Let’s get to the nitty gritty, shall we? Here are the top 5 reasons why you need an Influencer Marketing AOR in 2020:
1. BRAND CONTINUITY LEADS TO COST EFFECTIVENESS & REVENUE GROWTH:
- Save time, save money. A partnership with an influencer marketing agency allows brands and their PR/ad agencies to work more efficiently by eliminating the time internally that’s required to research, identify, vet and manage a group of bloggers/influencers. A survey found that 75 percent of professionals consider identifying the right influencers to be the biggest challenge of a sponsored content campaign. Influencer marketing agencies have the right institutional knowledge and infrastructure in place, offering a better and more efficient way to manage relationships with influencers.
- Instead of strictly focusing on individual campaigns and the messiness of having your PR agency reach out to an influencer and then your marketing agency reach out, an influencer marketing agency streamlines every communication and truly builds ambassadors and gets the right message to them.
- At its core and when done right, influencer marketing builds business and loyalty. Increasing sales, driving website traffic or swaying public opinion, influencer marketing is a business development function.
- An Agency of Record helps all your other marketing and PR efforts- working on an always-on strategy, and incorporating influencers from the very beginning of your strategy instead of randomly putting them in here and there.
2.UNPARALLELED EXPERTISE:
- An influencer marketing AOR works 24/7, 365 in the influencer marketing world. There is no substitute for that level of experience and insight in the ever-changing world of social media and publishing. While some agencies and networks tout their large networks of influencers, it’s imperative to know that the agency you’re engaging has a unique understanding of each individual influencer’s preferences, strengths and specialities. The right agency is able to leverage it’s relationships for reduced rates and quick turnaround times.
- A change in algorithm or a new trend? With an influencer marketing agency on board, we’re able to pivot our upcoming campaigns quickly without your brand losing any time or money.
3. FULL STRATEGY & CREATIVE APPROACH:
- Agencies will have a talented and dedicated team of social & content experts, along with campaign leaders, who will be able to deliver ‘out of the box’ creative ideas specifically targeted for your products and that can build on one another month after month, year after year. You’ll be working with a diverse group of influencer-focused individuals that understand how to create a successful idea because, after all, it’s the idea that sells, not the product.
4. TURNKEY SERVICE:
- When you work with an agency, you gain access to a plethora of resources that you simply don’t have in-house. This includes managing all incoming influencer requests, reaching out to perspectives, paid and for-trade influencer programs – so no more having one agency do press trips and one handle paid media. We handle it all so we know the strategy behind each person and what they are bringing to the table.
- When you hire an agency that specializes in influencer marketing, you’re gaining a partner with a deep, fine-tuned understanding of how to run a successful sponsored content campaign. Brands can weigh in on the aspects of the campaign that are most relevant to their direct role: key messaging, coverage pacing and key performance indicators, for example. However, turning over the reins to an experienced influencer marketing agency means that someone else will handle minute but important details, such as blogger negotiations, product shipping, giveaway rules, managing bloggers’ adherence to the coverage deadline, disclosure compliance and hashtag use — just to name a few. When using an agency, these details are not the responsibility of the brand; rather, the agency is on-call for all related program management and implementation.
5. HIGH-QUALITY EVERGREEN CONTENT – THAT SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATES WITH YOUR CURRENT MARKETING AND PR EFFORTS:
- Influencers have a pulse on the creative direction of the times – and are able to pivot very quickly. Influencers and our internal agency creatives produce the most eye-catching graphics, compelling text, and attention-grabbing video content possible.
- Influencer agencies will already know the types of content that particular influencers produce. They will know which influencers need more agency creative input, and which influencers perform best when left to their own creations.
- Much of the high-quality brand content that influencer agencies and the influencers themselves create for your campaign will be able to be repurposed for marketing purposes in the future, making it true evergreen content.
AND 4 REASONS WHY YOU NEED TRAVEL MINDSET AS YOUR INFLUENCER MARKETING AGENCY OF RECORD:
1. EXPERIENCE:
Our roots as a travel publisher started in 1999, and from there we added a social and blogging team in 2012 and hired a content creator and social media thought leader as our Vice President — All that is to say we have been instrumental in shaping the industry and are the only influencer marketing agency focused exclusively in the travel industry. That experience allows us to have first-hand access to some of the most influential people in the space, along with the ability and know-how to determine influencers from socialites, what you should be paying for and what you can get for free, what will take your business to the next level and what will have you left behind.
2. WE STRETCH YOUR DOLLARS BY CONCEPTUALIZING CUSTOM CAMPAIGNS:
There is not a one size fits all approach to influencer marketing, but it all starts with a compelling idea. At Travel Mindset, we stay at the forefront of social media trends so that we can strategize campaigns which will capitalize on trends and buzz while seamlessly aligning with your current and future marketing efforts. Digital and social content is constantly evolving and brands are, too, so we keep clients tuned into the types of content that are going to soak up the likes and shares while leveraging the ideal audiences and strategies for them. From off-line meet-ups and events to IGTV and interactive blog posts, to us, influencer marketing isn’t a IG billboard/commercial. Let’s set up a yearlong strategy that allows your brand/business to capitalize on influencers throughout the year so your brand is always top of mind with the right consumers.
3. PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS & THE TRAVEL MINDSET INFLUENCER ACADEMY:
Finding the right influencer goes well beyond their follower count and engagement rates. There is an undeniable human component to influencer marketing that makes it all work. We’ve been partnering with influencers and content creators on travel and lifestyle brand campaigns since 2012, and we have developed deep/personal relationships with each and every one of them. We know their strengths & weaknesses. We know what resonates with their followers and what will fall flat. We also know their true rates, turn-around times and ability to exceed specific KPIs to help your business prosper. Finally, our Influencer Academy is a community of content creators leading impactful influencer marketing campaigns, creating content through a business-focused lens, and further amplifying Travel Mindset’s current and future initiatives—providing clients with a professionalized pool of creators that consistently deliver value and in-the-know expertise.
4. TECHNOLOGY & REPORTING:
We use the best in class 3rd party reporting so you have no doubt that you’re partnering with a true influencer, one that hits your exact target market and delivers on content needs. Our reporting is detailed and insightful, getting into the nitty gritty of why something worked or didn’t so we can A/B test and optimize content for the best results and ROI.