Influencer marketing has already become an extremely popular form of marketing among brands. In fact, as of 2018, there were over 740 platforms focused on influencer marketing, which marked a major increase of over 320 platforms in just one year. One of the major reasons for this is the high engagement rate that influencers get on their content. In fact, the average engagement rate of influencers on Instagram is about 1.87%. This increases to nearly 10.7% for those with less than 2,000 followers. While influencer marketing can yield high engagement and ROI, you can optimize your campaigns to get even better results. Influencer Marketing Ideas Here are some techniques that can help you get the most out of your influencer marketing campaigns. 1. Discount Codes Discount codes can instantly increase the popularity of your influencer marketing campaign. When people see that they can get their favorite products for lower prices, they’ll be more inclined to purchase them. This type of campaign can help you increase your sales and revenue instantly. You can create unique discount codes for each of your influencers. When the influencers post these codes, you’ll be able to track how many purchases were made using each code. This can help you track the performance of each of your influencers too. Additionally, you can use an affiliate program to pay your influencers. You can pay them a commission for each purchase that they drive. This way, they’ll be more motivated to promote your products too. For instance, Daniel Wellington gave out free watches to their influencers and gave them each a unique discount code to track results. 2. Whitelisting While the targeted reach of influencer marketing is excellent, to unleash its real power, you need to pair it up with paid promotions. Through whitelisting, brands can get access to the influencer’s account for advertising. This can help increase the reach of their content. It also allows you to be in control of which posts you want to promote. Whitelisting allows you to turn your influencer posts into ads. They will look and feel like the original post except that they will be tagged as “sponsored” and you can add a caption and CTA to it. Just like other paid promotions, you’ll be able to see in-depth analytics of the post. The benefit of amplification is that you can increase your reach, engagement, and sales. You can pick the objective and have full control over the ad spend supporting the amplification. However, the process of convincing the influencers to grant access to their accounts can be difficult. At the same time, you can’t access or even target the influencer’s audiences. To solve this issue, you can use SocialCert, a tool by Lumanu. It allows influencers to share their data and permissions securely with brands and vice-versa. This way, it enables you to get the most out of your influencer marketing campaigns. 3. Brand Ambassadors You may choose to collaborate with an influencer for a one-off campaign. However, the best way to do influencer marketing is by fostering strong relationships with your influencers. When you work with influencers for a longer duration, they’ll have a better understanding of your brand and your values. Additionally, it’ll be easier to deal with them as they have worked with you longer. You may even want to consider making some of your influencers your brand ambassadors. They will be able to showcase multiple facets of your brand through their content as compared to a one-off collaboration. You can use tools such as Twitonomy to keep track of your influencers’ posts to determine if you want to make them your brand ambassadors. It gives you detailed, visual analytics of their tweets, mentions, comments, and more. 4. Live Videos The live video revolution on social media is here, and if you’re into influencer marketing, you shouldn’t miss out on it. When your influencers go live, their followers get a chance to interact with them directly in real-time. This can generate a lot of engagement and views. When the influencers mention your brand or talk about it in a live video, you’ll be able to increase your brand awareness. The live videos could be Q&As, how-tos, product launches, and more. For example, Starbucks wanted to encourage people to vote in the 2016 election. To do so, they partnered with Common, and the video was able to generate over 176k views and got over 200 shares. 5. Social Media Takeover A social media takeover is when an influencer takes control of a brand’s social media account for a pre-decided duration. During this period, they come up with innovative content to promote the brand. Not only can this generate a lot of engagement but it can even increase your reach. How? The influencer’s audience may also start following your social media handle. However, you must ensure that you create a contract with agreed upon terms before the influencer takeover. This contract should detail the deliverables and scope of work This will help to avoid any future issues. The contract should clearly state the duration of the takeover and the extent to which the influencer can access your account. Once this is signed, you can go ahead with the collaboration. For instance, Harper’s Bazaar partnered with Jamie King to promote their brand. She went live on Instagram while she was preparing for the Dior Cruise show, and this generated a lot of engagement for Harper’s Bazaar. 6. Testimonials
To get the most out of your influencer marketing campaigns, you should consider featuring influencers in your testimonials section. When people notice that an influencer has vouched for your brand, it’ll increase their trust in your brand. All you need to do is give influencers your products or services to try for themselves. Then, you can ask them to review your products/services. You can feature their reviews in the testimonials section on your website or create social media posts about the same. Alternatively, once you’ve collaborated with the influencers, you can use their posts as testimonials. This way, you’ll be able to make optimal use of your influencer-generated content too. Final Thoughts Influencer marketing campaigns can give you extremely high returns, including up to 18X in earned media value. However, you need to come up with unique ideas and strategies to increase your ROI. Through live videos, social media takeovers, and testimonials, you can amplify your influencer marketing efforts. Discount codes can help you boost the performance of your campaigns and even track how well your influencers are performing. Lastly, forming strong relationships with influencers and making them brand ambassadors can also improve the performance of your influencer marketing campaigns. What other ways can brands get the most out of influencer marketing? Please share your insights in the comments. 2 Lessons In Inclusive Marketing From KFC And Burger King's Popular Launches Of Plant-Based 'Meat'9/3/2019 Sonia Thompson
There's been a lot of buzz lately about restaurant chains across the U.S. adding vegan and vegetarian options to their menu. And with new plant-based "meat" suppliers on the market such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, it's becoming easier for more restaurants to provide meat-alternatives to their guests. The reception thus far has been positive to say the least. KFC recently partnered with Beyond Meat to pilot offering a plant-based menu-item at one of its locations in Atlanta. That plant-based chicken sold out in just five hours. Earlier this summer, Burger King piloted the Impossible Burger, a plant-based version of their hamburgers, in partnership with Impossible Foods. They've since rolled out a national release of the meatless burger. And while there has been a lot of fan-fare around the new plant-based options, it is important to note that this is a lesson in the power of inclusive marketing. As marketers and business leaders, the more you provide options to accommodate the varying needs and preferences of the customers we serve, the more you will create products, services and experiences that make them feel like they belong with you. The result will be a broadened customer base, as you're equipped to effectively serve an entire group of customers who have long been ignored. The plant-based food market is $4.5 billion, and growing at 11 percent over the past year, according to the Plant Based Foods Association. Previously, if people who were vegetarian or vegan wanted to eat fast food, popular chains like KFC, Burger King, and many other restaurants had limited or no options available to them. As someone who has a dietary restriction, it's hard planning out meals, especially on the go and in social situations. I certainly never want to be "that person" the one that everyone has to accommodate because I eat gluten-free. As a result, fast or quick restaurant options are often off-limits. And when I do go out to restaurants with friends and family, it comes only after scoping out the menus of places in advance to ensure there will be sufficient options for me to eat. But that becomes less of an issue when restaurants plan to be inclusive by having ample options available for me and other people with dietary restrictions. Not only do I feel welcome in those types of establishments, but it makes it easier on my friends and loved ones too. Business is about belonging. And when you make the decision to invest your resources to ensure that you're able to serve a more diverse group of customers, you set the stage to not only grow your business, but to make life better for a number of people in the process. Here are two key lessons from KFC and Burger King's introduction of plant-based options, that can help you in your quest to be more inclusive in your marketing. Partnerships are important KFC, Burger King, and many other restaurants knew their expertise wasn't plant-based food. But instead of just saying "we don't have the capabilities to serve these customers," they partnered with companies that did have that expertise. As a result, they were able to serve the market faster, and much more efficiently. As you start to consider how to serve more diverse customers, you may find that there are changes that need to be made to your existing product offering, your processes, or even the way you communicate. Don't let any deficiencies in your capabilities stop you from getting started. Look for the right partners to help accelerate your entry into the market. Test and learn Neither KFC or Burger King went full force with their plant-based offerings right away. They piloted the new products on a small scale first to guage demand. Throughout that testing phase, a number of other key lessons popped up as well. For instance, Burger King received lots of social media feedback that the "Impossible Burgers" couldn't really be considered vegan or vegetarian, because they were cooked on the same grill as the meat products. Misleading, big fail from @BurgerKing for the new Impossible Whopper. ", 0% Beef. *Flame-grilled in the same broiler used for beef and chicken" ...So not 0% beef then. Won't touch this crap until you change this policy. @VegTimes@vegsoc@vegan@TheVeganSociety@VLmagazine — Mike Ewer As the consumer base increasingly becomes more diverse in a multitude of ways, it will become harder for brands to survive by only catering to the masses. Inclusive marketing isn't only the right thing to do, it is increasingly becoming the baseline way of doing business. Make sure your brand gets ahead of the curve. POST WRITTEN BY Sam Founda You’ve probably heard the term "marketing funnel" being thrown around (or perhaps this is your first time hearing it). Either way, you might not have any idea what it means. If you don’t know how it works, it’s possible that your business could be losing out on major revenue.
Before we jump into how to build a social media marketing funnel, let’s start with what a marketing funnel actually is and why it’s important to your business. What is a marketing funnel? In simple words, a marketing funnel is a strategy which creates the necessary steps a customer goes through before getting them to that crucial conversion stage (aka doing what we want them to do). Here’s a basic example to explain what I mean by "steps": • A customer sees a business (whether through advertising on socials, Google or through word of mouth) that may be selling something they're looking for. • They browse through different pages on their website, maybe read the "About" section, skim through a few blog posts, or look through different products and/or services being offered. • If they like what they see, they might find the "subscribe" section, add an item to their cart, or fill out the requested form. • If everything goes to plan, cha-ching -- sale made! Now that we understand the purpose and process of a marketing funnel and what happens on the customer end, let’s delve into how to create a simple social media marketing funnel to get those conversions and drive those sales. I would recommend starting by creating a social media marketing funnel on one platform, measuring and monitoring its success, and then replicating this across other social platforms. Step 1: Awareness This is where people who have never heard of your business, or maybe have but don’t know much about you, start to get to actually know you. How do we start to create awareness? Great content! It’s important to take the time to think about the type of content you want to be pushing out. Producing good, valuable content is essential when first engaging potential new customers. You need powerful visuals but also powerful words. It should be fun, entertaining, thought-provoking or educational (or all of these). Mediocre just doesn’t cut it in the industry anymore. Think about what the essence of your brand is and how best to get this message and feeling across to customers. I can’t stress the importance of providing value enough. You can’t expect someone to buy what you’re selling when you’ve given them nothing from the start. Think about what you can offer them for free, no strings attached. Some examples of this might include answering frequently asked questions related to your product/service, offering free tools, creating how-to videos, or providing links to informative blog posts. Think about a problem your potential customers might be having and how you might be able to solve that for them. Give away enough information but not too much so that it leaves them wanting more. This creates trust and starts to plant a seed to allow a relationship to blossom. If you’re not sure where to start, video is a great way to increase awareness. It’s more impactful than just words on a site because people can see you and more genuinely connect with you. You have to remember that social media is all about connection and relationships. Create a short, simple video about your business and what you can offer your clients. If you can solve a problem or make things in someone’s life a bit easier, mention that. Step 2: Consideration By this stage, the seed has (hopefully) started to sprout and the customer is considering your product/service. At this point, we need to start increasing our credibility and strengthening that trust. A great way to do this is through sharing testimonials and reviews and demonstrating the benefits of the product/service through video or photos. Retarget your content to people who have shown some interest through the awareness stage. The customer might still be on the fence about whether they will or won’t take action. So, you can be a little more aggressive at this stage with showing off the benefits of what your product/service can do for the person and their life through more educational content. You can do this through video format, blog posts or by holding a free event. If you get stuck, put yourself in your customers' shoes: What would work for you? Step 3: Decision The seed has almost fully blossomed and the customer has already taken some kind of action -- whether it’s clicking an ad, subscribing to emails, watching a webinar or attending a free seminar. You can assume there is genuine interest by this stage and people are willing to make the purchase, so going for the hard sell is okay. Retargeting is even more essential at this stage with content focused around a call to action to do whatever it is you want them to do. Present the customer with offers they cannot refuse -- for example, a time-sensitive offer to make a purchase. The Main Takeaway The most important takeaway from all of this is that having at least one social media marketing funnel is a crucial tool to gain traction and new customers for your business. But it has to be good. Remember, if you give your customers enough value, you’re on the road to increased revenue and hitting those business goals. he National Mango Board Orlando, Fla – The National Mango Board’s (NMB) “The Mango Store: A Pop of Sunshine on a Cold Winter Day” marketing initiative was honored with the Produce Business’ Marketing Excellence Award. This marks the 11th consecutive year that the NMB’s marketing accomplishments are recognized by the Produce Business, which honors innovative produce companies who are revolutionizing the way the produce industry connects its products to consumers. The Mango Store opened its doors on Thursday, March 7 on a bustling street corner in Manhattan, NY. During the days immediately prior, the storefront was showcased on a digital billboard in Times Square and on social media to build excitement. The entire store was strategically designed, with bright, eye-catching colors to draw visitors inside to escape the cold and in-store experiences to stimulate all five senses with mango inspiration. Upbeat Mango Associates encouraged guests to interact with displays and shared mango education, while dance worthy beats of “Juicy Mango Jams” set the mood. Signage displayed key education facts such as “It’s Always Mango Season”, how-to-cut a mango and mango nutrition information. The store showcased mango varieties, mouthwatering mango dishes and drinks, a wall of mango innovation and an interactive photobooth. Celebrity influencers and guests shared the exciting experience across social media.
The NMB aimed to kick-off 2019 with an innovative, disruptive moment to get people across America thinking and talking about mangos during the coldest time of the year. Consumer studies have indicated that mangos are not top of mind during colder months and through this buzz-worthy pop-up experience the purpose was to generate awareness and deliver the key message that mangos are available all year long, while also showcasing the fun and versatility of the world’s most popular fruit. The initiative included sampling of creative mango recipes, live demonstrations by celebrity influencers and social media activations. The Mango Store campaign resulted in a 13.2% increase in overall impressions during the peak of winter. The campaign achieved over 1.3 million social media impressions and over 465,000 video views. Visual assets captured during the pop-up continue to be utilized throughout the year to drive consumer awareness. “After reintroducing U.S. consumers to mangos throughout 2018 with our new brand positioning and creative, we selected this 2019 brand activation as an unforgettable one-stop shop for all things mango!”, stated Valda Coryat, Director of Marketing at the NMB. “It addressed key barriers to consumption, inspired mango usage, brought warmth to a cold winter day and, as always, turned up the flavor and the fun.” About the National Mango Board The National Mango Board is an agriculture promotion group supported by assessments from both domestic and imported frozen mangos. The board’s vision, for mangos to move from being an exotic fruit to a daily necessity in every U.S. household, was designed to drive awareness and consumption of mangos in the U.S. marketplace. One cup of the superfruit mango contains 100 calories, 100% of daily vitamin C, 35% of daily vitamin A, 12% of daily fiber, and an amazing source of tropical flavor. Learn more at mango.org. POST WRITTEN BY Jared Atchison As a consumer, how important are ethics to you when you decide to purchase an item?
A report by Nielsen found that 73% of millennials are willing to pay extra for sustainable offerings, and with more millennials filling positions of power, ethical marketing is more important than ever before. An increasing amount of consumers are choosing to invest in brands that they believe make ethical, socially responsible decisions that don’t leave anyone in harm’s way or unaware about what they’re buying. The buying process is becoming less about what’s convenient and cheap and more about what’s sustainable and honorable. According to Aflac’s National Survey on Corporate Social Responsibility, 75% of consumers will take some sort of negative action if they believe a company isn’t responsible. This could be socially, environmentally, politically — you name it. If a company uses deception and twisted facts to sell something, it’s probably not ethical. Being ethically aware and responsible as a brand builds a positive rapport with your target market — especially those in the younger bracket — and encourages relationships built on trust. It makes sense to align your strategy with consumer priorities, which will sustain your business and customer base in the long run. Because there are discrepancies about what constitutes as ethical and what doesn’t, here are a few general guidelines to follow for ethical marketing: • Attract customers through transparency with accurate, honest information. • Avoid deceptive marketing or advertising practices. • Practice safe production and use of products. • Ensure the privacy of customer data and information. Here’s how your brand can incorporate ethical marketing so it attracts the right customers. Choose environmentally safe options. The earth is in crisis mode. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that, in the last 50 years, humans consumed more resources than in all previous history combined. That’s an amount that’s difficult to fathom, and for good reason: It’s ridiculous. Because the environment is rapidly deteriorating thanks to our carelessness, the cause for concern is at an all-time high. Consumers want to support businesses that use environmentally safe practices when producing and distributing products so they can put their money toward good causes. Opt for environmentally friendly options surrounding your business. People are willing to spend more if it means they’re contributing to something positive. In my experience, it’s a fallacy that if you practice ethical marketing you’ll lose customers and revenue. On the contrary, customers will respect your brand for its efforts. Take the clothing brand Patagonia, for example. It recycles your clothing items when they’re no longer wearable, pledges 10% of pre-tax profits to environmental groups and supports grassroots activists. Its prices are moderately high compared to similar brands; however, because Patagonia advocates for saving resources, people are willing to pay for its merchandise. Practice transparency. The easiest way to lose customer loyalty is by lying to customers. Day in and day out, people receive marketing message after marketing message telling them what to buy and who to buy it from. With the introduction of online shopping, consumers are fully able to make buying decisions based on what they want rather than what they’re told, so when they have the option to buy from a business that’s honest with them, they’re going to do it. Deceptive marketing practices will only get you so far. It’s best to hold fast to a policy of transparency from the beginning to avoid having to answer why your business lied about things it can’t prove and aren’t true. In 2015, Panera pledged to cut out all artificial ingredients from its menu by 2016, and sure enough, it did. It launched a brand new menu full of information about its ingredients, nutritional info and an animal welfare report. As a result, the food chain saw a five percent increase in quarterly sales, which proves that being honest about your business practices leads to a positive return on investment. Help those in need. There are endless ways businesses can use their resources to help those who truly need it. For popular brands especially, when they use their power, status and money to donate to causes and help those who need it, it influences a cycle of positive behavior. On top of that, it attracts the right audience that is going to stay loyal to a brand that cares about the wellbeing of people and animals. The shoe brand TOMS, for example. adopts a one-for-one policy, meaning that for every pair of shoes purchased, the company will help someone in need. Some of the ways they contribute include donating shoes, supplying medication for hookworm and providing water to people in seven different countries. The brand is now worth more than $400 million dollars. Over to you. You don’t have to sacrifice revenue for your morals and values. If anything, customers gear more toward brands that are socially and environmentally conscious because they pave the way for a brighter, more positive future. Incorporating ethical marketing into your overall business strategy will allow you to not only attract the right customers but keep them as well. |
Marcus Guiliano
Catch up on my current posts along with industry articles Archives
March 2020
Categories |