In the first episode of our series on building authentic creator partnerships, Acceleration Partners influencer expert Mandalynn Carlson shares why it’s important and the do’s and don’ts of identifying the right matches.
In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, connections between brands and creators have become the cornerstone of successful campaigns. But brand-maker matchmaking is both an art and a science: for a partnership to be meaningful, it must be authentic. Consumers spend an average of almost 2.5 hours a day on social media, and half of them spend more time watching user-generated content than TV or movies. That means they trust influencers over traditional forms of advertising – and they can tell when someone is not being genuine.
To both build trust with creators and generate positive brand sentiment, Acceleration Partners has several strategies to make a good fit. This approach matters: authenticity can be the difference between a lot of top-of-the-funnel metrics (impressions and clicks, for example, which don’t always translate into revenue) and bottom-of-the-funnel metrics with impact, like conversions and repeat customers. The truth is that authentic influencers create trust and increase brand loyalty among consumers.
So, where do you start? In this series, I’ll walk you through our process, with top tips for what we’ve seen work for brands around the world. And it makes sense to start at the beginning, with…
Identify authentic creators.
Naturally. But how? To find the right matches for our brands, AP’s influencer team researches creators on various platforms and in our internal databases. We look at their audience, location, brands they’ve mentioned in the past, engagement rates and tone. We also want the creators to feel like real people: are they comfortable speaking to their audience? Do they post about their lives outside of brands, which builds trust? Are they active in stories and comments to promote community?
Then look for red flags.
When working with creators, there are a number of characteristics that indicate authenticity and connection. If they’re following thousands of people, it’s probably a follow-by-follow situation. Looking at actual views is the best way to see their real influence. Also check for engagement pods: groups of people who send new messages to their friends so they all respond and falsely increase engagement. You can tell it’s fake when it’s the same people in every comment section with the same kind of comment: “Wow, I gotta try it!” or “This is so great, thanks for sharing!”
Another thing to note: Is each post a sponsored ad or a gift product that the same people are commenting on? It’s good to have breaks between sponsored content so that the audience gets a feel for the creator and develops a relationship of looking to them for recommendations. If they’re only posting about products 100 percent of the time, audience fatigue is a real concern. People may lose confidence in their recommendations and choose not to buy what they are selling, or the audience may become so accustomed to the sponsored posts that your brand or product becomes drowned out in all the noise.
Finally: does the influencer’s approach make sense for your brand?
For example, if you work with a student to sell a college savings plan, it might not land. Sure, they study and there is some overlap with word associations, but their audience is most likely not the intended buyer. Or maybe there’s a trendy young creator talking about the retail finds of Amazon and TikTok… but the brand commands a premium among more traditional or polished older consumers. Not the best fit for creators, even if they are the most popular right now.
We put the elements of this identification strategy into practice Divi, a healthy hair care brand, as part of the company’s new product launch. The AP team reviewed past partnerships to find influencers who could provide the most effective content; Through that process, they ended up with a trusted Divi partner who already posted about how Divi’s Air Dry Cream helped her care for her naturally curly hair without heat. Her organic content had already built a deep, genuine connection with her audience. For the paid Instagram Story, this creator had the freedom to tell her story authentically, and AP used historical performance data to make suggestions that would optimize engagement. The campaign resulted in one of Divi’s highest sales to date, delivering a 5.3x return on investment.
Because successful campaigns depend on a broad spectrum of influencer types, the AP team takes researching creators and building a roster seriously. We built trusted relationships with thousands of creators, and by consistently testing and learning with new creators, we always have our finger on the pulse of the next generation of influencers. With this approach our customers have found that they can extend the life of campaigns, scale efficiently, and accelerate growth.
So, once you’ve identified creators who are authentic, connect with their audiences, and align with your brand values, how do you build the relationship? We’ll discuss that in our next episode. In the meantime, if you have questions about how AP can help you develop your influencer strategy and improve performance, contact our team.
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