How to build a successful marketing strategy with Influencers and great content

Digital marketing is expanding in a world of almost infinite possibilities, where every bit of strategy matters: there’s always the alternative that the one you chose a might not perform well on its own. In that scenario, content marketing and influencer marketing are two sides of the same coin and they could and must work together to build a strong strategy.

Everyone involved in the business can use marketing tools to reach greater success and higher interaction with their brand. So the question becomes, what kind of initiatives should be used? In 2018 there are many different types of marketing strategies so it can be hard to keep up with them all, let alone know which one would be best for you or your company. According to HubSpot, 55% of brands know they need a content distribution strategy, but only 26% are willing to pay to do that. There’s two kinds of marketing strategies that are showing great success right now; influencer marketing and content marketing. Although they have some similarities, they are actually quite different.

How great content can catch your targeted audience’s attention

The Content Marketing Institute defines content marketing as “the process of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage an audience with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” This kind of marketing is well known and well received. However, there are some limitations to what will work. The quality of your content plays a prominent role in the success – or the failure – of a marketing campaign. Customers want to experience informative content, rather than promotional. They don’t want to feel as though you are pushing a product on them. Besides, content must be authentic, engaging and, above all, useful. It is better to position your brand as a resource for your audience, in the fields that interest them.

Loyalty to your products will come once the initial relationship has been established.

To get a better understanding of what your audience wants to see, it’s always better to conduct some market research to determine what interests them. You can look at previously published content and compare what has been successful within your demographic. It’s important to know what your audience likes, dislikes, and responds to in general, not just about your company. Producing this kind of content will show that you care about the audience and understand what’s happening within your target community.

There are a number of different content marketing variations you can try. One of the simpler strategies is creating and maintaining a blog. With this platform, you allow yourself the opportunity to continuously post articles on subjects your community cares about. It’s a great place to position yourself as a resource or “go-to” spot for information on your industry. Other methods include different mediums of content such as video or podcasts. These forms of content are more popular than ever, and some consumers even prefer it to written content. According to Brightcove’s blog, “brands that use videos can expect to see an average increase of 157% in organic traffic from search engines.”

In addition to these content formats, the list goes on. There are more traditional forms such as infographics and interviews. You can also explore trendier types of content like GIFs, memes, and general social media.

Content marketing is beneficial for many reasons. It is relatively inexpensive, which means it can lead to a considerable ROI. This kind of marketing plan can also support other projects you’re working on. It proves to be efficient because it can blend into other strategies such as creating additional content for social media, and it may help to boost your SEO.

Influencer Marketing: find the right match for your brand

If you think you’ve never heard, witnessed, or been affected by influencer marketing, think again! This form of marketing is being used equally, if not more often than content marketing. First of all, to engage your audience with influencer marketing, you need to create an ideal influencer persona that fits your brand’s needs: once you find it/them, you can start working with your chosen personality and having them market your brand or product for you. Although many people assume this happens with big celebrities who have millions of followers, that’s not necessarily the most efficient or effective route. Depending on the influencer you want to work with, the price can vary. Thanks to micro-influencers, this might not be as expensive as you once thought.

The term micro-influencer has become a bigger topic within the past year, and for good reason. These are influencers with a smaller following of around 10,000 to 100,000 across social media. Because they aren’t as well known or a “big name” they often charge less, and might even accept some products or social shoutout in return for mentioning your brand.

Influencers with a smaller following tend to come across as more authentic than well-known celebrities, who clearly only talk about a product for the money. Most often micro-influencers share a product or brand because they truly like it, and want to share their honest thoughts and advice to followers. It’s an authentic way for influencers to connect with their followers and build trust in the long run.

These influencers share your product by creating video reviews, Instagram posts and stories, and tweets. With more than 700 million people using social media per month, these methods can be vital when trying to grow a business.

If you’re more concerned with getting your product or content to a larger number of people, influencer marketing is becoming the chosen strategy for this. It is almost guaranteed you will reach your intended target audience, as long as you choose the right influencer to work with. Choosing an influencer involves several steps: look at their social accounts, see if they’re interacting with followers and have a positive following. Be sure to check and see if their tone matches your brand and mission – it’s important to work with someone that seems like a natural fit.

Audiences can immediately tell if a product doesn’t match what other things the influencer is typically supporting. It’s imperative that the influencer’s message doesn’t seem forced and they’re genuinely happy to talk about your product.

Which kind of strategy should you use?

Both content and influencer marketing are successful strategies and have been proven to work. In the end, choosing one depends on what you are trying to promote.

For example, if you’re trying to spread the word about a new product launch, influencer marketing is a great way to go. If you’re just trying to promote your brand or message to a larger market, content marketing techniques such as blogging or interviews would be a good choice. If you can’t decide, try both! Marketing is an important tool for all companies, and it wouldn’t hurt to learn about all forms and incorporate each into your business plan.