Influencer Marketing
People do business with people they know, like, and trust.
This is one of the most well-known quotes echoed by thought leaders in business and marketing. Though the origin of this quote is unestablished, it speaks to a universal truth that is at the heart of a company’s success.
This quote also speaks to why influencer marketing is so effective. According to our influencer marketing survey 85% of consumers made a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation.
So, where do influencers fit into your marketing plan? Your brand has one voice—and it needs to be consistent throughout the many facets of your business. This is where an integrated approach to influencer marketing comes in.
Influencer Marketing Then: One-Time Posts
Influencer marketing took off around the same time when content creators—specifically blog writers—started to attract a large following online. One of the earliest examples of this is in 2006 when PayPerPost was launched. PayPerPost was one of the first platforms that paid bloggers to create branded content.
During this time, advertisers and marketers were executing campaigns on social media, and influencers were leveraged to create a piece of content for one specific platform. More often than not it was Instagram or YouTube. One of the biggest problems with this strategy was that this user-generated content would get lost in the organic feed, only having one opportunity to make a mark on the targeted audience. Essentially, the content’s journey, and its reach, ended there.
In order to combat this challenge, influencers and businesses are working together to create campaigns across all forms of media to increase their visibility. This includes using influencer likeness for e-commerce, billboards, co-branded partnerships, and more—also known as an integrated approach to influencer marketing.
Influencer Marketing Now: The Integrated Approach
Scattered across various social media platforms, there are over 50 million influencers around the world. And with more influencers, comes more businesses leveraging their power in their marketing strategies. This leads to an increased challenge of getting more eyes on these types of partnerships.
That’s where an integrated approach to influencer marketing comes into play. It is the best way to increase the visibility of the influencer, along with the influencer’s affiliation with the brand. But what does it mean? This kind of approach to influencer marketing goes beyond the traditional practices that we’ve all come to know and recognize. It involves putting additional ad dollars behind influencer content in order to boost its visibility online.
The lowest-hanging fruit is to tap influencers that have or are working on creating a multi-channel presence. This is a common trend in 2022, alongside the rise of “super fans” that follow an influencer they like on various social media platforms. This opens up opportunities to tap the same influencer and get visibility across a variety of social media platforms, instead of just one. It also allows brands to showcase their products, services, or tell their story through different kinds of content whether it be video or static imagery.
Want to take things a step further? Don't limit your influencer marketing to the confines of social media. Own the campaign from start to finish—think photoshoots with the influencer for their e-commerce sites or traditional billboard advertisements, or create TV ads or TV segments where the influencer promotes your products. Influencers can also be made a part of experiential marketing by letting them take part in brand activations. The possibilities are endless when you think beyond Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.
Hand-in-hand with this integrated approach to influencer marketing, it is inevitable for both brands and influencers to strive toward long-lasting partnerships. Here are some examples of brands currently using integrated influencer marketing effectively:
Marianna Hewitt x Erewhon
Earlier this year, Marianna Hewitt, influencer and entrepreneur, partnered with Erewhon, an LA-based organic market, and almond milk company MALK to create her very own smoothie—the Coconut Cloud.
This aesethetically pleasing baby blue drink cost a staggering $17—but the price tag didn’t seem to deter consumers from getting their hands on one. In this integrated influencer marketing approach, Marianna, Erewhon, and MALK leveraged local news station, KTLA, to get the story out there.
Emma Chamberlain x Sunday Best
One of the most effective integrated influencer marketing campaigns this year was the Emma Chamberlain collaboration with Aritzia bringing their Sunday Best fall ‘22 collection to life.
What makes this campaign so effective is that working with Emma allows Sunday Best to build out its own recognizable brand, just like Aritzia already has with Wilfred and TNA. This integrated approach included an exclusive interview that was published on Aritzia’s website and repurposed on social media, as well as photoshoots that were repurposed on their product pages across the site.
Remi Bader x Revolve
Remi Bader is one of the most influential voices on TikTok right now when it comes to advocating for a more plus-sized friendly fashion industry. This authenticity paired with an inclusive brand like Revolve was one of the best integrated influencer marketing partnerships this year. With this collaboration she was able to create a diverse line of essentials in a wide range of sizes, because, “fashion-forward shouldn’t be limited to a certain size.”
Beyond Better Visibility: What Influencer Marketing Can Do in 2023
An integrated approach to influencer marketing goes beyond better visibility for the brand’s sponsored posts and content. This opens up an opportunity to create trustworthy brand ambassadors who align with the company’s persona and values.
Moreover, the traditional “Rule of 7” in marketing states that a potential customer would need to hear your brand’s message an average of seven times before taking action. Amidst the clutter of today’s digital landscape, customers would need to hear your brand’s message more than this traditional count.
One of the most effective ways to deliver a recurring and trusted message is through a reputable influencer across a variety of platforms. With an integrated approach to building brand awareness, brand familiarity, and brand preference, the results are promising as we head into 2023.
