of influencers you’ve already identified to locate new ones. Despite being a more manual process, this strategy proves to be an invaluable way to stumble upon similar influencers to ones you’ve already identified. Just be careful not to careen down a rabbit hole by allotting a fixed amount of time to this task. Otherwise, you may find yourself buried in the depths of Instagram. Likewise, check who your identified influencers are following. To quicken the search through thousands of Instagram followers for a given account, scroll through and look for the “verified” checkmark or for handles that are cleanly spelled. Don’t feel compelled to scroll through the entire list of followers. Use your best judgment to maximize your efficiency. 6. Ask Influencer Partners For A ReferralThis is yet another great networking tactic that brands should lean on when they’ve already established long-term partnerships with other influencers. Having strong rapport with influencers will often mean they’re more inclined to refer you to other influencers they know or work with. If you’re confident you have a solid, healthy relationship with an influencer, reach out directly for a referral. Since current influencer partners already understand your company’s messaging and goals, they’ll likely know who else within their influencer network would be interested in partnering with you. And generally, they are going to be more than happy to fulfill your request. This opens up the door for more direct and trusted influencer discovery. 7. Leverage Influencer Talent NetworksSometimes, reaching out to talent networks can produce viable Instagram influencer connections. Influencer talent networks, such as Digital Brand Architects or Gleam, often have hundreds of available influencers who are on the lookout for collaboration opportunities. Talent managers are normally eager to help and will strongly suggest their own influencer clients with the caveat that managers take a percentage of the payment. You can also get summarized influencer bios and channel follower stats, and the option to contact the influencers directly (see tip #10). 8. Review Influencer Instagram Content For Authenticity & EngagementWhile finding Instagram influencers is a laborious process, you need to do your due diligence to ensure those you’ve identified have a track record of genuine partnerships and productive engagement. Efforts will be futile if your brand sponsors an influencer who’s bought fake followers, doesn’t comply with FTC guidelines, or comes across as inauthentic in their messaging. Audiences have become attuned to detecting content that’s not genuine, so this step cannot be emphasized enough. 9. Reach Out To InfluencersOnce you’ve identified and vetted Instagram influencers, the next step is outreach. Some Instagram influencers will have an email in their bio description or within free influencer databases, so you can email directly. If no contact information is immediately available, you can try direct messaging them through Instagram. Present the potential opportunity, but keep it vague so you can ask for their email to follow up with more details. While this method may seem intrusive, it can lead to fruitful influencer relationships when you craft a thoughtful, concise message. Keep in mind that influencers are often inundated with inquiries. To increase your chances of catching their attention, engage with their content in advance of reaching out by liking and commenting on their Instagram posts. Ensure you follow them on Instagram and show a vested interest in their work so they can be confident that you’re serious about becoming a partner. Influencers can usually distinguish whether or not the email sender has done their research, so don’t jeopardize your opportunity by blasting cold emails or messages that aren’t tailored.
10. Work With An Established Influencer Marketing AgencyPerhaps even more important than knowing how to find Instagram influencers is knowing which Instagrammer will perform and produce bottom-line results for your brand. Though high-reach usually correlates with price, it doesn't always correlate with high campaign performance. With several influencer tiers (such as nano- or mid-tier influencers), choosing the size of influencer(s) to work with can be a challenging task without the direction of an influencer marketing agency. Established influencer marketing agencies who specialize solely in vetting the best Instagram influencers for each industry can provide case studies and documentation to support a track record of successful campaigns. For brands with the budget, agencies can give you direct access to viable Instagram influencers. Working with the right influencer marketing agency not only facilitates the often arduous process of finding Instagram influencers but also ensures best industry practices when it comes to workflows between brands and influencers, adherence to sponsored content FTC guidelines, and optimized campaign management and reporting. You can explore the ins and outs of a successful influencer marketing campaign in our 10-step guide. The post How To Find Instagram Influencers: Advice From Agency Pros appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/how-to-find-instagram-influencers-free-tools/ For the latest influencer marketing news, resources, and case studies, subscribe to our weekly newsletter! Instagram Influencer Marketing Case Study: TikTok Marketing Campaign Cooks Up Delish Content With Popular Instagram Food CreatorsTikTok is a video-centric social media app hot on the heels of popular platforms including YouTube, Snapchat, and of course, Instagram. Offering users the ability to express themselves through quick clips set to popular music (available via the platform’s expansive library), the app has become a fashionable channel for lip-syncing, dance, comedy videos, and more. Particularly popular with Gen Z, TikTok reported 500 million worldwide monthly active users in June 2018. The massive numbers have led popular influencers and celebrities on other social platforms to establish their presence on TikTok as well. In kind, advertisers looking to connect with fans have begun collaborating with top TikTok creators to ride on the success of the buzzy, meme-like network. Instafamous Food Influencers #SavorTheFlavor With Bite-Sized TikTok Marketing CampaignDespite the growth of TikTok’s user base, the app hasn’t yet reached the advertising heights of social network giants such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. However, a recent advertising push, including a UK television spot, could very well change that. As a platform used by brands looking to leverage the power of influencer marketing, TikTok utilizes the popular advertising practice for their own brand awareness efforts as well. Through a creative TikTok marketing campaign on Instagram, the app partnered with prominent food and cooking influencers who have a presence on both platforms. Goals
Approach
Preview Of Instagram Creators
TikTok “Challenges,” like Jimmy Fallon’s #SharpieChallenge, the #TumbleweedChallenge, and the #InMyFeelings challenge, are incredibly popular on the platform. Partnering with select food and cooking influencers on Instagram, the TikTok marketing campaign enticed food fans through the app’s #SavorTheFlavor food challenge. Offering an all-expense paid “foodcation” to New York City’s Restaurant Week for uploading a winning food video, the TikTok Instagram promotion not only encouraged app downloads but also served as an introduction to the platform’s unique content format and creator community. Food influencers promoting the contest on Instagram posted videos of savory food preparations time-cut to music—representative of the kind of content found on TikTok. Some of the posts were made with the TikTok app, featuring the platform’s insignia and creator’s username in the bottom right corner. In addition, some creators also shared the videos on their TikTok accounts. Creators collaborating on the TikTok marketing campaign asked followers to download the TikTok app and take part in the “Savor The Flavor” challenge. The captions tagged the official @tiktok Instagram account and used the hashtag #SavorTheFlavor. Some posts made the sponsored nature of the content known by utilizing Instagram’s “paid partnership” tag, while others used the hashtag #ad within the captions. ResultsSocial Reach
Engagement
Preppy Kitchen Preps Decadent DelightsJohn Kanell, better known as Preppy Kitchen, is a food-blogging dad in Los Angeles with 781,000 followers on Instagram and 4,600 fans on TikTok. Kanell’s video of a mouthwatering chocolate cupcake being topped off with buttercream and ganache was shot on the TikTok app, while his conversational caption promoted both TikTok and its “Savor The Flavor” contest. Kanell’s post, which used Instagram’s “paid promotion” tag, garnered an impressive 439,628 views, 15,937 likes, and 198 comments, resulting in an engagement rate of 2.07%. Food With Michel Gives Away Monster MilkshakeMichel Phiphak is a Los Angeles-based food enthusiast and blogger who’s Food With Michel profiles command a strong presence across popular social networks. With 287,000 followers on Instagram and 67,600 fans on TikTok, Phiphak delivers inviting images of delectable eats from a variety of locales. Showcasing the preparation of a “Thai Tea monster milkshake” at Cafe 86, Phiphak’s video used Instagram’s “paid promotion” tag. Phiphak promoted the TikTok app and “Savor The Flavor” contest in the caption, tagging TikTok, Cafe 86, and fellow foodie friends. The post reached 122,062 views, 5,744 likes, and 40 comments, achieving an engagement rate of 2.02%. Chelsey White Challenges Fellow FoodiesChelsey White of Chelsweets is a self-described “Cake content creator” offering innovative dessert recipes from her home in New York City. Broadcasting to 768,000 followers on Instagram and 74,000 fans on TikTok, White has gained considerable popularity on both platforms with her visually stunning baked goods. For her TikTok Instagram post, White constructed a triple-layer cake, challenging “fellow foodies” to take part in TikTok’s “Savor The Flavor” contest. Using Instagram’s “paid promotion” tag and #ad, White mentioned the TikTok Instagram account and other food influencers in the description. White’s post received 212,690 views, 8,765 likes, and 32 comments for an engagement rate of 1.15%. Takeaways
The post Case Study: TikTok Marketing Campaign Rides On Instagram Influencers’ Coattails appeared first on Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency. via Mediakix | Influencer Marketing Agency http://mediakix.com/2019/03/tik-tok-influencer-marketing-case-study-instagram/ |
Diane Medina
The goal when working with video SEO is to have your video content appear in video search engines as well as in the organic search results for major search engines-with traffic being directed to yoursite and not to your video hosting provider. Video SEO may be abbreviated as vSEO. ArchivesNo Archives Categories |