Are You Partnering With Influencers, Content Creators Or Just Everyday People?

In this guest post, co-founder and co-CEO of influencer marketing firm Hypetap, Detch Singh (pictured below), takes a look at what it means to be an ‘influencer’ and how to align your brand with a good one…
Enough with the smoke and mirrors
I recently came across a study suggesting that brands will fork out up to $2 billion on Instagram influencer marketing alone by 2019, a sign that the industry has solidified its rightful place within the broader marketing mix. But there’s one thing I can’t seem to get off my mind: how much of that money is being allocated to genuine influencers, and how much is instead going to people who are labelled as influencers but are actually just content creators with no real sway over their audience?
With no official guidelines in place to dictate its usage, the term ‘influencer’ is in danger of becoming a meaningless buzzword — and we’re now seeing the term thrown around loosely by brands and industry insiders alike, which is only adding to the confusion. Some use the word influencer to describe everyday people, while others allocate it to social media users with a benchmark number of followers.
It’s one thing to convolute a term, but it’s an entirely different ball game when this starts to have a negative impact on your marketing budget. At the end of the day, if you’re engaging in influencer marketing, then you’re likely looking to work with tastemakers who wield a strong and persuasive influence over their audience. Unfortunately, much of what is branded as ‘influencer marketing’ today is not actually delivering these results.
So let’s define the terms
First, it’s important to distinguish content creators and everyday people from influencers. An everyday person is just that — a layman social media user, for example you, me, your boss, or the person living across the hall.We can (and often do) make peer to peer recommendations through our social media content but we may not be very influential when doing so.
A content creator is someone who generates high-quality social media content. Think about all of the clever blog posts or breathtaking Instagram photos you come across on a weekly basis that garner little to no engagement from viewers and readers. The content is visually stunning or appealing, but if the author is lacking the ability to persuade a large group of people, then unfortunately you cannot qualify them as an influencer in any sense of the word.
Let me be clear here: if affordable, high quality content is the sole objective of your campaign, then content creators definitely serve a purpose. However, if influence is the objective, then you need to expand your options.
So what does it really mean to be an influencer?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Is this content creator a leader or a follower?
Consumers should genuinely look to an influencer as a tastemaker. Rather than hopping on the bandwagon, influencers are leaders. They decide or influence what is or will be fashionable in their field, and they shape cultural trends as a whole. Ask yourself why people are actually following an influencer, and you’ll have a better understanding of whether or not they’re a leader and a tastemaker in their vertical.
What do the metrics tell you
Look beyond the follower numbers. More often than not, marketers assume that following is correlated with influence, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The follower numbe is just a potential audience size, nothing more. It’s important to look at how engaged an audience is. How deep is the engagement? What is the sentiment across audience commentary? Does the audience’s commentary illustrate positive attitudes toward the content? All of these factors contribute to a content creator’s level of persuasion.
Does this influencer align with my brand?
An influencer may pass both of the above tests, but if their personality, interests, style, persona, and tone of voice don’t align with your brand, then there’s a good chance that your campaign will fall short. Chosen influencers are in essence advocates for your brand, and it’s important that you find ones who seamlessly convey the values that are most important to your company. Likewise, the content they create for your brand should be organic and fit in seamlessly with other content they create for their audience.
How to make sure you get what you pay for
You don’t want to fall into the trap of choosing influencers based on superficial proof points such as a large following or attractive content. You also don’t want to be tricked into thinking everyday people are influencers. Take the time to back your selection with data, insights, and examples. Don’t be afraid to challenge misconceptions when it comes to influencers. If you’re not the one finding influencers for your brand campaigns, then make sure you’re questioning the people who are.
Considering how much influencer marketing is slated to grow in the coming years, a large portion of your marketing budget may very well depend on it.
Latest News

Voting For B&T’s 30 Under 30 People’s Choice Awards Is Now Open!
Of all the awards B&T hands out, THIS is one of our favourites. That & our in-house 'staff f@ck-up of the month' trophy.

QUT And BCM Launch Campaign Celebrating Women In STEM
QUT’s long-term agency partner, BCM, has developed a thought provoking and impactful campaign for the university to coincide with 2021 International Women’s Day.

NRMA Insurance Unveil Next Instalment Of ‘Every Home Is Worth Protecting’ Campaign, Via The Monkeys
To demonstrate that every home is worth protecting, NRMA Insurance has released its latest campaign that sees the return of young boy Sammy as he continues his quest to look out for the homes of Australia’s iconic but vulnerable koalas. Created by The Monkeys, part of Accenture Interactive, the campaign centres on Sammy as he […]

Westpac Launches New Campaign To Highlight Life’s Eventful Moments, Via DDB
Westpac has launched its new brand campaign, created by DDB Sydney, highlighting life’s eventful moments where all the surprise, excitement, vulnerability, and challenges can lie; in moments both big and small. Westpac Group Head of Brand, Advertising and Media, Jenny Melhuish said, “our new work builds on our ‘help’ series, which focused on those really […]

GHO Strengthens Equity Team With Hamish Stewart Promoted To Creative Partner
GHO has appointed Hamish Stewart as an equity partner in the business. Hamish joins GHO’s four existing partners to round out the diversity of experience offered by the agency across research, strategy, design, digital and creative marketing.

The MINT Partners Expand Client Line-Up For 2021
The MINT Partners, one of Australia’s leading integrated brand communications agencies have added a number of new clients to their roster for 2021. Using the exceptional disruption of 2020 as an opportunity to evolve the business, MINT has enjoyed recent success with an expanded portfolio across categories including food & beverage, fashion, design, and property. […]

Spotify Launches EQUAL: Global Commitment To Women In Audio
Coincidence this was unveiled on International Women's Day? Well, we don't think so. Well, we don't know, to be honest.

Northern Rivers Based Agency Barefruit Marketing Launches Innovative Campaign For Raine & Horne Office
The agency produced the commercial in just a few short months, when they were awarded the brief by Raine & Horne Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads and Murwillumbah at the end of last year.

Institute Of Data Launches New Education Program For Marketers
Institute Of Data & the Ponds Institute are easily confused. Yet, one's the science of the epidermis & the other isn't.

Pinterest Launches International Women’s Day Campaign To Uplift Female Entrepreneurs
They say "the world's your oyster". That is unless you happen to be a Sydney Rock with a Kilpatrick or mornay dressing.

Tinder Supports LGBTQIA+ Community In Rural NSW With ‘Pride Ride’
Tinder is supporting the LGBTQIA+ community in rural NSW with a double-decker bus. Sounds like a plot to a film to us.

The Women Who Shaped Technology In 2020
Here's more confirmation of B&T's commitment to International Women's Day. And just wait for International Hot Dog Day.

Pymble Ladies’ College Collaborates With United Nations For New Brand Platform Via McCann
Thinking of sending your daughter to Pymble Ladies' College? Confirm the exhorbitant school fees with this new campaign.

Global Women Creates International Women’s Day Campaign Focused On ‘The Motherhood Penalty’, Via Saatchi & Saatchi
Here's some top work from "across the ditch". And by "ditch" we mean the Tasman Sea to New Zealand and not North Sydney.

Enero Group Snares 10’s Carla Webb-Sear For CFO Role
Enero's new CFO Carla Webb-Sear is down Officeworks getting supplies as we speak. Including a "JOHN" pencil case.

For International Women’s Day, Look Back At B&T’s Past Women Leading Tech Winners: 2021 Applications Close Today!
It's a fine line between retrospective & blatant rehash. As you'll discover in B&T's Women Leading Tech winner rehash.

LEGO Revises Its Iconic 1981 ‘What It Is Is Beautiful’ Campaign In Celebration Of International Women’s Day 2021
LEGO's undoubtedly a brilliant toy for kids, yet few grow up to design Barbie's camper or build the Millennium Falcon.

Taboola To Give $500,000 In Free Advertising To Women-Owned Businesses As Part Of International Women’s Day
It's top work from B&T's good friends at Taboola today. Not that we saw a card or fruitcake last Christmas, mind you.

Clarins Launches #LiveBeautifully Series Of Films To Celebrate International Women’s Day
Everyone needs a top Clarins moisturiser to fight the signs of ageing & the signs of putting up with dickheads all day.

BWS & M&C Saatchi Celebrate Mardi Gras With Store Makeovers & Drag Queen Deliveries
There's a few sore Mardi Gras heads in the B&T office today. We've not enquired to what else is sore, to be honest.

DDB Marks International Women’s Day By Recreating Iconic Phyllis Robinson Speech
Need motivation that doesn't need chocolate from a vending machine? Watch this & avoid anaphylactic shock from the nuts.

Sunday TV Wrap: Ultimate Tag Premieres To Play Chasey With The Competition
Last night's TV numbers proved robust indeed. Suggesting everyone was too hungover from Saturday to get off the couch.

Sportsbet Goes In-House For Latest Lunacy
Arguably not really reading the mood in the room, Sportsbet's gone and launched a campaign on global women's day.

Double J Shares The Fifty Game-Changing Women Of Australian Music For International Women’s Day
Double J unveils the 50 game-changing women of Australian music, with Collette and Nikki Webster shock omissions.

Samantha Armytage To Leave Sunrise
To her credit, NO ONE in Australia has had their weight & their ovaries profiled by media quite like Samantha Armytage.

Foxtel Doubles-Down On Women’s Sport For International Women’s Day
We are huge supporters of women's sport here at B&T. Although we can give or take that cage fighting stuff in all truth.

UN Women Australia Ask ‘When Will She’ll Be Right?’ In New Campaign, Via The Monkeys
The Monkeys again proving we're "not just ridiculously overpriced chops on the BBQ" with provactive new work for the UN.

WPP AUNZ Women Talk International Women’s Day
WPP AUNZ's top talent talks International Women's Day. And never does the toilet seat "up or down" debate rear its head.

Compare The Market’s Meerkats Take Centre Stage With Meerkat Mondays
In its first major creative work in 12 months, Compare the Market went to extraordinary lengths to bring audiences its latest TVC.

Digital News Sites Up 8% YOY, With SMH Retaining Top Spot
It appears the global pandemic has proven a boon for local news sites. Apparently, Pfizer shareholders are happy too.