The trust shoppers have in the people they follow on social media is powerful.
In Australia, 2 in 5 people are more likely to purchase a product after they see an influencer post about it. Now, the new ‘Creator +’ strategy aims to make influencer marketing even more effective by giving it a people-first approach.
What is a Creator + strategy?
Creators’ close connection to their followers helps them create relevant and engaging content. They know what their audience likes, so can share content that resonates, with strong engagement levels. This Creator + strategy – championed by our partners Instagram – looks to strengthen that connection.
The idea is that after a brand and creator agree on a partnership, instead of the creator making content based on what they think their audience will want to see, they actually ask their followers – and find out what they would like to know about the product.
The creator could share an Instagram Story to announce the partnership and ask their audience to send through their questions about the product, via the Question Sticker. Then the creator would create content answering the most relevant questions. This would then be amplified to reach more customers via Branded Content Ads.
With insights from followers, you can create people-first Branded Content Ads that deliver even better and more targeted results. This is what we call a Creator + strategy.
How will it benefit creators?
Including your audience in the ideation process will show you have their best interests at heart and make you feel more authentic. This comes with a whole range of benefits which you can learn about here.
It also provides you with insights on your own audience, which can help you get closer to what they care about. It could assist you on choosing collaborations with brands that feel right for you and your followers.
Using the Creator + strategy will mean your content gets highly engaged with. Not just because it covers what followers are interested in, but because they’ll feel like you created it just for them. Plus, using the Question Sticker will give your followers more reason to interact with your content.
This new strategy may even help alleviate the awkwardness that comes with paid posts and to your audience, it will feel more like a genuine product review.
How will it benefit marketers?
For brands, the Creator + strategy will result in content that better represents your products, engages more of your customers and becomes more valuable for you to repurpose.
Outstanding questions can often be the reason people hold back on buying something. Having your customer’s queries answered by an influencer’s content will give them confidence in your brand and will remove barriers in the path to purchase.
This strategy also leaves you with a bank of fresh and varied content. Since each influencer will receive different questions and interpret them in their own unique way. This crowd-sourced ideation will mean more audience profiles will be represented within your content.
Ultimately the content generated by the Creator + strategy provides the most effective fuel for your Branded Content Ads. We already know that BCAs can reach a larger portion of your audience, target them with precision and allow your campaign will be even more effective. But they are only as effective as the content within them. The more relevant and engaging the content, the more effective your BCAs will be.
When should you use it?
A great time to use Creator + is for a product launch. Your customers will likely have lots of questions around a new product. Getting them involved in the content will build excitement and increase brand awareness, plus if enough customer questions are answered, your conversion lift could be incredible.
When not to use it
There’s a time and a place for everything, and this includes the Creator + strategy. You don’t want to exhaust the idea and use it for every campaign. If you already have a set idea on how you want your branded content to look, then it might not be for you. Similarly if you need content quickly, there might not be time to reach out and consider audience feedback.
Alternatively, if you’ve already pursued market research or have surveyed your customers extensively, you might feel as if there isn’t too much to gain in Creator +.
How do creators get started?
If you have time and the freedom to do so, try this strategy in your next brand collaboration. Once your place in a campaign is approved, announce it to your audience and ask what they want to know about the product using the Question Story Sticker.
Once it’s time to post your content, reference the questions that you’re answering and highlight you’ve taken on their feedback. Your audience will appreciate this and will be happy to do it again for future campaigns.
How do marketers get started?
Use Vamp’s platform to find creators with an audience that match your target customer, so you can be sure you’re hearing from the right people.
You also want to choose influencers who have strong engagement levels. Perhaps creators who regularly post interactive Stories or are always answering follower questions in their content. This will ensure you pick a creator who you know will be able to gather enough insights for your BCA.
Finally, for a smooth campaign process, provide the creator enough information to be able to answer the questions in depth – and enough time to work through this extra step.
Learn more about the benefits of an ‘always on’ content strategy – and how to create one here.
