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This week’s article analysis
Why mega-famous creators don’t define influencer marketing
The recap in our own words:
Follower count used to be the main criteria for determining an influencer’s worth, however, actual engagements are starting to take top spot for savvy marketers.
Bigger isn’t always better when it comes to real engagement. You’d be easily fooled though, as most articles that discuss influencer marketing focus on splashy Gen Z creators and Hype Houses. The author notes that she’s tired of big-name accounts taking up the spotlight, instead making a case for the “true powerhouses” of influence; micro- and nano-creators.
Smaller influencers have two big advantages; higher engagement rates and a tendency to create more authentic and niche-focused content.
If you want to deliver scale through micro-influencers, paid media should be considered. Social platforms allow ways to extend content created by influencers to extend far beyond their organic audience.
Big-name influencers come with star power and media attention - but if you’re looking for real engagement - quality interactions should be taken into consideration.
💡 Our Opinion
This is probably one of the most “chicken-and-egg” conversations that exists within the influencer marketing industry. I agree with the author that big-name influencers have a tendency to steal the spotlight - but their PR value has become invaluable to the industry. With paid-media boosting becoming easier to do, it has also become much easier (and cost-efficient) to provide high-quality content created by micro-influencers with a wider (targeted) audience.
Any solid influencer marketing strategy will aim to harness influence from an absolute awareness perspective, all the way down to empowering those that already love your brand.
🏭 Industry Headlines
Is Live Streaming The Next Step In Influencer Marketing?
“Throughout the course of lockdown, Instagram feeds were filled with our favourite influencers going live to keep us company. From general chats and daily check-ins to live fitness sessions and book clubs, social media influencers took to the changes like a duck to water. A social media platform’s live feature provides a better source of interaction between the influencer and their audience. Any form of video content is also much more engaging and with it being filmed in real-time, it is a great way for followers to feel involved and better connected.”
📱 Platform Headlines
Shopping is coming to Instagram Reels globally, turning the whole app into a catalog
“Instagram is covering its app with shopping content. Today, the company announced that shopping is rolling out to Reels, its TikTok copycat product, around the world. It announced a test of this feature in October. Businesses and creators will be able to tag products when they create Reels, and viewers can tap through those tags to buy or save them. A branded content tag is also available for influencers who are paid for their posts. With this rollout, Instagram now has shopping available in every format on the app — the Feed, Stories, IGTV, and Live.”
🛒 Brand Headlines
How Fifa 21 used players as influencers: ‘Everyone wants to see them’
“We want to develop our ‘athlete stories’ to play a more important role within football culture. The game is obviously one of the biggest in the world and it has a loyal community, but how do we make content that appeals to people, where football isn't really their thing? I think this kind of content is so fun, where viewers are learning things, so it will continue to appeal to casual fans.”
Wendy’s Launches Delivery-Only Campaign Featuring Twitch Streamers’ Favorite Meals
“From Dec. 8 through Dec. 12, Wendy’s is teaming up with Uber Eats to offer a new “Never Stop Gaming menu” featuring five Twitch streamers’ signature Wendy’s meals available exclusively on the delivery app. Customers who order from the menu will have the chance to win prizes such as Never Stop Gaming swag and next-generation gaming consoles.”
📱 Influencer Headlines
The New Influencer Capital of America
“It’s the new Hollywood. YouTube, Instagram, it’s taking over,” said Malachi Collier, 19, a Black creator who lives in Georgia and has been following what Mr. Dorsey and the Collab Crib and Valid Crib are building. “It’s another outlet for our culture, which is why Atlanta is taking over.”
Twitch Streamers Are The Influencers You Never Saw Coming
“To get a better understanding as to why influencers are making the switch, Elite Daily spoke with four makeup artists and special effects content creators-turned-Twitch streamers about how a platform once solely reserved for gaming is making way for a different type of player.”