Sales Driving Partnerships… with Influencer Marketing (episode 109)
by April Buencamino-dyMagda Houalla is the Director of Marketing Strategy at Aspire, the influencer marketing platform for high-growth eCommerce brands that are used by over 700 brands to manage their influencer marketing. Magda has been deep in the world of creating influencer marketing partnerships that drive sales since 2015 – so it’s really awesome to have someone with her depth of experience here.
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About Magda Houalla
Magda studied marketing in college and right after graduation, became a social media manager for a startup company. That became a position managing influencers once they saw the impact influencers had on their business.
Today, Magda oversees influencer strategy for their enterprise brands and puts together content for emerging brands, and all related activities.
Why You Should Get Into Influencer Marketing
Influencers are really changing the game for brands because of their personalities, Magda says. Their ability to tell brand stories through their own unique perspectives resonate really well, which is why influencer marketing is a great strategy to get into.
However, Magda acknowledges that brands are hesitant to get into influencer marketing because of two things:
- Not fully understanding the impact of the influencer and
- Because of the negative connotation the word influencer had before.
But she reminds us that influencer marketing is poised to become a $15 billion industry this year, which reflects the total impact that it has and why it is now at the center of digital marketing campaigns.
How to Get Started with Influencer Marketing
If you’re just getting into influencer marketing, the first step is to understand what your goals based on your position in the market. A new business with a small social media presence will have different objectives versus a brand that has been around for a while that’s already recognizable.
Generally, Magda suggests to then start out with 35 to 50 influencers. The budget will depend on different factors but you can stretch it by going for micro or nano influencers.
The Aspire Influencer Marketing Platform
Aspire is designed to provide support in every stage of working with influencers.
From helping brands find influencers to analyzing the results of content that has gone live, Aspire is a tool that will save you so much time.
Their discovery tool gives two ways for brands to find influencers.
- First is by searching across different platforms and
- Inviting influencers to work with you.
The second one is their creator marketplace, where thousands of creators who’ve signed up with Aspire are actively looking at brand campaigns posted in the marketplace and applying for them proactively.
These two options make a big difference and can help any brand get started with their influencer marketing.
What’s Working in 2022 in Influencer Marketing
For Magda, leveraging influencers to create video content and tell your brand story is really changing the game. These more authentic, candid, and selfie-style videos of influencers create trust between brands and their consumers.
Aside from video content, trends are really working today. Make your campaigns relevant by capitalizing on various trends regardless of platform. Ask your influencer to pick out a trend and craft content around it, and it’s going to give you great results.
Insider Tips
If we’ve inspired someone to take their first step with influencer marketing – what do they need to know to give themselves the best chance of success?
Know where your customers are and understand which platform you want to start on, then find out how influencers can reach your audience.
Once you’ve started of course you’ve got to ‘keep optimising’! So what’s your favourite way to improve influencer marketing performance?
If you’re new to influencer marketing, look to improve impressions and engagements.
If you’re further down the line and focused on affiliate sales strategy, identify the types of individuals driving the most sales and find more of those top performers.
If someone listening wants to learn more about influencer marketing is there one cheap/free resource you’d recommend?
Aspire has a community called the Coffee Shop which you can join to discover discussions on influencer marketing, paid social, organic social, building affiliate marketing, and so much more.
Crystal ball time – what’s coming up in the next 6-12 months that we should be getting ready for in influencer marketing?
Live shopping on social media, which Magda says is popping up a lot these days. Keep this on your radar, especially on TikTok and Instagram.
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