Influencer marketing: your bridge to engaged audiences
Influencer marketing has been the trend to keep an eye on for advertisers during the last few years. However, the idea of influencers is not new, it is simply what was for centuries referred to as “word-of-mouth” marketing. Before social media, people relied on recommendations they saw in magazines or heard on the radio. Nowadays, we are reinventing old methods and proven marketing fundamentals using technology and social media.
We are here to help you master influencer marketing through our product platform Metapic, which provides you with the needed technology and connects digital creators, blog readers and e-commerce. Our international team of experts are here to answer burning questions on how to build long-term relationships with influencers and how Metapic can boost your business.
How is influencer marketing different from affiliate marketing?
Monika: First of all, influencer marketing operates at an earlier stage of the purchasing path. Due to the authentic nature of the promoted content, influencers tend to have an initiating influence on the purchasing decisions of their followers.
Second of all, it is a different business model. Affiliate marketing mostly compensates through the cost-per-sale model (CPS), whilst influencer marketing is more so based on cost-per-click (CPC) or on fixed fees.
What are the benefits of using influencers in a marketing strategy?
Isabelle: Using Influencer marketing in your marketing strategy is primarily an opportunity to reach more users, increase your brand awareness and value.
Today people trust influencers more than brands because they humanize the brand. A channel run by an influencer is often years of work, a lot of input and perseverance. Through partnering with someone outside your business, you will be able to connect with their audience and gain more credibility from authentic exposure.
From which verticals do the influencers in Metapic network come from?
Julia: We collaborate with different types of influencers from basically all verticals and are always keen on finding new ways and clients. However, most clicks and revenues are generated from influencers in Fashion, Health & Beauty, Living and Lifestyle segments.
How to connect and establish a good relationship with an influencer?
Monika: Influencer marketing is based on trust and long-term relationships with influencers. Communicating on goals both parties would like to achieve and will align your efforts can set a strong foundation and further strengthen your collaboration. It is key to trust the influencer with their content ideas, as they know with which content their audience resonates best with.
Luca: Look for influencers that are in line with your values and that can represent your brand in an authentic way. The goal is to work with people who truly believe in your product, not just those with a huge following. Based on your shared values, the influencer will appear as your brand ambassador which will positively influence the success and authenticity of your campaign.
Isabelle: The term influencer is getting more and more replaced by the term content creator. The reason for that is that the term influencer tends to be overlooking the efforts they put into their projects to create authentic content and value. That is why last year Instagram introduced Creator Accounts as an alternative to business profiles. You should take the corresponding greeting into account when you approach an influencer about a potential partnership.
What are the latest trends in influencer marketing?
Luca: The rise of micro-influencers
A trend that started a few years back and still continues to grow is the rise of micro-influencers. Micro-influencers are specialized in their niche and appear as experts in that field. They offer marketing solutions at low-cost with a high return on investment. Even though micro-influencers have a smaller follower base, they tend to be more authentic and have a good engagement rate compared to influencers with a larger following.
Julia: The rise of video consumption
Content creation is moving from pictures to stories and short videos. A trend that can be explained two ways: first, the rapid increase in popularity of TikTok during 2020, which has led other social platforms to recognize the possibilities and popularity of video content, including Instagram’s release of the Reels feature. Second, with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, more and more people started their career as influencers resulting in increased competition. To stand out from the competition, influencers now tend to be active on different channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, ..) and use video formats (Stories, Reels) to reach and satisfy their audience.
How can advertisers start working with Metapic?
Johanna: If you are looking for an influencer marketing partner, Metapic is the place to go.
The process starts with you as an advertiser signing up and uploading a product feed. After this, your brand and products will be visible to our influencers. With help from the Metapic team, your brand will have top exposure in the platform and influencers will start publishing content with your products. Consumers will be inspired by influencer’s content and generate high-quality traffic to your site.
Metapic will track, optimize, analyse, and provide you with key influencer data through our amazing advertiser interface.
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