Ron Sela
June 4, 2015

How Brands Can Maximize Influencers Through Marketing Campaigns

It is not uncommon for brands to engage with social media influencers, for creating and distributing content. By doing so, brands get access to the process of creation and distribution of relevant content.

The content created by influencers is often distributed on their own website, but also pushed in their social media networks. More often than not, brands rely solely on the influencers to take care of the entire process – design, creation and distribution of the content.

However, not supporting influencers with content distribution can make the process inefficient. Brands need to be aware of the opportunities and benefits of amplifying influencer-created content through brand-controlled outlets.

Why Brands Engage with Influencers for Online Campaigns

All too often, brands seem to be cold and inhuman.

The influencers and the brand followers can produce much greater results. It is especially true in the realm of social media.Influencers usually know the real person behind their followers, even if they do not know them in person.

Shutting out everyone except the brand and the influencer during conversation can allow this kind of trust and friendship to form. It is also often the case that the influencers’ followers are a more engaging community. As a group they are also considered to be highly targeted.

They usually follow the influencer because of a common interest or shared passion for a topic.

Why Brands Use Influencers as Content Producers

Most of the influencers are skilled writers and content producers in their own right.

Influencers also know their audience.

They usually know what types of content their audience likes to consume, and which articles they like. As a result, influencers create relevant content for their followers.

Their experience with the success of their previous campaigns allows them to better predict which content will work and which content will not.

Why Brands Use Influencers as Content Amplifiers

Choosing social media influencers for increasing awareness around a particular brand is important.

Brands also rely on the influencers’ social media networks to distribute the brand’s content right alongside the influencers’ content.

If you want to target a niche market, you need to get someone who is respected and followed within that niche.

Besides being respected, influencers usually have large audiences that are potentially lucrative to the brand. Their followers usually engage with the influencers at very high rates.

The influencers’ followers are more inclined to respond to the commercial messages.

These messages are usually included in the content call-to-action. By responding to the call-to-action, the campaign’s ROI increases.

Mistakes that Brands Make in this Process

Often, brands rely solely on the influencers to distribute the content in the influencers’ social media channels.

This practice is ineffective.

Brands often have large audiences spread across many social media networks. In some of these networks, the influencers might not be present.

Even if the brands’ followers are not that receptive or engaging, distributing the

influencers’ content in the brand’s social media channels will amplify the message much further.

This process works in all venues, including owned, paid and earned channels.

Amplifying the influencers’ message with the brands’ channels increases its value.

Unfortunately, some brands make some other serious errors when using influencers.

They don’t support the influencer when that individual is delivering the message, either by not creating or providing a venue for content, graphics, video, info-products or audio.

How Brands can maximize the Influencer Marketing Campaign

Brands can amplify influencers with their blog and social media channels.

When influencers see that their content is pushed in the market and not left to their own, they feel more comfortable.

It also pushes them to produce even more content for the brand, and other influencers will be more willing to help.

So, when brands provide the support and promote the influencers’ content, they become more helpful in promoting the brand’s products.

It might sound counter-intuitive, but amplifying the brand amplifiers can go a long way.

 

Originally titled “Amplify Your Amplifiers: Distributing Influencer Content Through Brand Resources” on MillennialCEO, and is republished here with permission.

Image attribution: Copyright: ‘http://www.123rf.com/profile_tsirik‘ / 123RF Stock Photo

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Ron Sela is a digital marketer and conversion optimizer, focusing on maximizing ROI with content marketing campaigns.You can find and connect with Ron on Twitter at @RonSela and read his thoughts on his personal blog at RonSela.com.