We read a quote that reads “your vibe attracts your tribe,” and it immediately prompted a thought about influencers in the marketing sphere. When a brand begins to consider if an influencer program is right, there is undoubtedly a checklist to go through. How large is their reach? Are they credible? Can their organic content attract new brand fans? Truthfully, harnessing the power of influencers is to understand your “tribe” well enough to find the right person to meet those vibes. Here are a few ways we help our clients develop influencer programs that energize brand momentum.

The Challenge

Consumers are increasingly savvy and skeptical of anything that even resembles an advertisement. Ever scrolled past a TikTok that was clearly an ad? Or sighed with relief when your adblocker did its job? According to BlockThrough’s March 2021 survey, so do 40% of U.S internet users. With such little desire to engage with online ads, marketers must navigate the tricky challenge of meeting consumers where they are, organically, in a way that feels trustworthy. Faced with such skepticism and distrust, our challenge for a variety of our partners became overcoming the ad fatigue consumers face. One way brands can establish authentic connections with target audiences is through influencer campaigns that forge momentum with a message that is real and meaningful.

The Strategy

Getting to know your brand through “a person like me” is viewed as credible to 61% of the respondents in the latest annual Edelman research – making influencer partnerships an incredibly powerful tool in your marketing kit.

This research also shines a spotlight on the level of sway influencers hold over branded content, with nearly two out of every three participants viewing influencers they follow as the true experts in whatever industry, lifestyle or hobby they promote. Three recent influencer campaigns we helped manage drove the authentic link to those brands and delivered great results.

ABC Supply

When promoting ABC Supply’s Homes For Our Troops donation campaign that took place at the Indy 500, we reached out to influencers in the racing space. We knew that race fans would be receptive to the message of the Indy 500 campaign, but they might not be familiar with the ABC Supply brand. Racing influencers would bridge the gap by sharing the campaign with their followers.

Oregon

Oregon^® wanted to tap into the tight-knit community of forestry and landscaping professionals that exists online. Working with influencers in these spaces to create how-to content and showcase products in action allowed us to get Oregon’s products in front of its target audience in an authentic way. Influencers were also integrated into theCrew™️, Oregon’s community of brand ambassadors and loyal customers, with profiles on theCrew webpage.

Culver’s

After working with hundreds of influencers on individual campaigns, Culver’s was longing for an even deeper connection between its brand and the influencers it worked with and, in turn, between the influencers and their followers. We devised an ongoing campaign with a group of influencers who are loyal Culver’s fans to create content and build relationships with Culver’s throughout the year, including attending an exclusive event to get a behind-the-scenes look at Culver’s headquarters. We selected influencers who had created authentic content for Culver’s in the past and/or had expressed a love for the brand outside of working with Culver’s.

The Impact

Working with influencers allowed each of our clients to gather trust in a sphere of influence that felt authentic and organic.

ABC Supply reached a new audience of racing fans who shared their excitement for ABC Supply’s special IndyCar design and helped drive massive donations for the nonprofit Homes For Our Troops. The word of mouth from Indy influencers resulted in over $1 million in donations from the public, a total matched by ABC Supply, leading to a whopping $2 million for the nonprofit.

Influencers who worked with Oregon saw engagement rates as high as 2.4% on Instagram and 11.2% on TikTok, far above the platforms’ averages of 0.67% and 4.1%, respectively. Consumers interacted with the posts, asking influencers for advice and sharing their reactions of Oregon’s products.

Culver’s updated their long-term influencer approach, leading to an average engagement rate of 5.6% for influencer partners. The influencers who had built recurring relationships with Culver’s created more engaging, authentic content because they were familiar with the brand and were truly fans of the food — and it resonated with their followers.

Ultimately, activating influencer partnerships that are based in authenticity builds campaigns that drive serious engagement and can build brand trust with your audience.

TL;DR?

The Possible: Creating authentic connections with your target.

The Proven: Partnering with the right influencers drives engagement among your audience.

Interested in building trust with your audience through influencer programs that move your bottom line? Email Nate Tredinnick at ntredinnick@hiebing.com to set up a call.