As the new communications economy has evolved, it’s become more difficult for brand content to achieve the same impact as in previous decades.
Enter influencer marketing. What was once a trend is now an effective channel for brands to stay relevant in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
And while there are singular examples of successful influencer marketing campaigns, many marketers and brands are still stuck in the starting blocks. This is unsurprising as the influencer marketing landscape is still nascent and, particularly in South Africa, no defined practices for measuring the impacts of campaigns that utilise influencers exist.
Starting your influencer journey means comprehending the following four fundamental components:
Understand what makes influencer marketing tick
With influencer marketing still a relatively new method, brands and marketers must make a concerted effort to properly understand the primary purpose, definitions and best practices that shape influencer marketing within their region.
In South Africa, the IAB South Africa Digital Influencer Marketing Committee has released a white paper on best practices for the local industry (available here to members of IAB South Africa) and continues to work towards evidence-based research and insights to assist marketers in implementing and delivering successful influencer campaigns.
Hire those with the craft
Not all marketers possess the skills to work across multiple channels and influencer marketing needs special insight into social platforms, influencers and content creators.
This is why a marketing specialist with experience managing influencer campaigns and crafting influencer marketing strategies is a key addition to any team seeking to enter the influencer marketing arena.
Such expertise is rare but specialist agencies have started popping up to assist marketers in crafting successful strategies.
Set a solid foundation
As with any other marketing campaign, identifying the brand’s target audience and selecting the correct influencers and content creators are integral to ensuring a positive outcome.
During the selection process, marketers should consider whether the influencer or creator aligns with the brand’s values and messaging, has credibility and knowledge of the brand’s industry, creates quality content and has a content style that matches the voice and tone of the brand.
It’s also important to consider the influencer or creator’s audience demographics and whether or not the metrics they track are connected to campaign objectives. This will pave the way to creating a clear and concise brief for the influencer or content creator to follow.
Measure and optimise towards successful objectives
Marketers should be clear about these metrics — such as engagement rates, reach, conversions, and more — they expect the influencer or content creator to report on once the campaign has ended, and this should be included in the brief.
Measuring the success of your campaign is crucial to determine its impact on the overall business growth and these metrics will assist marketers to ascertain a campaign’s effectiveness. Throughout the evaluation process, as well as staying updated on industry trends and best practices and testing new tactics, marketers should use evidence-based data and insights to adjust their approach.
Influencer marketing is here to stay and is fast becoming a vital part of any successful marketing strategy. By following best practices, marketers can create and implement impactful influencer marketing campaigns that drive business results.
Farhaanah van Heerden is the head of social and influencer at Essencemediacom, a subsidiary of Group M and WPP Global. With more than a decade of experience in the social media marketing industry, Van Heerden currently leads the agency’s creative social media, community management and influencer campaign management teams. Before joining Essencemediacom, Farhaanah worked at various other specialist marketing agencies and ran a freelancing service.
The IAB South Africa Digital Influencer Marketing Committee is conducting an industry survey to collect data about the attitudes and spend towards influencer marketing in South Africa. All responses to the survey, which will take approximately 15 minutes to complete, will be anonymous. The results will be exclusively available to IAB South Africa members once published, however, all participants, including non-IAB South Africa members, will receive an early complimentary copy. Take the survey here before 31 May 2024. The white paper ‘Best Practices for Influencer Marketing in South Africa’ is now available to all IAB South Africa members on the IAB SA Member Portal. To become an IAB South Africa member, visit iabsa.net.
