Just when you think you have marketing all figured out, something new and intimidating comes your way. That’s how many marketers feel about working with influencers. Influencers bring a human element into the marketing fold, yet technology has made it something more. Optimizing your influencer marketing strategies can be a game-changer if you seek bigger growth potential.
According to the recent Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report, over 80 percent of marketers affirm influencer marketing as a highly effective strategy. That’s because the human element can be enticing. Instead of working strictly with technology, making a connection and building relationships can help you feel more authentic in everything you do.
But the magic really happens when you combine it with technology. That same report revealed AI integration improves campaign outcomes for 66.4 percent of marketers.
How do you do that effectively? Where do you begin?
Algorithms, AI, and Influencers
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the act of computer systems performing tasks associated initially with human intelligence—decision-making and learning from experience. Algorithms are the set of instructions AI uses to carry out those tasks. Algorithms are the building blocks used to move AI forward. AI has grown in complexity and will continue to do so, but at its root are algorithms.
Now, let’s add it to social media. Hootsuite defines a social media algorithm as a set of rules and signals that rank content on a social platform. It organizes content on social feeds based on how likely each social media user is to like and interact with it.
Let’s look at it in action. Suppose you share a post with your audience. It gets one or two clicks and quickly dies. But then you share something that gains traction fast. Your audience instantly resonates with it, and you get a lot of likes from your small audience. The algorithm sees that and sends that post to more people. If the same thing happens and your post gains likes quickly, the algorithm keeps pushing it.
That’s the algorithm’s job. Its sole goal is to personalize content based on what people like. When a user likes something, it pushes it to a broader audience. It expands that push until it reaches its peak before backing off.
Algorithms prioritize content that people are more likely to engage with. And thanks to AI, they do this very efficiently—more than a human could ever do. It’s constantly updating, ensuring you’ll be fed more gardening or cooking posts that might pique your interest if you’re clicking on gardening or cooking posts.
Influencers have that built in. They’ve built a profile that’s effective at engaging. They’ve prioritized content creation toward a targeted audience. When they release content, people like and share. The algorithms love them, and that traction is something they leverage to brands ready to optimize their marketing strategies.
Why Use Influencer Marketing
Intrigued by influencer marketing? There are so many reasons to build it into your marketing strategy. Yes, it is a billion-dollar industry. And yes, it’s growing every year. It also has the potential to transform your business.
Brand Awareness
Marketing is all about getting in front of the right people at the right time. When you work with influencers, they come with predefined audiences ready and waiting for content. Influencers are looking for quality content to share, and if you provide it, you automatically gain credibility just by associating with the influencer.
Targeted Audience
Remember the days of sending postcards to a neighborhood and hoping for a small response? Algorithms work harder to provide you with the most pinpointed demographics possible. Influencer marketing allows you to choose the influencers you work with based on who they serve. Technology makes it more efficient by building campaigns that resonate with the audience.
Higher Conversions
If you’ve studied marketing in any way, you know it’s all about traction. People must see marketing messages multiple times before they feel comfortable enough to do business with you. Influencers can shorten that timeline. Influencers build an audience of friends. Those friends trust what the influencer says, and if the influencer trusts you, their friends will convert faster.
Authenticity
Authenticity is a key concept in marketing today. Brands work hard to build trust with their audiences. They create content in hopes of providing transparency in their business approach. By working with influencers, you’re creating a more personalized experience. They tell the story of you. Because they only work with businesses they trust, authenticity filters through from your brand to their audience and back again.
Adding Algorithms and Technology to Your Influencer Marketing Strategy
Remember the “good old days” when business was done with a handshake? It’s easy to miss the relationship-building that went along with that. Yet technology now takes the entire process to another level.
Influencer marketing gives you the chance to get personal with the people in your audience and to do so in an authentic way. Technology gives you the added bonus of using metrics to refine your strategies and boost your results. How can you do this?
Define Your KPIs
Key performance indicators (KPIs) are the backbone of every successful campaign. Thanks to AI-driven algorithms, you can establish specific, quantifiable targets for every campaign you create, like reach, engagement rate, and conversion rate.
Use Tracking Tools
Every social platform has a sophisticated analytics system to help you understand every campaign you organize. Many other tracking tools are also available to help you better understand your influencer marketing campaigns. Like Google Analytics. It’s a free tool provided by Google that provides insight into website traffic and conversion tracking.
Understand Your Audience
The more you define your goals, the easier it is to find the right influencer to optimize your marketing strategy. Select key demographics such as age, interests, and income level. Then, fine-tune your plan to work with key influencers who embody your goals. It might take tweaking, but with the right message, you’ll be better positioned to build an audience that loves what you do.
This is where working with a seasoned influencer marketing firm can help you gain traction. Influencer marketing continues to be a powerful tool for brand growth. It’s communication on steroids, authenticity at its finest.
Whether you’re a newbie at influencer marketing or a seasoned professional, working with the right digital marketing form can help you optimize your strategy and maximize your returns.
Ready to get started today?
