Page 24 - AeM_April_2020

BEST
PRACTICES
& Partnerships are increasingly being formed between
STRATEGIES
brands and influencers in which both brands and
advertisers are looking for long-term commitments.
More and more influencers reject short-term and one-
off campaigns, opting instead for a closer relationship
with a selected brand over a longer period of time. A
partnership gives influencers the opportunity to position
themselves clearly with the beloved brands and
promote the development of products in cooperation Instagram App (IGTV video) gains momentum
with them. Certainly, the brand benefits from the fact IGTV video is an app that essentially is Instagram's
that if the influencer gains more trust among his/her answer to YouTube in that it's designed for the mobile-
fans by spending more time with products from the optimized viewing of long-form videos. Any user can
brand, the promotion is more effective and sales will set up his/her own channel and share video content
increase. By not only briefly reporting on specific that's up to an hour long. Since the introduction of the
products, as part of large-scale campaigns, but instead video function on posts on Instagram itself in June
by doing so permanently, influencers increase their 2018, the number of views has increased significantly
credibility. By emphasizing real affinity for the product, and the format is booming. Given the similar growth on
they represent a trustworthy and authentic source of other social media platforms, it is becoming clear that
information for decision-making when considering a longer videos are the next big growth driver for
potential purchase.
influencer marketing on Instagram. Because
influencers will be able to connect with their followers
Real interaction instead of faked reach
even more intensively - in a way that only YouTube or
In early development phases, social media platforms comparable video platforms previously made possible.
integrated the so-called "vanity metrics" that refers to
social media indicators such as follower reach, likes, It can be expected that IGTV will continue to grow and
shares and comments. Marketers focused heavily on become more important in the future, especially since
these visible metrics that (supposedly) allowed monetization options are finally being introduced in
statements about reach, but the industry metrics addition to the support of influencers: Influencers can
already started to change since marketers became currently include affiliate links to the brands shown and
aware that such flashy analytics are just satisfying on their products in their IGTV videos. In the future it will
paper, but don't move the needle for the business be possible to introduce a direct in-app checkout in
goals. They offer positive reporting, but no context for IGTV. Overall, Instagram is increasingly becoming a
future marketing decisions -- something actionable one-stop shop in which brands and opinion leaders can
metrics can do. Hubspot, for instant, started to invoke depict or at least start a complex customer journey:
more than two years ago to stop measuring these from the announcement of a new product by
vanity metrics in your marketing campaign. What the influencers to the exchange of experience in comments
expert points out is that marketers shouldn’t get blinded and tutorials IGTV up to the purchase through links to
by the large numbers but look closely as they will find shops. It is high time for companies and brands to deal
out that the vanity metrics don't say much about the with this development.
actual “success” of an influencer.
Unfortunately, standards for content licensing between
Instagram already started to hide the number of likes advertisers and influencers are still in their infancy,
(e.g. in Australia, Ireland and Canada) which bringing though cross-channel advertising with influencer
the end of the vanity metrics near. In general, social content is becoming increasingly popular. Many
media platforms evolve to support influencers and marketers are already highlighting the potential for
marketers in creating key figures that enable a deeper broader content usage, but there is often uncertainty
impact measurement and make the relevance of about the exact ways in which licensed content can be
advertising messages measurable. This way, specific used. Influencers, on the other hand, already started to
key figures become interesting, e.g. the number of use professional technologies more often to ensure
direct messages in response to a story, how often a high-quality content. ◊
photo or video is saved, the degree of brand relevance By Daniela La Marca
in the comments of a post or the emoji reactions to a
story.

April 2020: Social Commerce & Influencer Marketing: social shopping as the future of commerce 24