The influencer profession is one of the most sought after today. Half of young Americans dream of such a “job”, and in China there are already courses at universities where applicants learn what it means to earn a living from social media activities. In addition, the Lower Danube University in Galaţi has announced that it will hold a series of courses for bloggers, vloggers and influencers in the near future, which is proof that this phenomenon is taking deeper roots in Romania as well.

On the other hand, companies are increasingly interested in working with influencers. Recent analysis shows that the number of profile campaigns in 2022 has increased 4 times compared to previous years.

The biggest brands hope to develop meaningful and profitable relationships with influencers and, ultimately, customers. That’s why it’s critical that all marketing managers who develop collaborations with content creators stay up-to-date on the latest trends and transformations in influencer marketing.

The fifth Influencer Marketing Conference, the most important event dedicated to influencer campaigns in Romania and Eastern Europe, was recently held in Bucharest. The special guest was Vic Hagram, Senior Influencer Marketing Manager at Ketchum UK, the company represented locally by GRF+. Vic was recently named to the Influencer Top 50 2020, an annual list of the top 50 marketing professionals with influencers worldwide. With 8 years experience in influencer marketing, he is a regular presence at UK shows, events and profile publications.

Why do brands need influencers today?

Influencer marketing is quickly becoming a mainstream way to disrupt your audience. People are spending more and more time on social media and moving away from traditional entertainment platforms such as television. We’re seeing influencers create their own social media series, and audiences log in on a specific day each week to follow their favorite creators. Marketers must adapt to this new normal, with influencers leading the way as trusted ambassadors for brands that align with their vision.

Does influencer marketing affect every brand?

Absolutely not! It’s very easy to come up with a campaign idea and add “oh, and we’re going to work with influencers too.” This is no longer enough, and the entire strategy of cooperation with influencers must be well thought out together with other forms of PR and marketing. When you start working in more detail, and get an influencer expert to help you outline the idea, you’ll soon see if a brand or campaign is a good fit for influencer marketing.

What is the first thing you would say to a brand manager or CMO interested in launching an influencer marketing campaign?

Audience, audience, audience, audience. WHO are you trying to contact? This will lead you to a segment of people that will lead you to the right platforms and then the right influencers for that campaign based on their passions and interests.

What are the characteristics of a successful influencer marketing campaign? / What is the “influencer marketing must” that marketers often overlook?

Inclusive creativity and a truly representative talent pool are imperative to trying to reach all audiences. Representation really does matter, some of the reaction videos to the new Little Mermaid trailer were a great opportunity to see the joy on people’s faces as they saw themselves represented on a huge stage. To ensure representativeness, the creative idea of ​​a campaign must ensure that it does not exclude a group of people and that it is open to all creators to participate.

When choosing an influencer and creating a campaign, what personal guidelines do you follow?

We need to stop obsessing over influencers’ audience engagement as a benchmark for brands to “allow” influencers to choose. Digital tools are not yet able to truly understand the nuances of Influencer Marketing. The best way to understand a person’s influence is to dig deeper into their online profile, published content, and follow them over time to see how they interact with their audience. The popularity metrics that digital tools give you are useful, but only up to a point.

What are the most effective social channels for Influencer Marketing?

Wherever the brand audience is.

How can we ensure the quality of their (influencers’) creativity?

Understanding their creative process during negotiations and the briefing process will help you understand how to work with them to get the best out of them. No two influencers are the same, so developing relationships with them and their agents is important. It is a collaboration between an agency and an influencer, as well as between a brand and an influencer.

What are the risks of influencer marketing? For brands, that is…

Influencers are people, and people can be a risk factor. There are ways to mitigate this, and it’s not just about using vanity tools and metrics to decide whether or not an influencer should participate in a campaign. Some tools offer sections that analyze the language used by influencers as well as the quality of their audience in terms of how “real” it is. Their use can help reduce some of the risks associated with working with influencers, but this is not a guarantee. By following an influencer over a period of time, you can better understand their values ​​and perspectives and whether they align with your brand.

Where do you think influencer marketing will be in 10 years?

The only way up! We are witnessing a huge increase in the number of natural born social media stars making the transition to mainstream media. This will only increase as social media becomes a breeding ground for a new generation of talent not only in media but also in music, art, fashion, sports and more. When this happens, brands and networks will need people on their teams who truly understand the online space and have years of experience working with influencers and talent to help them truly unlock the full potential of influencers and enable them to attract, engage and excite the audience online and offline.

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