Although the term “storytelling” is (over)used non-stop in marketing circles, it sometimes feels like a mythical creature many talk about but few ever really see. One thing we know is that stories work.
In our Ebook about Omnichannel Storytelling, you will find every important aspect to step up your storytelling game to connect even more with your audience.
Click here to find out more about our influencer marketing and here for our social media services.
Switzerland is filled with innovative, fascinating influencers who create informative and entertaining content every day. Kingfluencers has had the pleasure of working with all of the following, and we’d like to highlight some particularly fantastic examples for you to keep an eye on.
Kingfluencers recently published, “13 Social Media & Influencer Marketing Trends to Look For Now,” and we’re categorizing our top Swiss Influencers according to who’s excelling at a few of selected trends. Download the eBook for an in depth look at all the trends.
For influencer marketing campaigns, brands focus more and more on engagement rates than other metrics, such as total followers. According to a report from Later and Fohr, nano and micro influencers (<25K followers) have the highest engagement rate, averaging 7%, which is more than double the benchmark of 3.21%.
Professional soccer player for FC Basel Alayah Pilgrim is a micro influencer who posts about fashion, fitness, and soccer, of course. She also shares a TikTok account with her boyfriend.
Picture: Alayah Pilgrim
Over the next 18 months, video content will continue to increase in relevance and importance. As video becomes the dominant medium, other formats are even less likely to be noticed and brands will have to produce more video content to share.
Alessandra Spataro is well known for her professional and creative videos on TikTok. She often shows ‘behind the scenes’ how she created her videos, and also shares ‘fails’ when things go wrong. Alessandra’s videos have great variety and stunning visual appeal, such as the popping of water balloons with different color dyes.
The success of TikTok is accelerating the move towards video. TikToker Julie Riess frequently posts a variety of videos and is relatable in exhibiting authenticity. In addition to TikToks about food and thrift store shopping, Julie posts “Get Ready With Me” videos and shares with followers her decision-making process putting together outfits.
Picture: Alessandra Spataro
The growth of the value of content is driving numerous trends. In particular, more people will try to capitalize on their content, opinion, and voice, making everything more crowded. Brands as well as social media platforms will be actively seeking and soliciting content creators.
Kingfluencers has frequently worked with Fabio Zerzuben, a creator who puts a lot of emphasis on his content and creativity. Fabio is famous for his creative and captivating reels.
As influencers are pressured to create more content even faster, they’re also staying active on multiple social media platforms, as well as traditional media. One of Switzerland’s biggest influencers, Xenia Tchoumi, posts on Instagram about beauty, fashion, and travel. In addition to social media content creation, Xenia wrote the book, “Empower Yourself,” and has given 4 TEDx talks. Swiss comedian Aditotoro is active on TikTok as well as Twitch and YouTube. This prolific content creator has recently become more well known outside of Switzerland.
Leo Monferini created a character with funny glasses which went viral on TikTok. As one of the biggest TikTokers from Romandie, he is very popular and Kingfluencers’ clients like working with him. His humorous content is what people are looking for on TikTok.
The influencer marketing industry will experience increasing consolidation in technologies, agencies, and service providers. More influencers are teaming up to form clans to promote their services to brands.
Founder of the “SKRR SQUAD,” Dario Scheurmann is known for portraying a wide variety of Gen Z situations in a fun way. His TikToks exhibit a sense of childlike whimsy and humorously portray the different ways women and men do things like answering the phone and getting into the car to drive.
Jean Carly Réveil posts humorous videos on TikTok, often collaborating with numerous other TikTokers. Frequent themes include interactions between couples and friends. Laura Bante creates comedy TikTok videos, with themes such as beauty and fitness, and often collaborates with her friend Margaux Seydoux.
The Headz Agency represents numerous influencers who put a lot of effort into constant content creation, including Simo Bonito who makes funny videos, some of which feature his Italian “Nonno,” whom he plays himself. Ericwdrae also creates comedy content on his own or with his friend T-Ronimo, where they often present two female characters, Bresha and Selina, in funny situations. T-Ronimo posts about soccer, cars, and work, in addition to humor, and sells merchandise such as t-shirts and hats.
To retain credibility, it’s important for influencers to work only with brands they genuinely love and ideally, engage in long-term collaborations, which benefit both brand and influencer. Many of Kingfluencers’ brands conduct year-long campaigns with influencers. For example, we’ve done many campaigns with Minea Jud, who we view as “our sunshine.” She is always smiling and creates high quality lifestyle, fashion, and beauty content.
Kingfluencers has also worked with the following influencers on an ongoing basis to build successful long-term collaborations for L’Oréal: Dilara Tortumlu & Fatjona Muji, Margaux Seydoux, and Jean Carly Réveil, who has also had a long term collaboration with skincare brand CeraVe, plus Lina Senn, who is known for creating humorous lifestyle content and funny relationship situations with her boyfriend, Leonard Stucki, also an influencer. Additionally, Lina hosts the TV show, “First Dates Switzerland.”
The existing focus on Gen Z as a coveted demographic will continue, particularly as they’re entering the workforce. Beyond their status as a significant spending group, Gen Z will set new cultural trends in multiple areas such as music, art, work, and ethics.
Also represented by The Headz Agency, Zimmi is a popular Gen Z TikToker who often posts funny skits involving interactions with teachers. The majority of Gen Z are still students, making the education settings highly relatable.
Gen Z TikToker Emma makes funny posts about relationships, school, beauty, and caring for her horses.
Brands and influencers alike are benefiting from increased opportunities to connect with audiences and generate revenue. Unfortunately, these opportunities are accompanied by the challenges of increased complexity and competition. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on trends and news, and contact Kingfluencers for help building coordinated campaigns.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
In part 1, we covered what the metaverse actually is, and made some predictions to questions such as “will immersiveness dominate,” and “who will win & lose?” Here in part 2, we’ll focus on the metaverse’s impacts to brands as well as influencers and consumers.
An article on the Meta Newsroom describes the metaverse as, “a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.” Consumers can try on new clothes, test drive cars, and experiment with new hairstyles. Metaverse activities can encourage people to stand up and move, which is beneficial for health and can lead to increased steps counts and even improved fitness.
Verity McIntosh, a VR expert at the University of the West of England, told the BBC that the granularity of data available from the use of VR/AR is an order of magnitude higher than on screen-based media. “Now it’s not just about where I click and what I choose to share, it’s about where I choose to go, how I stand, what I look at for longest, the subtle ways that I physically move my body and react to certain stimuli. It’s a direct route to my subconscious, and that is gold to a data capitalist.”
The implications for manipulating people are thus orders of magnitude higher as well. If misused, with algorithms that present users with media that angers them, the metaverse could have a negative impact on society, leading to increased division. Protecting privacy will remain a difficult, ever evolving challenge.
The metaverse is a world on its own where people exist and interact, as opposed to passively viewing a web page. There are much bigger similarities between the metaverse and the real world, and the lines between the two will increasingly blur.
PREDICTION: Brands will be able to generate cross-over effects, driving real world behaviors through metaverse marketing and even vice versa. Spillover effects could include digital products promoted in the metaverse becoming more popular in real life as well.
According to a deep dive by The Drum, “We know that marketers have a huge role to play in defining the future of the metaverse, from creating the event spaces within platforms to selling consumers on the tech that allows them to experience it.” Luxury brands are selling digital-only products in the metaverse. According to Morgan Stanley, digital demand for fashion and luxury brands is expected to grow and could reach $50 billion by 2030.
Users have the potential to become who they fantasize they could be. In Part 3, we’ll delve into the enticing freedom of the metaverse. Winning brands will dream along with consumers and become their partner in helping them achieve the metaverse identity they want.
Advertising is often viewed as something negative, an interruption. It’s possible that legacy, annoying ads will be copy/ pasted onto the metaverse, and users will be bombarded with irritating digital billboards and flying banners. Writing for Cointelegraph, Tom Mitchelhill captures the bleak possibilities. “Now, Stephenson’s striking fictional depictions of a Metaverse over saturated with the neon glow of commercial advertising rings truer than ever as Web3 designers and marketers gear up to begin advertising in the emerging Metaverse(s).” Digital entertainment and media platform Azerion recently partnered with Bidstack, in-game advertising and video game monetization platform. Bidstack Founder and CEO said the contract, “signals a realization that brand advertising within the metaverse has truly arrived.”
However, the metaverse provides brands with a whole new set of tools to connect with customers. Currently, digital and physical experiences are often very disconnected, but the metaverse generates new opportunities to add value to customers with immersive, engaging experiences and new products in the form of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens). Influencers also have more opportunities to engage with their communities, such as being present at a concert or virtual store.
PREDICTION: The sale of digital goods will become important for brands and influencers alike. Digital goods can be leveraged both in marketing campaigns as well as sold to generate new revenue streams.
New features are being built, investments are being made, and people are experimenting. The Metaverse is currently a huge green field with many opportunities as well as many unknowns. Meta Reality Labs (a sibling unit to Facebook) has committed to spending at least $10bn a year on developing experiences that fuse augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) hardware with software and content.
Brands may wonder if they should already be developing plans to get into the metaverse. The immersive experience of the metaverse enables brands to promote their products in new and innovative ways. For example, fashion brands can sell or give away digital versions of their clothing and accessories. Those in the hospitality industry can recreate the architecture of their venues and host virtual events.
Meta’s Reality Labs division, the segment of the company tasked with building the metaverse, lost more than $10 billion in 2021, and the losses keep growing. Executives said it could take up to 15 years to fully realize their vision. With a timeline of “up to 15 years,” there isn’t a big rush. But now is a good time to start the process of creating metaverse experiences.
In the Metaverse, brands and influencers have the opportunity to innovate, experiment, and adapt to improve outcomes, establishing leading positions in advance of Metaverse’s growth into the mainstream.
Although NFTs are already being sold on existing social media platforms, interacting in a virtual world should increase demand for NFTs, presenting influencers and brands alike with an opportunity to increase revenue.
We don’t think brands need to worry about falling behind just yet. For a marketing channel to deliver positive ROI, brands must be able to reach their target audience. Achieving this objective in the metaverse will require necessary saturation, with a certain quantity of active users. The critical mass isn’t there yet, so brands aren’t at risk of falling behind competitors.
But on the one hand, it’s good to start planning. Now is the time to start acquiring knowledge and building those skills, including getting the support of knowledgeable marketers, so you’re ready.
One thing is certain, the metaverse will require marketers to frequently adapt and re-strategize. Selecting influencers and building an influencer network will become much more complex.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
Check out Kingfluencers’ TikTok marketing services here.
First off, know that while older generations are starting to adopt the platform, a quarter of TikTok’s users are under 20 years old – only 11% are over 50. TikTok is a great marketing channel, and we recommend you get into it. Just be aware that most of its users are Gen Z and Millennials – so if your product or service caters to an older population, TikTok might not be the best platform to market your brand. (Exploding Topics, 2023)
You’ll want to know what your competitors are already doing on the platform so you can come up with the best strategy for your own TikTok marketing. If you see they’re investing into TikTok content, this validates that you’re about to tap into a receptive market. You can start by checking out what kind of videos the big players in your industry are creating.
Search for industry terms
TikTok’s search function also lets you find lesser-known brands trying to break out. By searching for different terms around your brand’s niche, you can gain insights and find inspiration from these competitors – who can often be more creative with their content than the big players.
Learn from their popular posts and hashtags
What makes your competitor’s top TikToks more popular than others? If you can find out their winning elements, you’ll know you can be successful with similar content. This doesn’t mean copy their videos – but you can get learnings from which formats are working, put your own spin on them, and then implement them for yourself.
Check competitors’ comments
By monitoring how people are responding to your competitors’ content, you can get valuable information as to what works for them – and where they might be falling short. You can then make your own TikToks better in the areas their audience thought could be improved. Their followers’ comments also often give you new ideas for different styles or content angles you could try.
If you can join an emerging trend on TikTok, it increases the chance of your content going viral, which can be a big win in your marketing efforts. With TikTok’s algorithm, it’s possible for you to get hundreds of thousands views on a single one of your videos, even if you just started your account – simply by riding the wave of a current trend.
Research trending audio
On TikTok, sounds are part of the fun, and there’s always certain sounds going viral. Figure out which those are, add them to your videos, and TikTok’s algorithm is likely to show your content to a wide audience.
Caveat: As a business, you’re only allowed to use the copyright-free music from TikTok’s ‘Commercial Library’ – unless you purchase rights from the publisher. But even free sounds can go viral!
Hop on hashtag challenges
Hashtag challenges are huge on TikTok. People love to participate in them, and a good hashtag can spread quickly. If your brand can hop on that train, you’ll benefit from the organic exposure.
To stay up to date on popular hashtags, make sure to frequently browse the app: Go to the For You page and look for trending videos and their corresponding hashtags.
You do want to be creative in your TikTok marketing. But – it’s okay to draw inspiration from what’s working for others. In fact, if you have some great creative input to work with, it’ll raise the quality of your own work.
Fun is #1 on TikTok. Find fun angles to your content that show your sense of humor, making your brand appear relatable to your followers. It’s good to push the boundaries a bit. But in general, choose an approach that fits with your brand image.
Mondelez and Warner Bros. promoted the new Batman movie and Oreo’s cookies by creating the ‘Batman x Oreo’ campaign. It became popular and users joined the challenge, making their own Batman & Oreo themed TikToks.
Start your own hashtag challenge: Release a TikTok video that shows you doing a specific action involving your product or tying back to the service you’re marketing. This could be a dance, sports movement, conversation, style of make-up.. there’s many possibilities for creating a viral hashtag challenge.
Now, encourage your followers to take part in the challenge. If it resonates, you’ll reach a large new audience and gain brand awareness – which will convert to more sales down the line.
A great way to create loyal fans and brand advocates while marketing your business on TikTok is to intimately involve your followers in your own content. TikTok’s app makes this easy for you with two unique features: Duets and Stitch.
Duets
With Duets, your fans can choose to play their own video next to yours in the same frame – like a real-life duet. This is exciting for them, because they can appear next to you or your brand ambassadors. And it gives you free organic reach to their followers.
StitchIf you enable TikTok’s Stitch feature, users can use up to 5 seconds of your video in their own TikTok, and then add their own content before or/and after it. By encouraging fans to get creative while using your branded content, you’re creating a more loyal audience for yourself and helping spread the word about your business.
Influencers are the cornerstone of TikTok marketing: They’re experienced at creating high quality TikToks, people look up to them, and they’re in a unique position to promote your products and services to a receptive audience.
There’s different ways you can use influencers in your TikTok marketing:
Send your product
Showing your product yourself vs. having a trusted influencer creatively involve your product in their content makes a difference. Striking a deal with an influencer where you send them your product for free and make them an affiliate so they earn a percentage of each sale can both be profitable and give a boost to your brand awareness.
Collaborate on a video
You can also come up with ideas you can act on together with your influencers. For example, them working in your business for a day, you appearing in one of their videos, or simply showcasing your product together in a creative way.
Partner on a new product line
How do you get many relevant eyeballs on your new product as possible? By picking an influencer whose followers match your target audience, and having them introduce it to their TikTok fans. The reach, status and trust they’ve built up will help drive awareness and sales for your new product or service.
Ready to get started with TikTok influencer marketing? Check out TikTok services by Kingfluencers and contact us.
Once you’ve done your research and created your strategy, it’s time to make your TikTok videos. To do this, you can choose between different formats for your content:
Dance challenges. If your team is up for it, joining or even starting a dance challenge is one of the most fun and creative ways to gain brand awareness. Should your challenge catch on and go viral, you’ll have generated hundreds of thousands of free impressions on your brand’s content – while having fun creating it.
TikTok is the fastest-moving social media app. To stay top of mind, you should consider posting somewhat often. You can start with 1-3 TikToks per day – this should already grow your following at a good rate.
Bigger brands who are investing more heavily into TikTok marketing are posting up to ten times per day. You don’t need to do that at first – but do aim to up your game as you go, because TikTok is such a valuable marketing channel right now.
Engagement is key for TikTok’s demographics – and it’s expected. But don’t think of this as a chore to be checked off: Going back and forth with your followers can be fun, build a deeper connection, and most importantly teach you invaluable lessons about what your target audience wants.
To know what’s working in your marketing strategy, be sure to track engagement metrics on your TikToks. Your TikTok business account shows you a wide range of different metrics, from likes, comments and shares to average watchtime and trending video growth.
Discard or change the content ideas that didn’t work. Identify the winners. Then you can double down on what your audience wants, to grow your following most effectively.
TikTok ads are a new feature of the platform. It lets you display your own videos or your influencers’ videos as sponsored content in the feeds of users identified by the algorithms as your target audience.
Creative content that surprises the viewer – and is also being fun and nice to look at – wins on TikTok.
So don’t worry about following any formula or marketing template to a T. Be guided by your natural creativity, go after what’s exciting to you, while keeping in mind current trends and what your target audience likes, of course.
As you get more experienced creating TikTok content, you’ll carve out your unique style, zeroing in on content that works for your audience and your business goals.
That’s a wrap on TikTok marketing you can use to grow your brand! You can now have your team follow these strategies and use your TikTok presence as a profitable marketing channel for your brand.
If you’d rather spend your time and energy on other high-level tasks in your business, you could also consider hiring an experienced TikTok agency to do the work for you.
You then gain access to their proven processes for creating sound strategies, content creation, tracking metrics, and collaborating with influencers.
At Kingfluencers, we’re pioneers in influencer marketing since 2016. If you choose to work with us, you’ll benefit from our 3000+ strong network of vetted influencers, as well as our expertise that has gotten great results for prominent brands using TikTok marketing.
Check out our TikTok services and contact us here.
Author: Yoeri Callebaut, @Kingfluencers
Looking at the title of this guide, you might be thinking: trends come and go as fast as Instagram Stories. Why should my brand keep up with social media/influencer marketing trends?
As Facebook (now Meta) founder Mark Zuckerberg once said, “If we can figure out what the next big trends are, we’ll know what to focus on.” Predicting upcoming trends can be one of the most important factors in planning your next digital marketing campaigns. Kingfluencers experts and their content creators have selected the top 13 social media trends brands should pay attention to.
Click here to find out more about our influencer marketing and here for our social media services.
Traditionally, advertisements have been a deviation from the content audiences want to consume. A pause in the TV show. A break in the article. A stop to the music or podcast. Ads and content were distinct.
Influencer marketing (IM) breaks this paradigm. IM is a different game altogether, and not just another media channel to reach your audience. Click here to find out more about our influencer marketing services.
Influencer marketing abandons the traditional deviation and instead, fuses ads into the content the audience seeks. Recognizing this, TikTok advises, “Don’t make ads, make TikToks.” The social media giant describes this guidance as, “an invitation [to brands] to be more creative, more authentic, and to create content that truly speaks to people.”The continuing growth of influencer marketing is part of an ongoing shift away from traditional channels to digital advertising. According to Media Focus’s 2021 annual summary, internet is now the dominant media group in Switzerland, with a 30% share of the media mix 2021, replacing TV.
Influencer marketing is never a standalone measure. For the best outcomes, it’s crucial to carefully sync timelines between media and influencer marketing campaigns.
— Martina Klieber, Publicity Manager at Universal Pictures Switzerland
People follow influencers because they genuinely like the person, or at least their content. Our social media friends may not always be in close physical proximity, but we feel close to them. Connections make digital friends, and social media serves as a direct channel into their lives. Many influencers are living normal lives that their followers can relate to. They might shop at the same stores, visit the same restaurants, and wear the same clothes. We could even imagine running into them in real life.
While influencers are people we admire, they are still living lives that are attainable, as opposed to hugely distanced celebrities. “Influencers are per se already more authentic than classic celebrities because they interact with and are connected with their communities, which they built up on social media from day one,” said Anja Lapčević, Co-CEO & Chief Influence Officer at Kingfluencers.
Classic celebrities conduct monologues, whereas influencers conduct dialogues. “Engagement and interactivity are much more possible with influencer marketing which is something that traditional advertising can never achieve,” said Yoeri Gabriel Callebaut, Co-CEO and Chief Growth & Marketing Officer at Kingfluencers.To their community members, an influencer can feel like part of their friendship circle, helping drive high levels of engagement. TikTok influencers are particularly close. Even smaller influencers have engagement rates of 17.96% on TikTok, as opposed to 3.86% on Instagram, and 1.63% on YouTube.
Although celebrities are more popular for advertisements due to their recognizability, influencers, on the other hand, would get direct feedback from their communities, positive and negative.
— Anja Lapčević, Co-CEO & Chief Influence Officer
All in all: “With influencer marketing, you can really reach specific communities that might be hard to reach with regular advertising,” said Yoeri.
Traditional ads always feature a product for purchase. Typically, the people featured are actors, and even when real spokespeople are used, it’s obviously advertising.
But IM is a distinct approach from regular advertising.
Partnering with influencers gives brands an authentic and relatable representative. Influencers can serve as a true face, a real person within settings that people relate to. These attributes make IM special, and the result is to bring brands into people’s inner circle. 4 in 10 millennial YouTube subscribers say their favorite influencer understands them better than their friends.Influencers are remarkable storytellers who are uniquely able to bridge the space between brands and people in order to establish powerful connections. Brands have the ability to select influencers who are already talking about their type of product. Careful selection results in ideal matches for seamless brand and influencer connections.
Another important aspect to look out for as a brand is the target audience of the influencer/s. If a female influencer’s audience is 80% male, an influencer marketing campaign for a women’s perfume would not work too effectively. If an influencer’s audience is 70% teenagers and students, an influencer marketing campaign for a designer bag would not deliver a great ROI. An influencer who doesn’t drink alcohol would not accept an offer for a beer campaign. The brand’s target audience should match as closely as possible with the target audience of the selected influencer/s.
In a wonderful display of transparency, Danish influencer Kellylouisekilljoy, acknowledged the stigma of influencer ads and expressed her appreciation for her community’s positive reception of ads. “It makes me so extremely happy because for me to continue to do content full time, it means I have to do ads…We don’t have Creator Fund in Denmark or any of the Nordic countries. Even if we did, it still wouldn’t be enough to make a standard my-adult-bills-are-paid salary.”
Kelly promised that the brands she works with are carefully selected and stated, “My mission is to make ads for you which both look and feel like my regular content. I refuse for you as my audience to feel like there are ad breaks when you scroll through my content page.” Such an honest overview of her approach to ads contributes to authenticity. Acknowledging her appreciation and respect for the audience helps build and solidify their trust.Writing for MarTech, Kim Davis states, “The growth of interest in short-form video and engagement with social channels that host it … Put that together with the soaring importance of social commerce, and the appetite among audiences for authentic content rather than just ads, and it’s easy to see influencer marketing as a mainstream marketing channel and not just an interesting add-on.”
2. Target group: As obvious as this sounds, it is crucial that the influencer’s and your brand’s target audiences align as closely as possible to ensure campaign success. Look at their active followers closely and be sure to ask the influencers for their stats. Also, make sure that the locations of the followers match with the locations of your target audience. There are many amazing Swiss influencers that have huge international followings but if you are a Swiss company that sells products in Switzerland only, make sure you select influencers with a high Swiss reach.
3. Authenticity: One great advantage that influencers have over classic celebrities is their authenticity. In most cases, influencers actually use the products or services that they make branded content for. Make the most of this and let your brand actually connect with the target audience instead of just bringing awareness.
4. Brand fit: Would the influencer likely use your products or services or do they already use them? It doesn’t even have to be an obvious choice, i. e. a beauty influencer for a face cream. A comedian, for example, could also participate in a campaign for the newest face cream. Be unique with your approaches while still making sure that the goals and objectives align.
5. Content & style: Look out for influencers that publish great quality content that also fit the brand/campaign. Most of the time, the quality of the content is better than the quantity of followers that the influencer has. You will be surprised: We know many micro and nano influencers that publish amazing branded content that are then used in the brands’ other marketing mediums, such as newsletters.
6. Community engagement: As important it is that the influencer’s target audience matches with your brand’s, it is important to also consider their engagement rates. What’s the point of an influencer’s target group that fits perfectly with yours but isn’t very active and therefore might not even notice the branded content from that influencer?
7. KPIs & stats: Before the customer searches and selects an influencer, they must know what requirements and expectations they have of the influencer. These must be clear and, above all, related to the medium of influencer marketing and not simply taken from classic advertising. Because with influencer marketing, you work with people and a community, not with machines or models.
8. Format & medium: Is your selected influencer in the platforms where your brand wants to be present? Is the influencer able to create the desired content in the right form? Does your brand want to use the content generated from the influencer marketing campaign in other medias? If so, then brands should brief the influencers accordingly to ensure the correct format and quality of the images/videos. Make sure that the influencer is familiar with that particular format, i. e. don’t expect high quality and artistic images from an influencer that mostly posts Reels or TikToks and vice versa.
9. Recognizability (for larger campaigns): As previously mentioned, the advantage that celebrities have over many influencers is that their faces are recognizable by the masses. Nowadays, many macro influencers are more recognizable and some even have celebrity status in their areas or even multinationally. Take advantage of that and add a few macro influencers in your influencer selection that fit your brand to spread awareness quickly and effectively. Macro influencers have not gained their success for no reason after all. Also, thanks to platforms like TikTok, new breakout-stars emerge weekly, due to viral contents that get pushed by the platforms’ algorithms
Kingfluencers worked on campaigns to promote V6 chewing gum. To highlight the unique health and well-being benefits of V6, the team chose influencers focused on health, nature, and an overall positive outlook. In one campaign, influencers shared a story in which they received the most beautiful compliment and why it made them smile, then encouraged their communities to share their own stories, achieving an engagement rate higher than average on Instagram and Facebook.
Picture: Zoe Torinesi for the V6 campaign
Within the last few years, there has been a clear shift in advertising mediums: Advertisers are investing less in traditional media and more in digital, especially mobile. According to GroupM’s global mid-year report (June 2020), traditional ad format spending is expected to fall by 20.7% while digital advertising will have up to a 67% market share by 2024 already.
While digital and mobile advertising has been continuing to rise, new formats have been trending. Live shopping and social selling are currently trending topics. To find out more about these two digital advertising formats as well as other predictions in social media and influencer marketing, click here for our free downloadable guide and click here to find out more about our influencer marketing services.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
Last October, Facebook changed its name to Meta. Upon hearing the news, it’s tempting to suspect the name change is an effort to escape the recent stains to the platform, as raised by the whistleblower. Of course, changing the name won’t undo any damage. Gartner vice president and analyst Chris Ross noted in calling it “a classic lipstick-on-the-pig scenario.” Whether that is in fact what it is or not, the future will tell. But one thing is sure, there is a whole lot of strategy and thinking behind the Metaverse and name changes aside, something big is in the making.
However, the Facebook social network is not changing its name. Instead, the company owning the social network changed its name to better represent the larger scope of their offerings. In his keynote address at the company’s annual “Connect” event on 28 Oct, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “From now on, we’re going to be the metaverse first. Not Facebook first. Facebook is one of the most used products in the world. But increasingly, it doesn’t encompass everything that we do. Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can’t possibly represent everything we are doing.”
Currently, Meta owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger, as well as online payments and hardware businesses.
“The term metaverse was coined originally by sci-fi novelist Neal Stephenson to describe a virtual world people escape to from a dystopian, real world.” The word metaverse, “has become popular among some venture capitalists in Silicon Valley [and] refers to tech services as virtual interconnected worlds.”
If you saw the latest Spider Man movie, don’t confuse the Metaverse with Multiverse, although the two are similar in that we could be seeing the start of a world where two realities coexist in parallel, with one living inside the other. If you haven’t seen the movie, think of The Matrix, but hopefully without the evil machines or social media companies sticking tubes in us to feed off of our dreams – yikes! All jokes aside, it feels a little bit like reality is taking a new turn with the birth of the Metaverse and it might just do exactly that.
An article on the Meta Newsroom describes the metaverse as, “a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.” The Verge describes the metaverse as, “partly a dream for the future of the internet and partly a neat way to encapsulate some current trends in online infrastructure, including the growth of real-time 3D worlds.”
Discussing the evolution of the internet, Zuckerberg wrote, “The next platform will be even more immersive — an embodied internet where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it. We call this the metaverse, and it will touch every product we build.”
“The defining quality of the metaverse will be a feeling of presence — like you are right there with another person or in another place. Feeling truly present with another person is the ultimate dream of social technology. That is why we are focused on building this.”
The founder’s letter includes a link to a film that explores how you might use the metaverse one day, which includes being able to teleport instantly as a hologram.
Zuckerberg wrote that, “the metaverse will not be created by one company… Our role in this journey is to accelerate the development of the fundamental technologies, social platforms and creative tools to bring the metaverse to life, and to weave these technologies through our social media apps.”
Facebook already has more than 10,000 employees building consumer hardware like AR glasses that Zuckerberg believes will eventually be as ubiquitous as smartphones. In order to make their services accessible to as many people as possible, Meta plans to sell their devices at cost or subsidized to make them available to more people. Meta has discussed opening physical stores to showcase its virtual reality and augmented reality devices.
Zuckerberg acknowledged the need to build privacy, safety, open standards, and interoperability into the metaverse from day one.
It’s strange to think of TikTok and Instagram as being “traditional” or “legacy” media, but the fact remains that these platforms, in their current iterations, lack the immersiveness of the Metaverse. In the future, will there still be space for such platforms or will they have to provide different experiences? Could it be that TikTok videos are almost out of date already?
As a successful international social media juggernaut, we certainly expect TikTok to stay relevant, so the real question becomes, how much will they have to change to maintain their dominance? Empowered with their current advantages such as high revenue and large audiences, TikTok could even potentially beat the Metaverse at their very own game.
While the battlefield will continue to change, the prize being fought for remains the same:
The Customer’s Attention
Content creators and brands alike need to earn the attention of customers, as well as their trust and fondness to retain that attention over time. If the Metaverse succeeds in capturing sizable portions of customer attention, all brands will need to enter the fray and compete within that arena.
Will AR and VR – at minimum – be required to win audiences? Even if there’s room for various platforms, should they adjust their formula accordingly or launch their own version of the metaverse? In particular, will brands be able to continue advertising within social media platforms in the current manner?
Consumer preferences shift overtime and those who get it wrong will lose important ground and face dwindling audiences. As the battlefield shifts, it will also expand. New social media formats will inevitably bring new audiences. But, of course, there will also be some cannibalization of existing audiences.
Currently, engagement rates are measured with interactions such as likes and comments. But the Metaverse will inevitably alter these metrics. The Metaverse allows different types of engagement that are more sensorial and intense. Our whole notion of measuring social media activities, engagement, and success must be rethought.
Finally, the chasm between the Metaverse and other platforms will be a much larger distinction than the current differences between Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. In parts 2 and 3, we’ll explore what this all means for the social media landscape and influencer marketing overall. In particular, what the impacts might be for the various players including brands, influencers, and consumers.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
Influencers’ followings range in size from niche with a relatively small following, to macro with a large reach. Influencers of varying community sizes each provide a different set of advantages and there are clear reasons why your brand should consider a healthy mix of influencers, including niche influencers, especially on TikTok.
It may be tempting to think, “The bigger the following, the better.” Many brands pay exorbitant fees to advertise to millions of viewers, such as during the World Cup and European Championship. But niche influencers, like niche publications and events, also offer excellent value to brands.
The reality of Influencer Marketing (IM) is that the size of an influencer’s audience is merely one attribute of many that should be considered. The key is to select influencers that best match your brand, your values, and campaign objectives.
For simplicity, influencers can be categorized according to their total number of followers. Although this is the easiest way to create classifications, influencers vary in numerous ways and how one would categorize audience sizes differs from country to country. What is considered a mid-level influencer in Germany or the UK for example would probably be seen as a macro-influencer in Switzerland given the different size of the total market. As such size reis relative when it comes to influencer marketing. But that’s not where the main trade-off happens. Engagement is the key-word. Often, the smaller following of nano and micro influencers corresponds to a closer connection to community which tends to translate to higher community engagement.
Macro influencers, with more than 100K followers in Swiss terms, deliver a broad reach and awareness. But working with influencers with smaller followings can increase focus and connection to the community, which drives engagement for brands.
Working with niche influencers also enables your brand to achieve a high degree of targeting. Forbes Councils Member Kelly Ehlers wrote, “A micro-influencer serves more niche audiences and can be beneficial to a brand because they provide access to a small subset of a targeted demographic interested in your business.” In some cases, niche influencers are necessary in order to properly reach your target audience, such as Swiss brands targeting only French-speaking Swiss people.
Of course, working with a macro influencer can increase your reach, but at a higher total cost. While the total cost is higher, you can reach millions of people, and therefore achieve a lower Cost Per Million (CPM). Because macro influencers are highly sought after, they may have fewer openings in their schedule and are less able to be agile and launch campaigns quickly, so advance-planning becomes even more important.
On the other hand, Cost per Engagement (CPE) tends to be lower with niche influencers. The rates of engagement are often higher than with macro influencers, making them a more cost-effective strategy for generating engagement. Smaller influencers generally have a closer connection to their relatively smaller community, driving higher engagement levels and resulting in an overall lower CPE.
Both attributes can be valuable, and brands need to build a strategy to achieve the delicate balance that fits each individual campaign. Finally, all influencers want to protect the following they’ve built, and that requires limiting paid promotions to retain authenticity and not exhaust or irritate the audience.
Similar to hosting a smaller party in your home, influencers with smaller followings have a higher degree of engagement. It’s possible for them to cater to the preferences of their community and engage in discussions with a higher percentage of people. These higher levels of engagement drive loyalty and make the audience relatively more likely to consider the advice provided by the influencer. According to Social Bakers, “Micro influencer accounts boast up to a 60% increased engagement rate compared to macro influencers.”
Niche influencers are considered experts in their specific niches and earn the trust and respect of their followers. Having developed the audience’s trust and connection, they can add a personal touch. For example, Eau Thermale Avène worked with Kingfluencers on a campaign in which influencers shared what they’d say to their younger selves. The campaign promoting PhysioLift Anti-Age products and included 13 micro, 5 mid-tier, and 2 macro-influencers publishingon Instagram and Facebook. Impressions were 40% higher than forecasted, with 74% higher engagement, and a total engagement rate of 3.4%. Influencer Valentine said, “I loved the idea of giving advice to the young me! I think it was personal and my followers love when I talk intimately with them.”
While influencers are an effective vehicle for connecting to your audience, they can also contribute their subject matter expertise and collaborate with you to develop creative campaign ideas. Most influencers have a profession with a high degree of specialized expertise, and as subject matter experts, they can help your brand be more creative, and bring fresh, creative ideas.
Nano and micro influencers won’t have the reach to drive mass awareness that macro influencers do, but they’re particularly effective at creating content in their own specific style and with great eye for detail. Nano influencers’ high level of engagement makes them skilled at generating content that resonates with their audience.
During the toughest pandemic moments, Sunrise, the largest non-state-controlled telecommunications company in Switzerland, wanted to spread positivity and inspire people to look to the future. Working with Kingfluencers, Sunrise launched a campaign working with 5 influencers; one micro, two small, and two macro. Impressions were 129% higher than forecasted, and the campaign achieved 1,276 link clicks, and 3,215 sticker taps.
Influencers are generally focused on a specific area, but niche influencers often take a narrower focus. For example, many influencers focus on travel and beauty, but niche influencers may focus on traveling with children or embracing natural hair. Instagram influencers, in particular, often have a dedicated focus. However, the lines are more blurred on TikTok, and comedy is a big driver. Whereas those following an Instagram beauty influencer may not expect humor, on TikTok a humorous approach is common across a range of topics.
TikTok’s algorithms are very different from Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. When users open the app, the TikTok ‘For You’ feed shows videos personalized to their individual interests. In June 2020, TikTok detailed the factors that contribute to the For You feed, as well as what it’s doing to ensure the system isn’t creating homogeneous filter bubbles. The app takes into account the videos you like or share, the accounts you follow, the comments you post, and the content you create, as well as if you watch a longer video from beginning to end.
TikTok explains, “To that end, sometimes you may come across a video in your feed that doesn’t appear to be relevant to your expressed interests or have amassed a huge number of likes. This is an important and intentional component of our approach to recommendation: bringing a diversity of videos into your For You feed gives you additional opportunities to stumble upon new content categories, discover new creators, and experience new perspectives and ideas as you scroll through your feed.”
This more discovery-based approach means TikTok posts by niche influencers have the opportunity to go viral.
Influencers of all sizes can benefit your brand in numerous ways. The most important thing is to select influencers that are a great fit with your brand and can help you achieve specific campaign goals. Contact Kingfluencers for help establishing campaign goals and finding your best matches for influencer marketing and TikTok services.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
Social media is used for more than posting holiday pictures or the outfit of the day. Many users, including influencers, are also bringing awareness to sociopolitical topics and encouraging their followers to take actions such as voting or participating in protests. What are the pros and cons of taking a stance, versus keeping politically neutral?
Whether you like it or not, politics is all around us and impacts our daily lives in many direct and indirect ways. It is a topic of discussion amongst family and friends. Compared to our neighboring countries, talking politics is still somewhat taboo in Switzerland. This phenomenon can be witnessed online as well, including in the behaviours of influencers. A good example is voting. Every few months, during initiative season, more and more creators and influencers are sharing information about the different initiatives. Many don’t share any pro or con information, but rather encourage their audience to vote. It is also clear to many, especially now, that politics does impact our daily lives. “Especially now, when the pandemic affected all of us, it is clear for all that politics has a huge impact on our personal lives,” according to Andri Silberschmidt, member of the Swiss National Council (FDP).
Influencers can have significant impacts on the outcomes of votes. For example, one might even say that the referendum for same-sex marriage and adoption rights, which was held on 26 September 2021, may have been overwhelmingly approved by Swiss voters thanks to the Komitee Ehe Für Alle’s marketing campaigns and social media. Many Swiss influencers, including those who normally don’t engage in sociopolitical dialogue, like Steven Epprecht, have stepped up and encouraged their community to vote “yes.” Also, content creators and casual social media users alike have voiced their opinions and shown their support. Even normally politically neutral brands like Ikea Switzerland have shown their support for the referendum both online and off.
On the one hand, just like many of us, most influencers are not political experts. On the other hand, influencers do have the power and an indirect responsibility to use their large reach and bring awareness to certain topics. This debate has gone on for years and was highlighted in last year’s Black Lives Matter movement where many influencers and content creators worldwide, with large and small communities, have spoken up. The fact is, whether influencers talk about political issues or choose not to, they get criticized.
Of course, influencers are not obligated to talk about political issues, just as politicians are not obligated to “run a lifestyle blog or write travelogues,” as Michael Walter put it nicely. As a rule of thumb, Andri Silberschmidt recommends that only those who are enthusiastic about it should get involved online. Everyone does have the right and privilege to form their own opinion and vote in Switzerland.
Influencers have a large reach and can influence the perception of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people. If they can influence their audiences to buy a product, why shouldn’t they influence their audience to make positive changes in the world and discuss political issues? As lifestyle blogger and digital entrepreneur, Slavia Karlen, said: “Not speaking out on political issues is a missed opportunity to engage in political dialogue.” Swiss politician and member of the Swiss National Council, Andri Silberschmidt, agrees with this statement: “I think it’s cool and I’m always happy when influencers participate in political discourse. Even if they don’t have the same opinion as I do, it’s still enriching because it encourages discussion.”
Another reason why influencers should be involved in sociopolitical issues, especially if they are passionate about certain topics, is that they can change the world in positive ways. As musician and outspoken influencer Moo Malika said in our Clubhouse talk in April 2021, “I actually always think to myself, angry people have changed the world. It wasn’t those who didn’t dare to say something, but those who spoke out and took to the streets. I am of the opinion that one must draw attention to wrongdoings.” Generation Z in particular, doesn’t necessarily listen to politicians or traditional celebrities, but they can be swayed by their favorite influencers.
Influencers have a unique position to inform and educate, and must act responsibly in wielding that power. Influencers can provide a platform to their communities and amplify their voices for causes that are near to their hearts.
Of nearly 5.5 million Swiss residents who are eligible to vote, in the year 2020, 49.3% have participated in votes. According to the Department of Swiss Youth Parliaments, almost half of Swiss voters between the ages of 66 and 75 always vote, whereas nearly two-thirds of voters between the ages of 18 and 35 either never vote or seldomly. Younger voters tend to vote selectively, only participating in initiatives that they truly care about. As observed in recent Swiss initiatives, like the referendum for same-sex marriage and adoption rights in September 2021, social media has made a huge impact and significantly increased the participation of young voters. Influencers, content creators, and casual social media users alike have encouraged their communities to go to the ballot box and it worked: The participation rate of eligible Swiss voters has increased to 52.6% and 64.10% have voted yes.
On the other hand, if not carefully managed and properly communicated, voicing one’s opinion can lead to something that many influencers fear: being canceled. This happened, for example, with ex-freestyle skier Miriam Jäger, who still has her comments limited to this day due to her stories in June 2020 where she spoke critically about the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in numerous major Swiss cities. This also cost her an influencer deal with Swiss Post.
One plain reason why influencers should not be involved in political issues is the fact that they are not political experts. As beauty and lifestyle content creator Anastasia Casaluci said: “That’s what politicians are for. We can’t do it all. Many people simply don’t know enough about the subject, and I think that certain things should simply be left to the experts in the fields.”
Furthermore, influencers have more than their community watching their every move. Important stakeholders such as agencies, employers, and the press always stay up-to-date with their influencers’ online activities. One wrong move and an influencer’s career can be negatively impacted. This is why entrepreneur, model, and content creator Michael Walter usually keeps a distance when it comes to speaking out about sociopolitical issues: “I keep asking myself how far I should go on social media and to what extent I should express my opinion on sociopolitical issues.”
Another simple reason why influencers don’t get involved in political issues is the fact that they lead very busy lives with multiple jobs and the different hats they wear as influencers, i. e. administrator, bookkeeper, marketer, writer, photographer etc. Most influencers in Switzerland work part-time as influencers. Being an influencer consists of more than posting images and videos and answering comments on social media. There are a lot of hours of work that goes behind one post. “And with (a) job(s), family, dog, etc. — there is not much time left to politicize”, as digital creator Fabio Zerzuben has said frankly.
Talk quickly about the fact that one big question is: what is RIGHT? For example you might think that Donald Trump is a bad person and should not win elections because his program is bad but this is all very personal, universal values aside, and for someone else he might be the right choice. Or abortion might seem murder to you, but not to a rape victim … so one very crucial point to take into account is that before speaking up and influencing people you better be 100% certain you’re on the right side of history and if not or or if you don’t have all the info to make a very informed statement should you even be influencing people as someone with the power to do so ? ethical question to be considered !
Throughout history, powerful people have acted in ways that have been revealed to be misinformed and even dangerous, such as doctors promoting cigarette smoking. When influencers consider taking a stand on an issue, it’s important they’re well-informed. From an ethical standpoint, influencers wield power and must be certain they’re acting responsibly.
If you do choose to dialogue about sociopolitical issues, we have listed some tips for influencers as well as everyone engaging on social media. The following are exclusive tips from our influencers, as well as Andri Silberschmidt, along with guidance from the Conscious Influence Hub (CIH).
TikToker wemmse stated: “Online, I only comment on a topic when I feel well informed and confident in my position. But I often put enlightening posts in my story so that those who want to inform themselves can do so.”
Always fact check. Check your information sources and educate yourself before informing others.
Consider adding humor, particularly if you don’t usually post serious content. Satirist Hamza Raya says: “Indirectly, I participate by contributing to the formation of opinion as a satirist.”
As an influencer, your words could have consequences if you don’t watch out. Blogger and sustainability activist Anina Mutter has set some ground rules for herself from the beginning of her career as a blogger: “My basic rules are that I only express myself when I am actually sure that I can stand behind my statement and that I know what I am talking about (of course, I can be wrong there, too). I also seek advice from experts when I am unsure. Or I just allow myself (for the time being) not to say anything if I am not sure.” Slavia warns: “You have to be careful what you say, because if you have even a minimally different opinion, this can unfortunately very quickly end in a shitstorm.”
Educate and suggest, but don’t impose. Understand that what’s right for you might not be right for someone else irrespective of their motives.
Speak mostly with facts rather than emotion. Speak with emotion only when the objective facts support your claims.
Don’t aggressively attack or offen. While respecting everyone’s opinion, be constructive in finding common ground rather than fighting.
There is no such thing as a wrong opinion. Even when disagreeing, act with good manners and propriety.
Even if they don’t have the same opinions as you.
For example, if you are an influencer for an organic farmer and have a clear opinion for environmental protection, say so from the beginning instead of someone finding out later and not taking your opinion seriously afterward. It must be clear that you are expressing your opinion for ideological reasons and not for financial ones.
Don’t use the platforms to just announce your opinion, but to promote discussions and find solutions.
On 28 November, we will vote on the Judge initiative and the Nursing initiative, which many nurses and healthcare professionals are advocating on social media for people to vote YES. A vote will also be held on the amendment of the COVID-19 act. The act is highly controversial and widely discussed on social media, and even billboards.
There are many pros and cons to engaging in political debates, and it’s ultimately a personal decision. It’s reasonable for influencers to want to stay out of the fray, but for those who boldly enter, it’s vital to do so responsibly and ethically. They must be cognizant of the potential impact of their actions, and remain respectful of differing views.
And to all Swiss people out there – your vote is your voice, so go vote! Although it might feel like your vote won’t really matter, it will always make a difference.
Author: Sherriene Redha, Junior Social Media and Community Manager
Co-Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing
It’s now possible to measure marketing more precisely and efficiently than in decades past. Measuring outcomes is also much less expensive. No need to bring in consumers for focus groups. Social media platforms and Google Analytics give you insights for free.
So how do you know if your SoMe efforts are successful and why/not? Figuring out how you are doing and what is working and what isn’t is important to get the most out of your social media activities.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and social media “success” is in the judgment of the brand. There is no single set of benchmarks that explicitly define success, but Kingfluencers has provided some frameworks and guidance below.
We’ve seen too many brands, even established, global brands, lacking a real strategy for their social media. The execution of tactics, such as making posts, doesn’t imply the presence of a strategy behind them. Instead, the tactics are often ad hoc and random, sometimes even outdated and detrimental, leading to negative consequences and missed opportunities. But brands can move in the right direction by leveraging expertise to establish objectives and build structured plans to achieve targeted goals.
Measure SoMe results against your unique goals. You may want to drive a specific and measurable action, such as email signups or purchases. On the other hand, your social media campaigns may be driving awareness and thus your goals may be impressions and reach.
If your content naturally lends itself to amusing posts and you’re targeting a younger generation, you may find more success on TikTok. For example, Ceylor Switzerland, the most popular condom company here in Switzerland, uses humor accompanied by pop music to inform the public of the importance of safe sex.
However, if you offer something that’s inherently visual, such as fashion or home decor, Instagram might be your best fit. Instagram is also used more heavily by women, making products such as makeup more likely to thrive on the platform.
This is not to say that you should eliminate other platforms from your efforts. Rather, make a distinction between your core platforms on which you focus investment, and moderate your expectations for any ‘add on’ platforms that don’t align as closely.
If you’re a clothing boutique with a single location, don’t compare yourself to a large chain like H&M, Chicorée, or Tally Weijl. If you’re a niche kitchen tool, such as the AeroPress, don’t compare yourself to a mega-brand like KitchenAid. Look for benchmarks for your particular industry, and consider what most closely matches your business. In the end, monitoring progress is the most important thing. Gather data to establish a baseline so you can begin to measure changes.
It is always important to track your metrics over time and see where you are heading. If your metrics are trending in a positive direction in response to your efforts, then you should feel good about that progress and if possible reinforce the factors that contributed to this. Trends and progress are extremely important metrics of success and tell you that your efforts are having an impact.
And when you view trends moving in the opposite direction, investigate and look at the whole picture. Maybe your reach declined, but if the engagement went up, that could be a success. It simply depends on your goals. Of course, it could indicate a failure, such as a message that didn’t resonate, but even then, you’ve gained real-world data to back up your hypotheses and know what to avoid moving forward. The crucial aspect here is not just understanding in which direction you are evolving, but especially why and what the impact on your business is likely to be. Once you understand those things you can take corrective action when needed.
Sometimes it also helps to look back at past successes and failures and see if perhaps you have seen certain patterns before and what you were able to learn from then or how you were able to take control.
Kingfluencers’ contributing author Megan Bozman gave us a great example to illustrate this point: “One of my clients paid a SoMe consultant who was regularly getting their Twitter account locked due to following and unfollowing large quantities of accounts. Twitter places technical limits on how many Twitter accounts you can follow.
“That seemed like a red flag, so I dug deeper and discovered that, despite posting on behalf of a B2B tech firm, she was following accounts as varied as adult nightclubs, individuals selling soap, and accounts dedicated to political rants. While these ‘follow for follow back’ techniques did indeed increase the number of followers on Twitter as well as Instagram, this couldn’t reasonably be considered successful. And that was clearly revealed when I suggested we look at engagement and click-through rates.”
The moral of the story is quite simple – When you measure the wrong metrics or measure the right ones but from the wrong point of view, for example by focusing on quantity versus quality, it really does not tell you much about your performance. In fact you might believe you are on the right track while in fact you are doing the opposite or even causing damage to your brand.
There are many other facets of marketing in which the wrong metrics can masquerade as the correct ones, and thus fool businesses into thinking marketing activities are advantageous. For example, when considering website traffic, total visitors is indeed important, but also consider metrics such as bounce rate, time on site, returning visitors, and pages per visit. A high and growing click-through-rate is also important, but additionally look at subsequent conversion rates. It’s not so great to have many people clicking your ads if none of them ever buy.
SoMe teams can’t merely tick the box of “followers.” Make sure you measure success based on metrics that actually have an correlation with and impact on your relevant business performance. Often absolute numbers or topline metrics like ‘followers’ or ‘website visitors’ tell you very little about how you are really performing. A more nuanced measurement is required involving qualitative and quantitative angles combined.
We’ve already mentioned a few of the most common social media metrics that are definitely worth monitoring, including:
One of the most important metrics here is definitely engagement. Although one might argue that engagement is over-used and ask what it really means, chances are big that when a person has actually engaged with your content they have absorbed the message you were trying to get across or at least part of it and hence the content has created a ‘moment’ between your brand and the person. Those moments matter because the more positive moments you achieve, the more people will feel connected to your brand.
But we suggest you also consider a few different Key Performance Indicators to assess social media performance. Some are difficult to quantify, but still worth monitoring. Here are some suggestions:
Follower Community Composition: Consider the composition of the follower community. Ideally, they’ll closely align with the target audience you want to connect with and nurture, so they’re likely to ‘convert’ to customers or donors, in accordance with your goals.
Platform Customization: As noted, while some platforms might be a better fit, you don’t need to abandon those which don’t align perfectly. Are you customizing your content to adapt to each platform where you post?
User-Generated Content (UGC): It’s great to have loyal fans, but are they engaged and how many are mentioning your brand? Are you making use of UGC? Content generated by brand fans and advocates can be very valuable and boost community engagement.
Campaign Results: Evaluate standard metrics, but on an individual campaign/contest- basis.
Creativity & Variety: Evaluate your efforts for variety and ensure it’s not all one-note. Are you experimenting with a wide variety of attributes, such as:
Brand Consistency Across Channels: Are you staying consistent with your brand values and messaging, including when taking other channels into consideration? Research shows that keeping your brand message consistent across channels increases brand trust and purchase intention significantly. The importance of brand consistency is often very wrongfully understated.
Agility and Alignment: Are you successfully synchronizing social media with your entire marketing mix and channels (e.g. newsletters, website, events, promos, etc.)? Are you responding swiftly to new trends and incoming comments? Are you repurposing content to maximize value? Are you effectively executing new campaign ideas within a reasonable timeframe? When done properly social media can greatly reinforce your marketing activities in other areas, such as boosting sales and conversion campaigns. Maintaining a holistic view has many benefits by exploiting naturally occurring synergies between marketing areas.
Internal Participation: How many employees are advocating your brand publicly? CEOs and other leaders are part of the face of your brand. You should channel and grow their enthusiasm.
You might ask yourself, ‘why do these things really matter? What is the consequence of all this when I get it right?’ There are a bunch of reasons but probably the most important one is that all this has an effect on how your brand or organization is perceived online. Do you generate a positive perception of your brand? Are consumers’ perceptions of your brand in line with what you’re communicating? Are your social media efforts perceived as authentic? Brand perception is key to making sure people respect and trust your brand and ultimately intend to buy it. By getting the points above right chances are that you will create the brand perception that reinforces your desired positioning and helps you get your message across. Once that is achieved, a big part of your marketing task is achieved and your social media activities are actually generating real impact for your business.
Once all the above is settled and you are measuring your performance in the right way, it’s time to evaluate how your social media efforts are really performing and where you might need to improve. If you see that your social media activities are not reaching your goals, you can take a series of actions to improve, such as:
One way to evaluate your social media performance using the right metrics is by creating an evaluation framework for your organization. Don’t know where to get started? Below is an example that can be used to do a first topline qualitative evaluation of how you are doing and where you might need to improve, before diving into the nitty-gritty numbers.
A variety of social media analytics tools are available to help. Social media marketing, and influencer marketing in particular, are powerful tools that can empower your brand to forge emotional connections, increase revenue, and strengthen consumer loyalty. With a structured approach, you can optimize each part of your campaigns and drive excellent ROI. Working with an agency such as Kingfluencers can boost your efficiency by accessing expertise and innovative technology.
Author: Megan Bozman, Owner @Boz Content Marketing