Are you wondering how you can choose the best social media platforms for your Influencer Marketing campaigns? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. It can be a daunting, confusing task that can trip up even the best of marketers. Over the last few years, there has been a significant rise in social media users globally. According to Statista, a leading market and consumer data provider, 2021 has recorded 4.6 billion social media users worldwide and counting. This surge is no longer surprising as more and more people have integrated social media into their daily routines. Social media paved the way for not just connecting people, but for businesses to reach their audience. It also gave birth to a new trend in the world of business advertisement—Influencer Marketing. 

Many businesses have done away with the conventional way of promoting their products and service and embraced the inclination of consumers to be more online savvy. Companies collaborate with social media influencers—those who have built a following through their online creation—in promoting their brands, products, and services. Influencers usually promote via  sponsored content aimed at spreading awareness and eventually selling products and services. With so many social media platforms readily available, it can be tricky trying to decide which ones are best for your Influencer Marketing campaign.

How Can You Choose the Right Social Media Platforms for Your Influencer Marketing Campaign?

So, let’s say you have your heart set on a Facebook Influencer Marketing activation and you want to increase visits to a website. In your mind, that would be the ROI golden ticket. Do you know for certain that Facebook is the right place for your brand? At the end of the campaign, do you think you’ll be happy with the results? Will all of that hard work pay off?

Crafting an influencer marketing activation may get your creative juices flowing, but without focusing on results for your next sure-to-be-award-winning campaign, you’re not likely to improve your company’s bottom line. The last thing you want to do is run a Twitter campaign when your goal is to increase awareness on Instagram. So, how can you maximize creativity while adhering to strategy and following a process?

1. Set measurable campaign goals.

At the outset of each campaign, answer the questions:

  • What will success look like on this campaign?
  • How will we measure it?

Let’s say you are working on a campaign to promote pet-friendly travel. The “Fido Flies to Finland” campaign is focused on traveling on planes with furry friends. One goal of the campaign could be the following: Increase awareness of pet-friendly travel content on blogs and YouTube from 1.2MM to 3MM impressions and views by December 31. Specifically, drive 700K impressions across five social media platforms and 1MM video views on YouTube to the Fido Flies to Finland campaign.”

Since that is a substantiated goal, you know that you want to drive traffic to blog posts, YouTube, and five other social media platforms. In this case, you’ll want to run a Blog Tour or YouTube campaign. The main content will live on blogs and YouTube, and the rest of the shares will be amplifications on five other social media platforms.

2. Analyze and select an Influencer Marketing activation.

Now that you have a measurable goal, what activation(s) will help you reach the goal? 

  • Affiliate marketing
  • Ambassador programs
  • Blog posts
  • Conference and/or retreat sponsorship
  • Creative assets for marketing purposes (rights to professional photography or videos, content, etc.)
  • Demos (cooking demos, DIY workshops, photography classes, etc.)
  • Display advertising
  • eNewsletter campaigns (dedicated blasts or features in weekly or monthly publications)
  • Live events (in home, at corporate headquarters, on location, etc.)
  • Facebook Live broadcasts
  • Live stories (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat)
  • Podcasts
  • Ratings and reviews on a brand’s website
  • Recipes
  • Satellite media tours or other spokesperson opportunities
  • Social media campaigns (one or a combination of targeted or amplification campaigns on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitter, and/or YouTube, etc.)
  • Twitter Parties
  • Videos

Of course, you can always combine activations depending on your campaign goal(s). Once you determine your activation(s), you’ll be able to specify which social media platforms are right for your activation.

3. Track results.

To identify whether your campaign activations are delivering results, it’s key to track the metrics throughout the entire campaign. The convenience of using the platforms’ tools to track progress and growth is what makes it even more appealing to business owners. With so many options for social media marketing, it could start to make your head spin a bit. Once you set goals and analyze influencer marketing activation options, it’s imperative to select the Influencer Marketing activation (or a combination of activations) that is going to get you the biggest bang for your buck.

Six Important Media Platforms to Consider For Your Influencer Marketing Campaign

There are countless platforms available online, but it doesn’t mean your Influencer Marketing campaign should be present on all of them. Choosing what channel to use can make or break an Influencer Marketing campaign and no brand wants to be at the losing end in this investment. 

Before you kick off your campaign, take a look at the best online platforms in the market including their audience and format. 

1. Instagram 

Instagram has over 1 billion active users. It’s not surprising that it is considered to be the hotspot for influencers. Instagram has integrated Stories, live videos, and TV into their platform creating a real-time experience for the audience which eventually leads to genuine engagement. Instagram features are one of the best ways to enhance your Influencer Marketing campaign. According to Hubspot, Instagram has over 1 billion active monthly users. These users collectively release 500 million stories a day. Engagement-wise, Instagram is indeed an ideal environment for digital marketers. With the right strategy and consistent efforts, any brand can stand out and make an impression on targeted markets.

Instagram is one of the most customizable social media platforms. Although some tips and tricks can help boost your brand, the most crucial rule is authenticity. Your brand has things only it can offer. Highlight your strengths and connect to people—and work with influencers— who care about your products and services. With so much sponsored content being featured on Instagram, how do you know what your brand needs to be doing to stand out and be a hit? Do you need a guide on what is hot and what is not on Instagram? Here’s a breakdown of the latest Instagram trends that might work for your Influencer Marketing campaigns.

2. YouTube

With over more than 1 billion, YouTube is a true haven for any campaign with its long-form video content. It has integrated website links, product links, and even affiliate links on its site which makes it more convenient for brands to showcase their products and services.

An unboxing campaign is becoming more popular as the years pass. In fact, more than 90,000 viewers search for YouTube unboxing videos monthly. In addition, about 40 videos on YouTube accumulated more than 10 million views. YouTube unboxing channels also gained millions of subscribers in the past few years. For instance, Ryan’s World, one of the most popular unboxing channels with huge subscribers, has more than 22 million followers.

3. Facebook

Facebook has more than 2 billion active users. Its massive audience caters to almost all age groups, but mainly those who have mid to high-income range. This top social channel has evolved its format as well by incorporating stories, videos, and live streams into its platform. Facebook also added a Facebook Group feature suitable for organizations and communities.

Since they cater to almost every format available, this platform tops the list as the most preferred channel among influencers, too. The sponsored content on Facebook can not only be shared in static posts, but also in videos and imagery. Plus, with the boosting feature and paid ad features, an entire ad campaign can be conducted on Facebook to even further the spread of the message.

4. Blogs

More than 70% of internet users read blogs, making this platform a great avenue to showcase a brand. Its story-telling format creates a relatable experience for the readers. This allows your market to be informed and educated with your brand. Survey shows that blogs are 37% more effective than other platforms.

The other nice aspect about blogs is that the content is evergreen. In other words, blog post content search-optimized content that is continually relevant and stays “fresh” for readers over a long period of time—as the name implies. You may think that all online content is sustainable; after all, a blog post doesn’t just disappear after you publish it.

5. Twitter

This social channel has the smallest active users at 330 million. However, Twitter reported that 40 percent of its users made purchases because of an influencer’s tweet. The character count limit makes sharing brand messages tricky. However, it relies on real-time information as a social platform making it a great choice for company events or news-based updates.

If you’re wanting to reach a large audience quickly, then you might want to consider Twitter. Hey, while you’re at it, why not throw a Twitter party? Just think, in a matter of one hour, you can reach hundreds or thousands of people and get them talking about your brand. With all of the fancy, new social media platforms out there today, Twitter parties might seem like a thing of the past. But, guess what?! Twitter parties are still going strong and people absolutely love attending them. They are a great way to get a huge bang for your buck.

6. TikTok

 Tiktok is a hit among younger Millennials and Generation Z.  With over 1 billion

active users, it is no wonder why TikTok is on top of the list among marketers. After all, users spend an average of 52 minutes per day which makes any marketer want to capitalize on it. This channel banks as a video-sharing app with musical overlays and augmented reality effects. Its core feature is lip-syncing videos which are incorporated in the form of challenges, skits, tutorials, and live videos which brands can exploit in their campaigns.

With algorithms constantly changing and new social media platforms continuing to enter the scene, dynamic posts and video content are in high demand by brands. Why? They are some of the best ways of getting noticed (and potentially going viral). Plus, the short- and long-term benefits outweigh their static post counterparts. Dynamic content doesn’t mean a high expense, polished video. Thanks to apps like TikTok, it means adding some motion to catch attention and highlight key messages.

Wrap It All Up

The onslaught of social media platforms combined with the constant shift of Influencer marketing strategies can make any marketing feel a bit confused. What social media platforms are best for your Influencer Marketing campaigns? Well, the final decision can either make or break a brand and Influencer Marketing campaign.

The social media platforms and the influencers play a vital role in the success of any Influencer Marketing campaign. However, no matter which social media platforms you choose to promote your brand, important factors such as platform audience, format, and pricing will play a role in maximizing your resources while achieving your return on investment (ROI).

Sources

Streamlining Your Influencer Marketing Campaign Management Process
Guide to Finding the Right Influencer Marketing Agency
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