Isabelle Shea, CEO of GROW and one half of @sheesisters , creators of digital content specializing in golf and lifestyle.
While social media remains a large part of the e-commerce sales channel, brands are seeing influencer marketing make a bigger dent in their space than ever before. In fact, according to Statista, the influencer marketing industry is estimated to be worth $16 billion by 2022. The truth is, with so much content online, not all brands can cut it. Algorithm sauce winners and losers have one thing in common: content accuracy.
Here's my point: brands need to start giving creatives full control over marketing. The most important thing here is to make sure you choose an influencer who truly represents your brand or product. For example, if you're designing a sustainability-based campaign, make sure you choose influencers who have experience supporting environmental causes and brands.
As an experienced influencer helping brands achieve their goals, I believe in what you need to know for a successful marketing partnership.
Give your creator full control over creative messaging.
In my experience, brands typically think about two things: messaging and conversions. This makes sense: they put a stamp of approval on that credential, so they want to make sure they're not completely against the rules. However, when brands have complete control over messaging, it can be a total loss for both parties. Creators know their audience and what content works best on the platform. why? Because it's what we do every day.
For example, my most effective videos range from golf to glamor wear and links for the same day of the week. When I'm promoting brands, I like to include their products in these videos, such as holding their drink when they want it, rather than naturally promoting it in a video made for them. . My audience comes to my website for a reason, and when I curate my content, the brand focuses on the product, not the engagement, and the partnership benefits both of us.
Treat your creator as a billboard, not a salesperson
When pitching your brand to an influencer audience, it's important to remember that it's only the tip of the marketing funnel. Multiple marketing touch points are required to generate consistent sales leads. Your first agent. The landing page you send, the emails you send, and the targeted ads you send are just as important, if not more, than the number of impressions.
I see this fallacy when brands think that influencer marketing will replace the sales force, but for most influencers that is not true (except Kylie Jenner and Kylie Jenner alone). The reality is that creative marketers need to pay for views, not sales.
If you can't get influence, try offering your product for free
Okay, this sounds a little crazy, but hear me out. If you think an influencer might be a good fit for your brand, but don't have the ability to pitch to them, free shipping can be a great way to get your product in front of them at no cost (if they love your brand's product). . The downside of this is that you won't get any feedback on your post and you won't get any leads, but it's a good option if you're confident in your product and want to try it out. As a creative marketer, I rarely get to try new products.
Influencers are more likely to connect with other creators, so they will recommend your product to friends and family. Creators often love the generosity of brands, but leave any engagement at the door if it doesn't fit their rules (eg, "try publishing our product, request a story"). Instead, try, "We'd love to try our product, how can I get it for you?" Influencers are more receptive to wireless options.
Don't forget the small influencers
When finalizing creative plans, consider micro-influencers or creators with 5,000 to 100,000 followers on the platform. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, the average engagement rate is 3.86%, with mega-influencers seeing a third. They're cheaper, connect with their audience in a more meaningful way, and many value the authenticity and visibility that brands see influencers in the first place.
All of this means that influencer marketing isn't going anywhere.
If brands want to keep up with the competition, they need to start thinking about budget and creative allocation. As an influencer, I've seen brands give creators creative freedom, have a strong sales pipeline, and above all, offer an interesting product. As your brand enters the influencer marketing layer, remember: your audience wants authenticity, not advertising. Your creators know the best way to reach them. Trust the process and trust the work.
