Get more than just a sponsored post out of influencer marketing.

While social media influencer marketing at its core is all about influencers vetting your brand, we geek out on all the lesser-known and more creative ways to extend these partnerships beyond just your typical sponsored posts. Why not use influencers when hosting offline events and panels, when designing a new product, or when shooting your next launch commercial? How can you make influencers become a part of your brand rather than just a fan of it? 

Numbers don’t lie.

According to a recent 2020 report, 45 percent of influencers created content for an assignment that did not include posts on their properties. This means brands are getting quite savvy and using influencers for their faces and assets rather than only for their accounts and following. As a matter of fact, the same report shares that 70 percent say influencer content performs as well or better than brand-produced content, and 37 percent of creators have been asked to perform as a model or actor in brand-produced video or print campaigns. It’s safe to say that influencers are the next generation of lifestyle models and brands are finally catching on. If you’re going to be hiring models anyway, why not go ahead and opt for influencers and true brand lovers instead? You’ll get more bang for your buck if you ask us. 

So, what’s going on here?

It’s evident that influencer marketing works wonders outside of sponsored posts alone. Digging deeper, here’s why: most influencers will only partner with brands they truly love and support—and their loyal following knows this. When an influencer is then spotted on, say, a seasonal menu collaboration or email marketing campaign, it catches the public’s attention and interest and they immediately believe that this product/brand must be the real deal. (Hello, conversions and sales.)

Influencers introduce a strong element of connection, storytelling, relatability and trust between a brand and its consumers. By inviting an influencer to be a part of your brand (i.e. doing more than just sponsored posts), you’ll find that they really dive in.  

Many will even share the journey and behind the scenes with their following (similar to earned media), which can be even better than a sponsored post. With all this said, influencers are easily one of the most important and authentic connecting pieces in today’s marketing landscape.

Let’s do it!

When deciding how you want to take your influencer marketing into new territory, consider the nature of your brand and its services/products. What’s in the pipeline and how can you invite key influencers in your space to build with you? For starters, this could look like one or more of the following:

Using influencers as models and brand insiders/builders is a surefire way to optimize your influencer marketing strategy and will ultimately feed into a more holistic and intentional marketing plan. Still not sure where to start or which influencers could end up being your secret sauce? This is our jam – let us help you out!