Influencer Marketing: Customer Journeys, Outreach, IRM, and Monetization

parasocial theory

explains how audiences develop feelings of closeness with media personas

- one sided

- proposed for TV and radio

- heightened by online interactions

risks of excessive commercialization

losing followers

content fatigue

erdoing an influencer's authenticity

how can influencer's maintain trust

disclosing partnerships and sponsorships

traditional celebtrities v influencers

traditional influencers can afford to be inauthentic faster than social media influencers

micro influencers value trust while celebrities can endorse any product as long as they are paid

5 stages of the customer journey

attract

engage

convert

retain

advocate

attract

introduce the brand and its content ot potential customers, particularly audiences that may be difficult to reach through traditional marketing

engage

get audiences to interact with, share, and discuss brand content

convert

turn audience interest into a measurable action, such as a pruchase, registration , or event sign up

retain

keep current customers engaged and help them get continued value from a product or service

advocate

turn positive customer experiences into recommendations and brand promotion

influencer selection criteria

audience fit

engagement rate

authenticity

content quality

brand fit

expertise

performance

follower authenticity

professionalism and communication

influencer selection process steps

define campaign objective

map ideal influencer traits

short list and vet candidates

conduct pilot tests

review and refine

influencer v creator

influencer: shares sponsored content

- encourages followers to do certain action

creator: develops original content

- wants to create engaging and valuable content for audience

lookalike influencer

creator who shares similar characteristics with another influencer who has already proven successful with your brand

types of influencers

mega influencers

macro influencers

micro influencers

nano influencers

mega influencers

celebrities/major internet stars

macro influencers

established voices in a specific niche

micro influencers

niche experts with high engagement rates

nano influencers

highly localized/ultra niche creators with tight-knit communities

how to define your ideal influencer

know target audience

establish campaign goals

pay attention to social conersation/brand mentions

identify key influencer characteristics

create an "ideal influencer" persona

ways to find influencers for your brand

influencer marketing platforms

native searches

competitor analysis

search engines

industry-specific communities and forums

your network

industry events and conferences

essential components to influencer marketing tech stack

influencer discovery & recruitment

collaboration & relationship management

campaign analytics & performance evaluation

influencer discovery & recruitment

looks at:

- audience characteristics

- brand fit/content style

- reach

- engagement

- impact

- ai powered creator matching/safety vetting

campaign analytics & performance evaluation

real-time analytics

customizable reporting

influencer marketing tools considerations

all in one v a la carte

workflow fit with business

AI integration

integration with other systems

social media platform support

complexity, simplicity, UX

cost

top 16 influencer marketing platforms reading

main idea: for brands that want to grow and measure their programs, an influencer marketing plaform is presented as a competitive necessity

influencer outreach stages

influencer selection strategies

pitch preparation

outreach channels

messaging tactics

follow-up process

influencer selection strategies

determine marketing objectives

assess influencers' audience reach, engagement, authenticity, topic/expertise

platform strengths

influencer audience, voice, style

brand fit and fit with marketing objectives

pitch preparation

compensation model

flat fee, affiliate commissions, merchandise

outreach channels

direct messaging

email

influencer platforms

messaging tactics

7 C's

- clarify

- customization

- compensation

- campaign

- content

- communication

- cta

follow up process

follow up with non responders

2-3 attempts

vary pitch copy

try another communication channel

influencer outreach steps

pre-outreach

- start with clear strategy and creator offer

- find influencer email addresses

- write a personalized outreach email

influencer relationship management

includes all interactions with an influencer before, during, and after launching an influencer marketing campaign

- crm like system

- full relationship cycle

- strategic v tactical

- human & technical factors

- software selection

strategic influencer relationship

alignment with brand purposes and segmentation

value creation

reputation management and crisis planning

tactical influencer relationship

open communication and feedback

collaborative content development

contracts, compliance, and disclosure practices

ROI and performance monitoring

influencer relationship stages

discovery and vetting

outreach and onboarding

engagement activation

nurturing and long-term partnership

termination or transformation

IRM software capabilities

discovery and vetting

campaign workflow management

communication and reporting

long term relationship tracking

IRM software criteria

size

budget

campaign complexity

IRM the complete brand guide

main idea: marketing about building relationships, not just transactions

top 6 ways to manage relationships

pick the right influencer

measure engagement accurately

use a contract

organize your creator team

attribute results correctly

adopt a platform

funnel stages

TOFU (awareness)

MOFU (engagement)

BOFU (conversion)

core influencer monetization methods

sponsored posts

brand partnerships

affiliate marketing

ad revenue

subscriptions and memberships

merchandise

digital products

donation and crowdfunding

how brands and influencers make the most of the relationship reading

main idea: diversify across brand deals, products, platforms, payouts, and services

what determines an influencer's rates

follower count

engagement rate

niche

scope of a project

brand storytelling

take audience through a story journey

storybrand framework

identify the hero's desire

define the customer's problem

position yourself as the guide to the hero

provide a clear plan

call customer to action

define success and failure

persona

to what extent is it real/a real relationship

- pretending to be someone online

how to reduce parasocial

connect with real followers (rewards, giveaways)

meetups/local events

livestreaming/interactive

relatability

focus on a smaller audience and do more with them

digital marketing strategies

visibility

likeability

credibiility

lovability

visibility

uses inbound marketing: customer initiate contact

- relationships > transactions

likeability

uses social media

credibility

uses content marketing: strategic approach to attract and acquire an audience with the objective of dribing profitable customer action

lovability

uses social selling and employer branding

ORM

online reputation manager

competence trust

can they do it?

goodwill trust

do they care about me/act fairly?

influencer relationship management reading

main idea: strong influencer relationships, supported by good IRM software, build trust and drive higher ROI

- most returns come from a small group of top performers, so find and nurture them

tricks of the trade reading

main idea: social media influencer's aren't just advertisers

creator v influencer difference explained reading

main idea: social media influencers are no longer just advertisers; they also show that they engage in real retail activities, and consumers often judge them to do it better than retailers

4 types of creators

web content

youtube

podcast

social media

garyvee content strategy

reverse pyramid model

- document pillar content

- repurpose into micro content

- distribute across social media