Taking a data-led approach in Influencer Marketing

The all-or-nothing approach is antiquated. For the modern marketer, taking the middle path that blends data with human insight is imperative for effective influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is not a bandwagon for marketers to hitch a ride on. It’s a powerful form of communication that allows scaling. But for it to work positively, brands must move away from selecting creators simply because they ‘look’ the part. 

Taking decisions firmly informed by data is the first step to creating influencer marketing campaigns that earnestly speak to the audience. This is irrespective of whether it’s a campaign with little-or-no budget or one with a massive bankroll. 

Data helps break stereotypes

Taking a gut call on creators never works. As a rule, it leads to misalignment. For instance, picking a female influencer because the product to be promoted is about women haircare is not necessarily smart. What if 80% of the creator’s audience is male? That’s where data steps in influencer marketing. 

It can help spot relevant influencers for a particular campaign by answering questions- like are they an authority in a niche? What is the age and gender of their followers? Where are they located? Is there an audience brand affinity? This same data can be capitalised to compare creators and single-out the better option. 

Narrowing down the creator with the right synergy is the biggest advantage data brings. But vetting creators to gauge the kind of influence they have on their community is just as beneficial. 

That’s possible by analysing past topics, genres, and performance. Historical data can lend better insight into if the creator collaborated with a competitor and how well they performed.

In a nutshell, the more marketers understand data, the better they can position their brand messaging. Data can make the message applicable to where the audience is and how they experience the brand. It can also be adopted to disarm and nullify criticism that often accompanies influencer marketing campaigns.

Data optimises content strategy

Optimal use of data doesn’t just aid in influencer discovery; it also helps spot an effective idea. The probability that an influencer marketing campaign will succeed increases when the content is tailored to the audience. Active data analysis lends a depth of knowledge to campaign execution by offering content insights for a particular market, proper hashtag selection, social media channel choice, content format, etc.

Data is just as relevant to measuring campaign success as it is to planning. Studying and monitoring campaign results is still an unanswered question in the niche, because quantifying return on investment is tricky. While 84% of marketers agree that influencer marketing is effective, 78% still feel measuring ROI is one of the top three challenges. 

Using a blend of vanity metrics like double taps and harder engagements like post saves, brands can track how well a campaign performed. This is particularly helpful when campaigns extend for a long time. With data like authority, reach and engagement gathered from listening to the audience in an ongoing campaign, brands can gain a clearer understanding and take required course corrections. 

For instance, assume the goal of a campaign is to amplify followers in five months. By chasing KPIs such as the number of new accounts reached, or the number of new followers added, brands can track if the campaign is moving in the right direction. 

The most honest place on the internet

Influencer marketing has been increasingly haemorrhaging trust because of the lack of data. It gives the illusion of being held together by spit when the reality is that creators are the biggest asset for brands currently. 

Apply data to the field, and it rises above the noise. It becomes the key to creating standout campaigns because data offers a single source of truth, making influencer marketing the most honest corner of the internet. 

That said, data are the pieces of the puzzle. Insight is necessary to make a coherent pattern out of those pieces, and for that an influencer marketing platform is prerequisite. 

It isn’t enough for a marketer to get their hands on data. It requires scrutiny. It also needs to be broken down to easily digestible bites. Both of these necessitate expertise of an influencer marketing platform. 

Finally, a platform allows marketers to cut out the research element, and become time-efficient. Instead of spending precious hours gathering, collating and analysing data, the brand gets it on a silver platter.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of www.buzzincontent.com and we do not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)