How would you compare Influencer Marketing vs. Digital Advertising?
It’s possible to reach a broader audience through digital advertising, and the brand/marketer is solely responsible for strategy — messaging, target audience, and which platform(s) to use. With DA, you’re at the mercy of algorithms and need to be constantly on top of those pesky, ever-changing data units.
Influencer Marketing is more niche and targeted, so while you might not have as large an audience, conversions are more likely. The strategy is usually less controlled by the brand/marketer, which has both positives and negatives. Also, Influencer content is generally evergreen.
Which social platforms do you think will be most popular in the next five years for influencer marketers?
Instagram/YouTube/TikTok.
How do you currently find relevant and high-quality influencers for your marketing campaigns?
Web search.
How would you decide which influencers to work with?
Manual audit of their account.
For e-commerce businesses, what are trending social tools and strategies to get traction via Instagram? Are you currently using any tool yourself?
I’ve read about China’s WeChat but don’t know much about it. TikTok seems to be where things are advertised lately.
Which content categories (i.e. verticals) are likely to become the most popular on Instagram for influencers?
Beauty, Fashion, Gadgets, Toys, Coaching, Personal Growth, and Health/Wellness.
What advice would you give to a new business that wants to gain and grow its paid sponsorships?
Depending on the business, I would search Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to find current influencers to pitch but also would dig down and find newer, smaller, lesser-known ones to partner with and grow together. This way, you can Influence the influencers and help mold their niche.
How do you think Influencer Marketing will grow among small businesses in the near future?
I believe it will get more credit, it will diversify, and will increasingly become more niche.
