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How travel brands can use influencer marketing: insights, lifehacks, & examples

  • How travel brands can use influencer marketing: insights, lifehacks, & examples

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Promoting products and services through social media influencers is a popular tool both large and small companies use. People trust opinion leaders, so their recommendations work more effectively than traditional advertising. However, finding a reliable creator can become challenging: some deceive advertisers, and others do not meet the agreements.

The travel and tourism industry makes no exception. Before travel agencies approach content creators, they need to get prepared. Below, top specialists of Famesters agency speak about the general principles of influencer marketing for travel brands.

WHAT ISSUES DO TRAVEL BRANDS RESOLVE USING INFLUENCER MARKETING?

Why do travel companies work with influencers? Like any promotion tool, it helps resolve several challenges:

  • Create demand in the market. The influencer has a ready audience. With its help, you can quickly announce a new product or service.
  • Increase brand awareness. If you want to work with a new audience, you can find it from a content creator with a specific account topic.
  • Form loyalty. People who follow travel and lifestyle influencers and engage with their content trust them. If they promote your services, their followers will love you, too.
  • Mitigate objections. A creator can convince followers that using tourist services is “not expensive” and “not scary.” This will immediately address the most common customer objections.
  • Provide content. Influencers write texts, shoot videos, take photos, and create content that appeals to the audiences. You can use this information in your business account.

Solving these issues increases sales, which is the primary goal of any travel business.

Read more on the topic:

WHAT INFLUENCERS ARE SUITABLE FOR THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY?

It is worth understanding that a creator suitable for a travel influencer marketing campaign should not necessarily be Kim Kardashian or Cristiano Ronaldo. The opinion leader you need may have 5 thousand subscribers. How the influencer manages to keep them engaged with the content is essential.

The overall influencer marketing statistics show a strong tendency to involve smaller influencers for advertising campaigns: 39% of brands preferred to work with nano-influencers (1,000-10,000 followers), while 30% of businesses, including travel and tourism companies, partnered with micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers). For mid-sized brands, cooperating with nano- and micro-influencers has the apparent benefit: their services are less expensive, but the percentage of the engaged audience is higher. This gives higher conversion.

Top influencers provide greater reach. But it’s unlikely that a travel agency needs thousands of followers who may not even be its target audience. Celebrities are approached by large brands who are constantly expanding their reach and are willing to pay a lot of money for it.

Read more on the topic:

The number of followers is one of the criteria to consider when choosing a creator to collaborate with. To maximize your advertising budget, you must work closely on filtering influencers. They can gain likes, subscribers, comments, and views through services or colleagues. Finding an influencer with a “pure” audience is difficult without company subscribers and bots.

Of course, only some creators are engaged in cheating, but not to waste your budget, you need to check your profile according to various parameters. Filtration can be carried out manually and using services.

Checking the influencers manually

You can evaluate a content creator based on several criteria:

1. Number of publications. Using this indicator, it is easy to determine how “old” the account is and the purity of the audience. If there are 30 posts published, the influencer has been working for a month or a little more. There can only be a few genuine followers. If there are tens or hundreds of thousands of them, most likely, the creator was cheating.

Read more on the topic: How the Famesters influencer marketing agency protects clients from fraud

2. Likes/comments ratio. For every 100 likes, there should be 0.5-1 comments. When many people like the post, there are also many comments. The likes are likely to be fake if they are not there.

3. Audience quality. See who follows the influencer and likes the posts. Do they look like real people? If the list contains only stores, bots, or no-name accounts, it is better to avoid contacting such a creator.

4. Video views. Suppose an influencer has an audience of thousands, hundreds of likes and comments on posts, and almost no video views. Most likely, this creator used cheating services. On average, 15-30% of all subscribers watch videos. If the percentage is less, pass by this influencer.

5. Comments quality. Dummy comments usually do not contain useful information. See how subscribers write, whether they use emojis, and evaluate their style, language, and jokes. If discussions are insincere, it is immediately apparent.

6. Who leaves comments? Sometimes, influencers create activity chats. They post, comment, and like each other at certain times in a circle. Look at a couple of profiles of those commenting. If it says something like “direct message for cooperation issues,” most likely, the activity is created artificially.

Read more on the topic: An ultimate guide to detecting influencer fraud

Checking the influencers through services

The second way to check the opinion leaders is through services. They work very simply: go to the appropriate website, pay, insert the influencer’s nickname into a line, and receive information about the profile in numbers, graphs, tables, and diagrams. The service shows the number of suspicious likes, comments, and subscribers and estimates the audience coverage over time. Each platform has its own features.

Famesters specialists have recently overviewed the top influencer marketing tools that help brands to work with the creators. Check the material here and discover the best platforms for opinion leaders’ discovery and cooperation.

WHAT COOPERATION FORMATS SUIT INFLUENCER MARKETING FOR TRAVEL BRANDS?

When the first steps are made, and the travel brands identify the influencers whose values align with their brand ethos and marketing strategy, it’s time to pass on to cooperation format identification.

So, how can travel brands use influencer marketing strategies, and what cooperation formats can influencers suggest?

  • Destination showcasing:

Collaborating with influencers to showcase specific travel destinations is a potent strategy. Influencers bring these destinations to life through captivating visuals and personal narratives, enticing their followers to consider these places for their next adventure:

kellyandgeorgia

To provide an authentic experience, travel brands can allow influencers to take over their social media accounts for a day. This offers followers a genuine, firsthand perspective of the travel experiences associated with the brand:

  • User-generated content campaigns:

Travel brands using influencer marketing strategies can encourage travelers to share their experiences with a branded hashtag to create a community of engaged users. User-generated content adds authenticity to the brand narrative and provides social proof for potential customers.

  • Review and recommendation:

One of the most obvious ways to apply influencer marketing for travel brands as influencers’ reviews and recommendations can significantly impact potential travelers’ decisions. Honest and positive testimonials about the brand’s products or services can build trust and credibility.

  • Contests and giveaways:

Hosting contests or giveaways and collaborating with influencers can boost engagement and brand awareness. Encourage participants to share their travel aspirations, creating a buzz around the brand.

  • Storytelling through Influencers:

Travel is not just about places; it’s about the stories created along the way. Brands can work with influencers to tell compelling stories, emphasizing the emotional aspects of travel and the brand’s role in creating memorable moments.

  • Educational сontent:

Influencers can create educational content by positioning the brand as a valuable source of information. Travel tips, cultural insights, and destination guides provide value to the audience and establish the brand as an authority in the travel space.

  • Event collaborations:

Collaborating with influencers for travel-related events, festivals, or conferences can extend the brand’s reach. Participation in such events provides exposure to a targeted audience interested in travel experiences.

  • Long-term partnerships:

Building long-term relationships with influencers fosters authenticity. Regular collaborations can result in more genuine and impactful content as influencers become true advocates for the brand.

CONCLUSION

Travel brands using influencer marketing tools definitely aim to connect with their audience on a deeper level. By harnessing the creativity and authenticity of influencers, brands can not only inspire travel but also create a community of engaged and loyal customers. 

Contact Famesters via email [email protected] to find the right influencers for your travel business: we can guide you towards your next adventure!

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Julia Shandrokha

Julia Shandrokha

Author, creator, marketer. Makes content that helps you understand things better and see the real value
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Influencer marketing market analysis: key tendencies in 2023

Influencer marketing market analysis
Influencer marketing market analysis
  • Influencer marketing market analysis: key tendencies in 2023

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This article is dedicated to studying the influencer marketing market analysis and outlining the main tendencies for its development. And there is no better way to start than to remember how, in 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American moon landing, LEGO surveyed children aged 8-12 years. The company wanted to find out what children want to become.

The researchers were shocked to learn that children are more attracted to being influencers than astronauts: 30% of American and 29% of British children expressed a desire to become content creators, while 11% wanted to become astronauts. Another research confirmed that the idea of building a career in digital marketing is getting more and more popular as more than 53% of US Gen Zers consider it easy to become an influencer.  

At Famesters, we know that being an influencer completely differs from being an average social media user. Below, we will consider the latest market analysis for influencer marketing results and see if the figures confirm the point.  

INFLUENCER MARKETING MARKET SIZE

Calculating the creators’ market takes a lot of work. There is no single platform connecting influencers and brands. Some collaborations do not involve any intervention from third parties at all.

Following the influencer marketing market analysis results, in 2016, the creators’ market was only worth $1.7 billion. By 2022, it has grown up to $16.4 billion. It is expected to grow 29% to $21.1 billion in 2023. Whatever the size of the market, it is snowballing, adding from 40% to 60% annually over the past five years.

Influencer Marketing Market Size

Nothing demonstrates the market growth more evidently than the overlap of three trends:

  • growth in demand;
  • supply growth;
  • rising prices.

We can observe all three trends while working with influencers.

In 2021, 62% of advertisers planned to increase their budget for collaborations with creators compared to 2020. One could make allowances for the COVID-19 pandemic if 66% of brands had not expressed a similar desire in a year before.

Along with demand, supply also grows, but it is much more challenging to estimate. How many influencers there are in the world and how quickly their number is growing remains an open question.

Trying to answer this question, we’ve discovered that the number of creators “floats” ranges from 3 million to 38 million. This is a huge spread, but even the lower threshold is already an impressive number.

Indirectly, the growth of both demand and supply is evidenced by a steady increase in the number of platforms and agencies connecting influencers and advertisers:

number of new platforms and agencies in the market

Source

However, the explosion of interest in opinion leaders is not indicated by all this but by rising prices. And oh, how they grow!

As an Izea study showed, the average cost of an advertising post on Instagram over six years increased from $134 to $1643 – that is, 12.3 times:

2006-2019 average cost paid per bloq post

Even in the year of the pandemic, prices have not undergone any significant changes. On Instagram, stories have become slightly cheaper, the cost of posts has not changed, and videos have even become more expensive:

2019 vs average rates2

Source

INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGNS’ EFFECTIVENESS

All this extraordinary growth must surely add up to something for advertisers.

First, to understand effectiveness, let’s overview the most popular social media platforms.

Compared to last year’s market analysis for influencer marketing, more companies use their tools, and noticeably more brands use third-party platforms. When asked if they utilize third-party platforms to assist with influencer marketing, 60.3% said yes (44.6% in 2022).

In 2023, TikTok ranked number one, with 55.5% of brands using it for influencer marketing campaigns. In 2022, 79% of respondents used Instagram for influencer marketing. It is still trendy but has dropped to second place this year. “Only” 50.8% of brands use Instagram in influencer marketing.

Surprisingly, Facebook’s popularity as an influencer marketing channel surged last year, with 50% of brands collaborating with Facebook influencers, although that figure dropped to 42.1% this year.

According to the influencer marketing market analysis, nano-influencers (up to 10 thousand followers) and micro-influencers (up to 100 thousand followers) are of primary interest to advertisers:

Influencer Preferences

WHY?

There are three reasons, and the first of them is obvious – the price. The more followers, the higher the price of an advertising campaign. Only some brands are ready to pay millions to an influencer, even if it is a celebrity. 

The second reason is authenticity. This is a controversial factor, but advertisers are also guided by it. The number of hits, popularity, and attention has yet to spoil small creators. Plus, their audience is more homogeneous and therefore relevant.

The third reason – and this is where we come to efficiency – is engagement. For nano- and micro-influencers, it is higher, especially on Instagram and TikTok:

average engagement rate 2

Source

And engagement rate is essential simply because 25.5% of brands use it to measure advertising effectiveness. This is a standard metric for evaluating opinion leaders before purchasing advertising. We look at engagement and understand how accurate the creator’s audience is.

However, the first critical point to measure the success of an advertising campaign with an influencer is the number of views, reach, and impressions – almost 50% of all brands see it as the crucial factor. Another critical indicator of effectiveness is closer to money and revenue – conversions:

most common measure of influencer success 2

USERS AND CREATORS

There would only be a market if it were for users who follow influencers. We either follow or know more than one person who follows a creator on Instagram. And we are not talking about YouTube.

As it turns out, Internet users have no shortage of reasons to follow an influencer: from “to learn something new” to “get a promo code.”

maim motivators to follow content creators

Source

Since there are many reasons to follow a creator, there are also many types of influencers and content that an advertiser can integrate.

When it comes to advertising, content creators serve multiple functions for consumers: showing a product in action, proving its quality, or offering a discount:

the benefits of discovering products through creators

Source

Creators influence decision-making. According to the market analysis for influencer marketing, 30% of consumers were influenced by a creator to purchase at least one product.

The same research shows that 46% of internet users follow an influencer for recommendations, and 24% learn about a new product from an influencer daily. Additionally, 31% of consumers recommend a creator to their friends every week.

It turns out:

  • people have more than one reason to follow a creator;
  • they use influencers both to find products and to buy them;
  • they recommend influencers they like — they create an additional network effect.

This means influencers are an ideal marketing tool: they are effective, users love them, and they scale. Right?

MARKET ANALYSIS FOR INFLUENCER MARKETING: UNDERWATER ROCKS

Well, not exactly.

There are several problems with influencers, and the main one is fraud. In 2017, a Sway Ops study found that 50% of all interactions with influencer-sponsored posts were fake.

Since then, social media platforms have devoted much effort to fighting bots. For example, in 2020, Instagram introduced a new algorithm to identify bot behavior. If an account behaves suspiciously, Instagram will ask the owner to verify the identity.

Does it help? The problem of fake activity has not gone away and will not go away anytime soon.

From 42% to 67% of influencer accounts on Instagram cheat; they buy followers, likes, comments, and story views. Yes, the share of such accounts is falling, which makes it easier, but not much.

And don’t forget about unconscious fraud. Every one of us has an account on social media, and we are sure you have bots following you, which you do not delete. Nobody knows how many subscribers an influencer has, but everyone has them.

Fake activity translates into financial losses for the advertiser. CHEQ calculated that by purchasing an advertising post for $250, a brand loses $37.5 due to bots — that is, 15%. Not much if you have a great ROMI and a life of chocolate. But if you have to count every penny…

Influencer marketing market analysis: key tendencies

Source

One might object: “But there is fraud in all advertising.” Yes, but not all advertising fraud benefits the publisher who places the advertisement. In this case, the publisher is the influencer. And the more fake activity there is, the higher the perceived value of the creator.

Result: 38% of advertisers encountered fraud from influencers. And these are the ones who found out about the fraud.

The next problem is pricing. The aforementioned market analysis for influencer marketing demonstrated that only 31% of marketers fully understand influencers’ pricing. It’s no surprise that the remaining 69% need clarification.

What is the cost of advertising based on the number of subscribers and engagement or potential ROMI? How do you determine potential ROMI if you have little experience running campaigns? How does the price vary depending on the topic?

Until Facebook (Instagram) and Google (YouTube) centralize the purchase of advertising integrations, we will not get an answer to these questions. TikTok has solved the problem, but its marketplace is very young, and it is not yet known how things are going there.

The third problem is trust. According to the influencer marketing platform market research, 34% of users do not trust influencer reviews. That is, you paid for a review for 10 thousand users, but there are only 6.4 thousand.

Some Internet users believe that influencers distort reality and that opinion leaders exploit the audience’s gullibility. And creators are not helping to resolve the issue. For example, only 14% voluntarily tag advertising posts with unique tags. 

To summarize the pitfalls, the first two problems can be overcome by optimizing algorithms and centralizing advertising. What to do with the third challenge remains an open question.

Read more on the topic:

INFLUENCERS AND DIRECT SALES

Let’s answer another question: should content creators influence sales? Objectively speaking, no.

Let’s take the well-known television advertisement. Do those who air advertising on TV expect an immediate increase in sales? No, it’s a long game. Of course, when 1 million viewers see a Coca-Cola Christmas advertisement, some will buy this beverage, and some will buy something else.

But the main goal of the message is to hammer into people’s heads that Coca-Cola is an excellent beverage for holidays.

The same applies to influencers, but in miniature and with greater efficiency.

The coverage is, of course, less. Let’s put aside major creators; thousands will see your advertisement, maybe tens of thousands of users. But the coverage is high-quality: you are not targeting the 25-45 segment, but people with a specific interest, people who trust the person advertising the product.

Neither TV nor influencers are talking about users ready to buy a product. These are people who could potentially be interested in it.

The value of influencers is measured not by direct sales but by such a mysterious indicator as earned media value (EMV).

Earned media value is an indicator for assessing the value of unadvertised or hosted branded content. A creator wrote a post about you for free – you consider the media value. The formulas are different, but essentially:

EMV = (reach/1000)*CPM

Why are we doing all this?

According to various estimates, the influencers’ EMV varies from $4.87 to $5.78 – it all depends on the research and methodology:

formulas earned media value (EMV)

In addition to direct sales, for every dollar invested, you get $5-6 of media value. It results in brand awareness, brand trust, and other things.

As we said, this does not mean influencers are the perfect marketing tool. As well as the calculation formula. It is impossible to measure everything by direct sales.

WHAT’S NEXT?

We found that the market for opinion leaders is proliferating. We also learned that companies believe creators are influential and worth the cost.

But despite the overall success of the segment, it is plagued by problems such as fraud or mistrust on the part of some users.

Today, we primarily discussed the numerical parameters of influencers’ activities: market volume, collaboration costs, and other issues. But if you need to start a quality advertising campaign with an honest influencer matching your target audience, contact Famesters. Our agency will start the collaboration and deliver the best results possible. 

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Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia is a creative B2B marketing and sales professional, passionate about helping companies achieve their user acquisition, growth and visibility objectives
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Different types of influencer marketing tools & how they help brands empower advertising campaigns with creators

Different types of influencer marketing tools
Different types of influencer marketing tools
  • Different types of influencer marketing tools & how they help brands empower advertising campaigns with creators

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In post-pandemic times, brands are actively increasing their budgets for collaborations with creators, and along with this, there is an increased demand for automation of all types of influencer marketing tools. According to the latest statistical data, 63% of brands are planning to use AI-based technologies for their influencer marketing campaigns. The influencer marketing industry has long relied on manual moderation. Now the processes have changed and updated a lot.

Below, the experts from the Famesters influencer marketing agency will overview the services and tools that can help automate work with creators and not get lost trying to find the right one for your campaign.

WHAT ARE THE INFLUENCER MARKETING TOOLS?

The influencer marketing tools are software solutions for brands, agencies, and individual marketers who work with influencers. It doesn’t matter whether you are an experienced specialist who works for a company focused on collaborations with content creators or not: in any case, you need an effective tool to enhance and deepen the understanding of the market situation, as well as save time and resources.

Brands and marketers normally can face several major challenges when launching an influencer advertising campaign. The key issues include:

  • How to find the right influencer for a campaign?
  • How to analyze the quality of an influencer’s content?
  • How to analyze an influencer’s activity on a selected platform (Instagram, YouTube, etc.)?
  • How to calculate the fair cost of advertising for each specific influencer?
  • How to calculate the total budget for the advertising campaign?

Various types of influencer marketing tools help answer all these questions and resolve all related issues quickly and efficiently.

How to select an influencer marketing tool?

Selecting an optimal influencer marketing solution for your exact business needs may seem a bit perplexing, particularly given the multitude of choices available. When deciding on the correct solution, pay attention to the following points:

  • User-friendliness. As marketers today have to deal with numerous tasks, dedicating hours to mastering new software would be impractical. Therefore, an influencer marketing tool you are searching for should be easy to use to make your working process faster and smarter, not harder.
  • Costs. Consider that an influencer marketing platform should align with your budget while providing the necessary services. Most tools offer several pricing plans to satisfy various needs, and there is always an opportunity to scale up as your requirements grow.
  • Functionality. The platform you are selecting should encompass all the essential features. Assess the suggested filters for narrowing down the search for potential influencers, see if the solution offers analytics and statistics functions, and will the features provided really help you to make an informed decision.

Read more on the topic:

TYPES OF INFLUENCER MARKETING TOOLS & TOP SOLUTIONS

Today, it is possible to select among numerous influencer marketing software solutions. To help you navigate this multitude, we have selected the top 10 tools for working with content creators and divided them into 5 types, depending on the initial purpose.

Influencer marketing tools for creators’ discovery 

       1. Influencer Analytics on Semrush
Influencer Analytics on Semrush

An all-in-one influencer discovery platform that has all the tools you need to start and manage an advertising campaign with a content creator. It is extremely easy to use, which makes it suitable for influencer marketing beginners and experts.

Key advantages:

  • Influencer discovery and analytics. The platform has a database of over 20 million influencers from YouTube, TikTok and Twitch and over 30 filters that will help you weed out irrelevant ones in a few clicks. The search is divided by social media platforms covered. Each influencer has a profile page with detailed data, which, among other things, helps to identify fake influencers.
  • Content detection. This search tool allows you to find relevant content first, rather than influencers. This gives you insight into what your target audience likes and engages with and helps you find popular content creators, those who do good work, not just those whose names are popular. 

You only need to type the keyword, and you will see the available content from the selected social media platform together with the date of publication, number of likes and comments.

  • Competitor analysis. The tool shows how any brand that is mentioned at least once on social networks works: the total number of influencers working with the brand and the number of mentions, types of advertising with available media, including video; what audience (geographical and demographic) is it aimed at; how much the collaborations cost, etc. A great tool to study your competitors’ strategies:
Influencer Analytics on Semrush
  • Campaign management. A space to create, monitor and evaluate influencer advertising campaigns. Or better yet, call it an assistant: this platform invites you to set campaign goals, invite teammates or clients (they have roles with restrictions for data security), and then the tool does everything itself. You can receive reports at any time, all the necessary calculations are made automatically. The system shows you graphs and details of the entire campaign, each platform selected, and the performance of each influencer involved:
Influencer Analytics on Semrush3

One of the benefits the platform offers is its customisation. You can use the tools you think are necessary for your campaign, can combine them or delete the unnecessary. Of all the types of influencer marketing tools, this one is a comprehensive yet flexible, user-friendly solution that helps to resolve all the issues with market research and competitive analysis.

       2. Upfluence
Upfluence

A platform to discover numerous influencers and some information about their accounts. Upfluence is a tool suitable for those who are already familiar with influencer marketing, as it is fairly complex and may not seem like a perfect solution for beginners.

Key advantages:

  • A search tool with filters that helps you navigate a large database of influencers from various social media networks, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Pinterest.
  • Influencer profiles with basic data about their accounts and audiences.
  • Ability to integrate some third-party ecommerce tools such as Shopify, Magento, and others.
  • Availability of tools for influencer relationships and advertising campaign management.

Read more on the topic:

Influencer marketing solutions for social listening

       3. SproutSocial
SproutSocial

SproutSocial is a service for monitoring social networks and measuring performance, management and growth. It can help a business improve its social media advertising campaigns as well as support teamwork.

Key advantages:

  • User-friendly interface.
  • Link performance analysis.
  • Search for clients by location and interests.
  • Monitoring the activity of competitors.
  • Organization of contacts.
  • Attracting the audience.
  • Monitoring brand and social competition.
  • Publication on social networks.
  • Fully integrated publishing tools.
  • Centralized analytics and reports.
  • Team collaboration tools.
  • Real-time updates.
       4.Awario
Awario

Awario is a media and social network monitoring system that allows marketers to analyze brand mentions in the media.

Key advantages:

  • Trend tracking.
  • Audience mood analysis.
  • Analysis of influence and identification of thought leaders. Awario also allows you to manually configure a query for deeper filtering of the analyzed data.
  • Search for potential customers for users, which is carried out based on online recommendations for your product or its analogues.
  • Setting up an email newsletter with summary information based on user settings, as well as segmenting the received data according to user logic.

TOOLS FOR INFLUENCER OUTREACH

       5. Pitchbox
Pitchbox

Pitchbox is a link-building and lead-generation platform for SEO agencies, in-house teams and brands.

Key advantages:

  • Helps to find influencers, leads, and link-building opportunities in record time.
  • Provides an opportunity to send personalized emails and follow-ups and maximize the response rate.
  • Enhances making data-driven decisions using reach analytics and advanced SEO integrations.
       6.NinjaOutreach
NinjaOutreach

NinjaOutreach is a tool that helps you find influencers in any niche, build lists, and launch campaigns in no time.

Key advantages:

  • Powerful research tools.
  • Seamless email and social media outreach.
  • Effective ad campaign management.
  • Reliable reporting and analytics.
  • Available pricing plans.
  • Excellent customer support.

Read more on the topic:

       7.Influencity
Influencity

Influencity started with coverage of Twitter influencers, but it is now much more focused on Instagram, as well as other platforms. Influencity now also has TikTok and YouTube creator data.

Key advantages:

  • Smart search with many filters as the platform also gives you a lot of information about each creator.
  • Lookalike search with bonuses: allows you to find authors with similar interests, but from different segments (for example, mega- and micro-influencers).
  • Checking audience quality and data to ensure that the potential influencer is not a fake and corresponds to the interests of your target audience.
  • Influencity shows you the audience demographics that actually received a  message as part of your marketing campaign.
     8.GRIN
GRIN

GRIN is a platform that helps you build authentic, long-term relationships with influencers. Its idea is that influencer marketing should be based on trust between the influencer and the brand. GRIN’s main clients are large ecommerce companies that prefer to do their influencer marketing themselves and hire marketing specialists. The platform covers Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Key advantages:

  • Integration of third-party ecommerce tools including the most popular, like Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.
  • Integration with email systems (Gmail, Outlook) for faster and easier communication with influencers in the process – meaning you don’t have to leave the platform to talk to your chosen creators.
  • Logistics management when sending products to influencers as part of an advertising or promotional campaign.

MARKETPLACE INFLUENCER MARKETING TOOLS

       9.Creator
Creator

Unlike many influencer marketing tools, Creator started exactly as a marketplace. This one was created for small businesses and micro-influencers. Now, Creator has a large database of influencers and a community of brands, which still makes the platform very market-like.

Key advantages:

  • A classic option for influencer search and analytics: you can independently search for creators who meet your requirements and choose the best ones by seeing their statistics. The platform provides deep insights into influencers’ audience interests, demographics, and other statistics.
  • Market-style option: a brand only needs to launch an advertising campaign on the platform, write a description, set the requirements, and then just wait. Influencers will appear to review the offered campaign and either accept or reject it. Bonus: it is possible to see which brands influencers on Creator have already worked with.
     10.Aspire
Aspire

Aspire has a community of over 150K creators who search for brand deals as well as functions as a good analytics tool. The platform covers Instagram and YouTube and has some additional features for ecommerce brands. 

Key advantages:

  • A database of influencers who have chosen to be there and meet the eligibility criteria: a creator must have at least 500 likes on Instagram or 2.5k views on YouTube to be named an influencer on Aspire. In addition, Aspire manually checks the quality of each account.
  • A Tinder-like system for matching an influencer and a brand. While you are looking for your ideal creator, they are looking for you.
  • An opportunity to search for content that matches your own aesthetic on Instagram through AI-powered tools used by Aspire for image recognition.
  • A campaign management tool allows a brand to monitor what the influencers involved in a campaign are doing.

WRAPPING UP

Various types of influencer marketing tools can significantly speed up and facilitate the selection of creators, especially when it comes to specific and narrowly targeted requests when certain topics or rare experts are needed.

When choosing a service, it is important to determine the parameters and functions that will be necessary in your work, as well as those features that are desirable, but not required, then test all the services that meet your needs, and only then make a decision.

However, there is an opportunity to save time and resources, delegate all the challenges, and get your influencer marketing campaign launched and managed for you by professionals with 6+ years of experience in influencer marketing. How? You only have to contact Famesters, the full-cycle influencer marketing agency that will find the right creators, analyze your brand and requirements, launch the campaign and report the achievements!

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Julia Shandrokha

Julia Shandrokha

Author, creator, marketer. Makes content that helps you understand things better and see the real value
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Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling: how-to guide

Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling how-to guide
Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling how-to guide
  • Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling: how-to guide

Table of Contents

Thanks to TikTok’s arrival in the digital landscape, the way of delivery of video content to social media users has significantly changed. Over the years of TikTok’s existence, hundreds of brands have been leveraging the short video platform in original ways.

However, starting a successful TikTok account is not as simple as it may seem. The points are that more and more brands and creators saturate the platform, and it becomes quite challenging to stand out. Plus, TikTok’s community resists everything that is too “salesy”. 

If you are among those hesitating whether to launch a brand on TikTok or not, let the Famesters influencer marketing agency help you understand why TikTok can be an effective part of your marketing strategy, as well as how to pre launch a brand and sell your products or services on TikTok.

WHY SHOULD BRANDS JUMP ABOARD THE TIKTOK TRAIN?

Unlike other platforms whose mission statements revolve around connection and community, TikTok’s mission is straightforward: to entertain and bring joy. The platform emphasizes its focus on short-form videos, creativity, and capturing everyday moments:

“TikTok is the world’s leading destination for short-form mobile videos. Our mission is to capture and present the world’s creativity, knowledge, and moments that matter in everyday life. TikTok empowers everyone to be a creator directly from their smartphones.”

TikTok presents an avenue for brands to initiate conversations mostly with Generation Z, but not only with this age group. While TikTok originally attracted younger users (13-24 years old), its user base is diversifying. As of 2023, 61% of its users are aged 25 and above. For context, Facebook, which started predominantly with a younger age bracket, now has an average user age of 25-34. TikTok has amassed over one billion active users in just six years, a milestone that took Instagram 12 years.

teens dont dominate tiktok

Source: Marketerhire

The most attractive advantage about TikTok is certainly its engagement rates. The short-video platform’s engagement rate is an impressive 5.96%, surpassing both Instagram (0.83%) and Facebook (0.13%). This rate signifies that brands can not only reach but also genuinely interact with their audience on TikTok. Ad content on TikTok looks and feels native, making it more effective.

Read more on the topic:

Summing it all up, TikTok provides an unparalleled advertising opportunity with rapidly diversifying demographics, boasting its high engagement rates. However, to be effective on TikTok, brands need a unique approach tailored to the platform, and different from traditional social media marketing.

Further in this article you’re going to learn how to launch a new brand on TikTok, and also how to start selling your products via the platform. Leverage Famesters’ expert knowledge in favor of your brand: we are happy to share our experience with you.

UNDERSTANDING THE TIKTOK’S ALGORITHM

The TikTok algorithm curates content for individual users’ For You Pages (FYP), ensuring a unique and personalized experience. While the exact workings remain elusive, several factors influence the algorithm. Regard the following rules: 

Rule #1: Regular posting

Consistent content posting boosts brand visibility and is favored by TikTok’s algorithm. The more you post, the more visibility your content gets.

Rule #2: Foster engagement

Content that garners likes, shares, and comments is prioritized on users’ For You Pages . Even if users follow your brand, lack of interaction can reduce content visibility on their FYPs.

Rule #3: Retain viewer attention

The TikTok algorithm favors videos watched completely from start to finish. To rank higher, you should craft content that captivates viewers from the onset and maintains their interest to the end.

In essence, the TikTok algorithm aims to deliver a tailored content experience to each user. Certainly, the TikTok algorithm changes over time. If you stay attuned to changes, strategize content based on these rules, and foster user engagement, you are going to have more chances to make your presence on TikTok visible. 

CREATING A PROFILE AND IDENTIFYING YOUR BRAND’S UNIQUE VOICE

TikTok provides Personal and Business account options. For brands, the Business Account is more advantageous, offering specialized marketing tools like the Web Business Suite, Commercial Music Library, and Business Creative Hub.

For brands on TikTok, establishing a unique voice and message is crucial for differentiation and building a strong community. The tailored approach helps brands connect more effectively with their audience and harness the potential of the platform. Let’s take Ryanair as an example of a brand establishing its unique voice within the app. Ryanair’s success on TikTok stems from its emphasis on engaging and humorous content prevailing over hard sales. The brand has been making use of a creative TikTok plane face filter.

Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling

TikTok challenges brands to capture attention in mere seconds. And Ryanair demonstrates success in this, with a consistent TikTok style centered on three elements: humor, captions, and videos often under ten seconds. Their creative strategy often draws from community insights and timely situations.

PLANNING YOUR TIKTOK MARKETING STRATEGY

To launch your brand effectively on TikTok, it’s crucial to combine timing, relevance, creativity, and consistency. By crafting a solid TikTok content strategy, you can anchor your brand, ensuring alignment with your goals. 

Identify 3-5 main content themes, or pillars that represent your brand. For example, if you’re a fitness brand, pillars could be workouts, nutrition tips, success stories, and fitness challenges.The best TikTok content either educates, entertains, or both. Think of ways you can provide value to your audience, whether it’s through tips, tutorials, or simply making them laugh.

Your TikTok organic content strategy will be successful if you are bearing in mind the following points.

Posting time and frequency 

Post when your audience is most active. Use analytics to discern optimal posting times. To maintain an organic presence, post at least once daily. The quantity directly affects account growth, with top brands like NBA as examples. By now, the National Basketball Association is the most followed account in sports, having posted more than 2,700 videos.

Content quality

Content on TikTok should be fresh and authentic rather than overly polished. Quick videos are more likely to engage your audience. Plus, remember that Gen Z don’t like straight-forward advertising , and they are not pursuing to be someone else. Your content should be subtle and not salesy.

Sounds

Soundtracks play a pivotal role in the TikTok experience. More than 90% of TikTok users say that the soundtracks that accompany the videos they watch can either make or break their experience.

TikTok users describe sound on TikTok as almost double the fun compared to other social media platforms

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

Trends

Engage with trends early and ensure they align with your brand’s image. For authenticity, stick to trends that represent your brand genuinely.

TikTok trends typically have a short lifespan of 3-5 days. Engage with trends before they flood the Discovery page. For a broader view of content beyond your niche, set up a secondary, blank TikTok account. Use this secondary account to browse the For You Page, spotting recurrent patterns in actions, music, text, or hashtags. Once a relevant trend is identified, promptly craft and post your brand’s unique take on it.

Descriptions & comments & hashtags

Quality descriptions and active commenting can boost engagement and visibility as well as the use of niche and relevant hashtags. Hashtags, both trending and branded, are essential tools on TikTok for reaching and engaging with audiences. They categorize content, facilitating discoverability, and can lead users to explore a plethora of related videos. While popular hashtags can boost visibility, they also bring increased competition. Notable examples include #duet, #TikTokDance, and #LearnOnTikTok, among others. 

Understanding audience

Know your audience’s preferences and engage your followers with resonant content. Continuous experimentation is encouraged. You can utilize TikTok analytics as well as use external tools to keep track of your performance indicators to have deeper insights. If you turn to the Fameters full-cycle influencer marketing agency, we’ll start exactly from a thorough analysis of the market you need to win, your target audience’s behavior & perception, your competitors’ strategies and performance. We aim to build a solid base for your successful campaign.

Niche content

TikTok supports niche content, offering both reach and engagement. The platform’s design caters to specific interest communities. “You’d expect niche content to have less reach but a higher engagement rate, but the reach and impressions of niche content still does phenomenally well on TikTok, compared to any other platform. This tells us that being niche on the platform is highly effective”. (Source: The Drum)

By following these guidelines, brands can effectively leverage TikTok for organic growth and meaningful audience engagement. If you want to get more advice on how to launch a brand and enhance its visibility on TikTok, then move to the following step. 

COLLABORATING WITH TIKTOK CREATORS

Partnering with relevant TikTok influencers can boost brand visibility organically. Authentic content by creators resonates more with audiences, leading to trust and engagement. TikTok influencers can provide value like entertainment, education or inspiration, rather than pushing products overtly.

Influencers play a significant role not only in product discovery but also in affecting purchase decisions. 21% of social media users between 18-54 years have made purchases based on influencer recommendations. This influence is even more pronounced among Gen Z users, with 32% admitting to making purchases due to influencer endorsements, indicating a stronger impact on this generation compared to others.

Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

One of the tendencies is that relatability becomes a key factor in content consumption. 63% of marketers find relatable content most effective. As trust in influencers wanes, those who are relatable are becoming more popular. A study by Matter communications showed 61% of consumers prefer relatable personalities, while 43% lean towards expert personalities. Meanwhile, the preference for celebrity personalities has dropped, with only 11% favoring them, down from 17-22% in 2020. This decline is probably due to the perception that celebrities depict unrelatable experiences.

Read more on the topic:

A very good example of successful collaboration with influencers is Crocs footwear experience: the brand effectively utilized TikTok creators to boost its promotion by launching the #ThousandDollarCrocs hashtag challenge. Promoting their new line, they collaborated with carefully chosen TikTok creators to share videos of them wearing Crocs, as if they had paid a thousand dollars for them. Videos were backed by a Post Malone track. The challenge’s success was amplified when Crocs teamed up with Post Malone directly, resulting in the hashtag going viral, the shoe line selling out, and an 18% increase in followers. 

Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling

The success of such partnerships hinges on the mutual fit between the brand and the TikTok creators. Selecting the right creator involves considering their audience and content alignment with the brand. Brands should build genuine relationships with creators by treating them as partners and giving them creative freedom. If you need help in identifying the right creators for your influencer marketing campaign and in strengthening relationships with TikTok influencers, don’t hesitate to contact the Famesters agency where a team of dedicated experts know very well how to make your brand stand out on TikTok.

TIKTOK SELLING OPPORTUNITIES

After setting up your TikTok profile, it’s crucial to link your ecommerce shop or list products. Platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, Square Online, WooCommerce, and Ecwid can be integrated with TikTok, allowing you to:

  • Sync your store’s catalog to TikTok, adding a shopping tab to your profile
  • Insert direct product links in videos to facilitate purchases
  • Enhance ad efficiency with the TikTok Pixel for tracking website visitors

Shopify users can easily integrate by installing the TikTok app from their dashboard, further simplifying ad management.

Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling

Source: shop.tiktok.com

BENEFITS OF TIKTOK SHOP

  • Huge audience ready to buy: TikTok boasts 1 billion active monthly users, with each spending an average of 95 minutes daily. The hashtag #tiktokmademebuyit has received 71.9 billion views, signifying the purchasing intent of users. 92% act after viewing a product on TikTok.
  • Simple setup: establishing a TikTok Shop is straightforward, although crafting captivating content, essential for sales, might require more effort.
  • Minimal commission fees: TikTok’s present commission fee is 2%, which is considerably lower than Amazon’s 8%-15%, for example. 
Launch a brand on TikTok and start selling

TikTok not only offers a vast audience but also provides a convenient and cost-effective platform for businesses to showcase and sell products.

TikTok Live Shopping phenomenon

The pandemic significantly accelerated the growth of live shopping on social media. From March 2020 to July 2021, global live commerce purchases surged by 76%. Livestreams have a conversion rate ten times higher than other e-commerce formats.

Initially originated in China and more popular in Asian countries (by now), livestream shopping is steadily spreading across the US and European countries. The US live shopping industry is projected to be worth $35 billion by 2024. In comparison, China’s live shopping sector is already deeply ingrained in its social shopping culture, and is expected to reach $400 billion. Around 45% of China’s online shoppers are engaged in livestream shopping.

TikTok, with its roots in China, excels in livestream selling. TikTok Live Shopping is a feature allowing brands to present their products in real-time livestreams. Users can interact with brands, purchase items without exiting the app, and enjoy an experience reminiscent of TV shopping channels, but with a modern twist targeting younger consumers.

Read more on the topic:

tiktok live shopping format ideas

Source: Influencer Marketing Hub

TikTok live shopping events will be especially successful in partnership with the platform’s content creators. Inviting TikTok influencers to represent your brand will lead to even more engagement and sales boost. With TikTok live shopping, your conversion rates are sure to go higher, and return rates are going to decrease.

Thus, live shopping has become a logical step in brand-influencer relationships. Live shopping perfectly fits into influencer marketing campaigns, as TikTok content creators are exactly those ideal presenters able to host your live events.

MONITORING YOUR PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

For a brand to thrive on TikTok, it’s vital to monitor and refine performance metrics. While TikTok offers basic in-app analytics, broader insights may require looking beyond these. Key metrics to track include engagement, follower growth, hashtag performance, top posts, and optimal posting times. Although TikTok’s analytics are still evolving, a brand profile offers important metrics like reach and engagement. Employing influencers can help track sales via affiliate links. 

Here at Famesters we love doing all the tasks for you – from thorough planning to complete monitoring and reporting. Contact us to discuss how to launch your brand on TikTok, and architect the end-to-end influencer marketing campaign on the most engaging social media platform. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS FOR BRAND LAUNCH ON TIKTOK

TikTok’s short-form video format is becoming a dominant trend, with other major platforms emulating its style. For brands seeking growth and staying current, establishing a TikTok presence is increasingly essential. Success on TikTok is a blend of creativity, strategy, and genuine content. The journey is about connecting with the audience in every content piece, making the brand authentic and recognizable.

However, despite the best-laid plans, being adaptable is essential on TikTok due to its ever-changing trends. Brands must align with popular challenges and trending sounds to boost visibility and fit into the TikTok algorithm. Another crucial element of your success is partnering with relevant content creators. This is where the Famesters full-cycle influencer marketing agency is ready to help you. Influencer marketing on TikTok needs transparency and clear metrics. The Famesters professionals use a specter of analytics tools and marketing AIs to back up every figure, suggestion, and decision with actual data. We make your TikTok influencer marketing campaigns transparent and easy to evaluate. Contact us if you want to make your brand a trend via TikTok.

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Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia is a creative B2B marketing and sales professional, passionate about helping companies achieve their user acquisition, growth and visibility objectives
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What is a thought leader in influencer marketing?

What is a thought leader
What is a thought leader
  • What is a thought leader in influencer marketing?

Table of Contents

When considering the landscape of influencer marketing, thought leaders hold a unique position. Unlike traditional influencers, who might gain their following from entertainment or lifestyle content, thought leaders earn their reputation through expertise, insights, and contributions to a particular field or industry. In essence, thought leaders bridge the gap between expertise and influence. For brands operating in sectors where depth of knowledge and trust are crucial (such as FinTech business, for instance) partnering with thought leaders can be a powerful component of their influencer marketing strategy. 

According to the Edelman-LinkedIn research, 58% of respondents turn to thought leaders’ content one or more hours per week. 60% of decision makers admitted that thought leadership convinced them to purchase a product or service they were not previously taking into consideration. In this article experts of the Famesters full-cycle influencer marketing agency are going to explain what is a thought leader, and how thought leaders can contribute to your influencer marketing campaigns.

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A THOUGHT LEADER

While not every influencer can be called a thought leader, the same is for thought leaders: they are not always influencers. But what is a thought leader in terms of influencer marketing? 

A thought leader, also known as a key opinion leader, is a highly respected professional in a specific industry or field due to their extensive expertise. With backgrounds rooted in significant experience, research, and publication, they are considered authority figures in their domain. Thought leaders can feature in media interviews, providing their personal views on current topics within their specialty. Such content is often full of genuine research and insights. By the way, the role of a thought leader for B2B marketing can be very important: studies say that research-based content is an essential trigger to take a sales call.

DemandGenReport B2B Buyer Views Memorable Effective Content Apr2022

Source: Marketing Charts

Further, thought leaders invest in their niche, striving to be experts on specific topics. They are driven by quality and authentic content, aiming to educate their audiences with detailed and relevant information. Their opinions are respected and valued in their community, often without a large online presence. Unlike most social media influencers, closely tied to social media and online platforms, thought leaders are often invited to speak at offline industry events, webinars, or podcasts. 

In comparison, regular influencers can have millions of followers on social media but don’t always possess deep expertise. They market themselves by producing online content and interacting with their audiences. Unlike influencers, whose main income comes from social media content, thought leaders often have full-time roles like authors, consultants, or entrepreneurs. Let’s take an example of Gordon Ramsay, a British celebrity chef and restaurateur, who gained recognition through his culinary expertise and achievements. His restaurant group has been awarded 17 Michelin stars overall. At the same time Gordon Ramsay has recently become a TikTok celebrity with more than 39 million followers. 

What is a thought leader in influencer marketing

n essence, while thought leaders are respected for their expertise and experience, influencers gain traction primarily through their online reach and engagement. Content creators can gain popularity quickly through content curation and understanding online trends. But often niche thought leaders can become influencers. The same as there are micro-influencers with considerable knowledge and passion for specific topics, creating an overlap with thought leaders.  

Read more on the topic:

KEY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN REGULAR CONTENT MARKETING AND THOUGHT LEADERS’ ENDORSEMENTS

Purpose and goals

Content marketing focuses on solving immediate problems, acting as a resource tool. For example, a skincare influencer is promoting a new moisturizer. Thought leaders’ content aims to spark conversations with fresh insights, statistics, and new ideas.

The performance metrics (your KPIs) for each differ, with content marketing possibly focusing on site traffic and email signups, while thought leadership looks at return visitors, engaged email subscribers, and social media discussions.

Quality vs. quantity

Content marketing often emphasizes volume and trending topics while thought leadership prioritizes quality and may result in fewer, more in-depth posts. It should also provide a perspective on how brands adapt to industry changes. Thought leaders base their content on thorough research to uncover untouched topics and upcoming trends, making it essential to understand the audience’s concerns.

Sales intent

Content marketing usually aims to sell a company’s products or services by showcasing why they’re the best choice. Thought leaders don’t directly promote products. Instead, they emphasize the brand’s authority and expertise, allowing readers to form their own conclusions.

Industry influence

Thought leaders seek to shape the industry narrative. Notable industry leaders, like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs in tech, have set the tone for discussions in their sectors. When key opinion leaders endorse brands within their expertise, they bring not just attention but also an expert recommendation to that brand.

HOW THOUGHT LEADERS CAN ACT AS INFLUENCERS

Social media influencers and thought leaders are both authoritative figures online, but they serve different purposes. Partnering with social media influencers, brands can quickly expand their reach and increase sales. In its turn, cooperation with thought leaders can make brands be perceived more authoritative in their niche. Let’s examine what is the role of a thought leader, and how they can act as influencers.

Domain expertise

Thought leaders possess deep knowledge in their respective domains. Brands can leverage this expertise for campaigns that require a nuanced understanding of specific topics, ensuring content is both authentic and accurate.

Content collaboration

Thought leaders can co-create content with brands, such as whitepapers, research studies, webinars, or long-form content. This not only boosts the content’s credibility but also extends its reach to a relevant audience.

Events and webinars

Given their expertise, thought leaders are often invited to speak at industry events, webinars, and conferences. Partnering with them for such appearances can position a brand as a leader in the field.

Long-term partnerships

Unlike many influencer partnerships that can be short-term or campaign-specific, collaborations with thought leaders can be ongoing, deepening the association and credibility over time.

Educating and informing

While traditional influencers might focus on product promotion, thought leaders can educate audiences about a brand’s value proposition, the science or technology behind a product, or broader industry trends that align with a brand’s messaging.

Diverse media channels

Thought leaders often contribute to industry publications, journals, and other authoritative platforms. Collaborating with them can get a brand’s message published on these platforms, reaching a targeted and loyal audience.

Micro vs. Macro

Just as in traditional influencer marketing, there are micro- and macro-thought leaders. Micro- thought leaders have a smaller, highly engaged audience in niche sectors, while macro-thought leaders have broader appeal. Brands can choose whom to partner with based on their campaign goals.

Read more on the topic:

Trustworthiness and authentic audience engagement

Thought leaders usually have a more engaged and niche following because their audience values the insights and expertise they bring. This means collaborations are likely to generate meaningful interactions rather than just surface-level engagement. Plus, since thought leaders are respected for their knowledge and insights, their endorsement or collaboration with a brand can transfer some of this trust to the brand itself.

Higher ROI

Due to the loyal and targeted nature of their audience, partnerships with thought leaders might yield a higher ROI. The role of a thought leader is especially important in sectors where domain expertise and trust are paramount. 

The ultimate influencer marketing report by BuzzGuru

FINAL THOUGHTS

The marketing domain is undergoing a significant shift, blending traditional and digital strategies. While content marketing focuses on immediate solutions and sales, thought leaders can position a brand as a forward-thinking authority in their field. Both approaches serve different but complementary purposes in the business realm.

Before investing in endorsements from influencers or thought leaders, it’s essential to perform thorough market research. Brands should aim to cultivate long-term relationships with chosen thought leaders so that their cooperation could produce better results. Here at Famesters influencer-marketing agency we effectively help brands to create a data-driven influencer marketing strategy, based on a deep market and competitor analysis. We connect brands with relevant influencers, including industry thought leaders. Our turn-key approach means that we conduct A to Z influencer marketing campaigns, providing you with definite results and final analytical reporting that will help you determine future directions in influencer and thought leadership marketing. Contact us to launch the best-ever influencer marketing campaign for your brand! 

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Julia Shandrokha

Julia Shandrokha

Author, creator, marketer. Makes content that helps you understand things better and see the real value
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How to encourage users to download your app: strategies and tactics

How to encourage app downloads
How to encourage app downloads
  • How to encourage users to download your app: strategies and tactics

Table of Contents

There are millions of apps on Google Play store and the App store. To be more exact, it is estimated that Android users are able to choose between 3.55 million apps (making Google Play the biggest app store), and there are about 1.6 million apps for iOS (making the Apple App Store the second-largest app store). What that means for your new, well-designed and very useful mobile app is that you have a huge number of competitors. You need to elaborate a robust strategy to increase your mobile app downloads.

How to encourage users to download your app

Source: Statista.com

Fortunately, there exist quite many effective methods of how to encourage users to download your app. If you’re ready to develop an effective marketing plan, take time to read this article and get to know actionable strategies and impactful tactics to increase app downloads. You’re going to learn how important are appealing app logos, which is better to prioritize – SEO or ASO, what is the role of effective content creation, and also – how to promote your mobile app with influencer marketing. The team of Famesters, a full-cycle influencer marketing agency, are great experts in the industry who are ready to share recent trends and insights with you. Read further to learn more!

APP LOGO: HOW TO MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

The design of an app icon plays a pivotal role in attracting users. The majority of consumers, about 60%, tend to avoid brands with unappealing logos. Overwhelming 78% of participants of another study consider logos to be “works of art”. Another 42% believe that logos reflect a company’s personality and can indicate whether a business is high quality or not.  

As the initial point of contact in an app store, an app’s icon should not only be attractive but also effectively communicate the brand and the app’s functionality. A well-crafted icon can positively influence download rates, helping an app stand out amidst vast competition. While it’s essential to make the icon eye-catching, it’s equally crucial to keep its design simple and direct to prevent confusion. In essence, the app icon serves as the face of your app brand and needs careful consideration in its design.

Here you can learn about the experience of “Piano Master 2” app creators who wanted to update their logo to stand out from the competition. A/B testing helped them to choose the best design from a number of versions proposed. The difference in conversions between the worst logo and the best one appeared to be fourfold! The final version of the icon increased downloads by 34%.

If you’re developing a mobile app, A/B testing is a great technique to determine how effective a logo is. The results of this case show how much a logo design can influence a user’s decision to download an app.

How to encourage users to download your app

Source: How can an application’s icon design affect the number of app downloads?

GIVING PRIORITY TO ASO: HOW TO ENHANCE APP STORE OPTIMIZATION?

App Store Optimization (ASO) is a strategy aimed at increasing an app’s visibility and download rates within app marketplaces, such as Apple’s App Store or Google Play Store. The thing is that most users find apps through app store searches. Studies indicate that browsing in an app store drives 63% of iOS app discoveries and 58% for Android. Much like SEO for websites, ASO focuses on improving various elements related to the app’s listing.

How to encourage users to download your app

Source: Techcrunch.com

ASO Elements:

Title: An effective app title should be catchy, unique, and descriptive. Avoid generic titles to stand out.

Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords in the app’s title and description. Keywords significantly boost ranking, but stuffing should be avoided.

Description: Should be compelling and keyword-optimized. Overstuffing can lead to penalties.

Screenshots: Visuals should be engaging and offer insight into the app’s functionality. Shots showcasing actual app interface can give potential users a clear idea of its features. Try to use compelling screenshots, photos, and videos on your app page to boost engagement. Highlight the crucial features of your app using design elements like arrows. 

App Usage Metrics: Rankings are influenced by usage frequency, download-to-uninstall ratios, and overall engagement.

Categories: Choose app categories wisely to ensure relevance and avoid overly saturated ones.

Reviews: Positive reviews can bolster app ranking. Favorable reviews tell the app store algorithm that your mobile app is valuable and popular among users. This makes it position your app higher. Thus, your steps to engage users and prompt them for feedback can be as follows:

  • Encourage reviews and testimonials

Reviews act as social proof, convincing potential users of the app’s quality and reliability. You can encourage reviews through in-app messages or follow-up emails, especially after a user has a successful interaction with the app, like completing a task or making a purchase. 

  • Address negative reviews

Negative reviews are inevitable, but they should be minimized as much as possible. The best way to do this is by offering a superior user experience and addressing complaints swiftly.

  • Interact with users

Engaging with users by responding to their comments and complaints builds trust and enhances the app’s credibility. This can also lead to more organic downloads. 

  • Motivate users for referrals

Using a referral program is also one of the effective tactics to increase app downloads. Existing users can be turned into ‘brand ambassadors’ by offering them incentives like free storage space or discounts for referring the app to others.

Importance of localization for ASO

For apps designed with a global audience in mind, localization is crucial. Developing an app in multiple languages can significantly increase its download rate, with studies indicating that merely localizing app keywords can enhance downloads by sevenfold. Many non-English speakers prefer using apps in their native languages. Catering to multiple languages can become a good strategy to increase mobile app download rates, for both Android and iOS platforms. 

Here you can learn about one app developer who has discovered how to encourage app download by 767% with the help of keywords localization.

In essence, ASO is essential for developers seeking better visibility and higher downloads for their apps. Being consistent and attentive to all aspects of optimization can lead to increased app discoverability and success. ASO isn’t a one-time task. Regular refinement and A/B testing can help in achieving optimal results.

DON’T FORGET ABOUT SEO: CREATE A DEDICATED WEBSITE

Having a dedicated website for your app is a fundamental step in digital marketing. A website enhances discoverability as users still often search for apps or related services on search engines like Google. This online presence should prioritize SEO and feature engaging content like images and teaser videos, having a clear call-to-action leading to the app’s download page. 

Beyond just having a website, integrating a blog is beneficial. This can provide users with updates, tips, and related content that drives more visibility and traffic, eventually boosting app downloads. 

Additionally, websites can aid in data collection for email marketing and further user engagement. Besides, using a dedicated website for your app allows you to employ ad retargeting. This strategy targets ads at visitors who explored your site but didn’t download your app, reminding them about your product on other platforms.

Overall, to effectively market a mobile app, brands should leverage the broader digital ecosystem, ensuring their app is easily discoverable and relevant.

INVEST IN QUALITY CONTENT: TRYING DIFFERENT FORMATS TO KNOW WHAT BEST RESONATES WITH YOUR AUDIENCE

Investing in content is crucial for app promotion. Content marketing can effectively promote various apps. Apart from creating a website and adding blogs to your app’s website, you can promote your app on social media, for example creating YouTube tutorials, or launching a podcast series. A notable example is Evernote, which shares user surveys and productivity-related content. 

Depending on your audience’s preferences, you can use articles, videos, infographics, behind-the-scenes content, and many other formats. Utilize hashtagged campaigns to enhance brand awareness or showcase new features. For instance, gaming apps can benefit from walkthrough videos, showcasing gameplay and visuals. Leveraging user-generated content also fosters a community feeling around your app.

Promote your app effectively on a dedicated website as well as on social media by understanding your target audience and selecting the right platform and the right content formats accordingly.

Read more on the topic:

Video content

Videos, particularly introduction videos, can significantly increase conversion rates. Ensure they’re concise unless it’s a detailed Q&A or a live stream. Consider creating explainer videos that outline your app’s unique features and functionality, and if needed, seek help from professional video production companies.

To better convey your app’s advantages, create a 30-second demo video highlighting its primary functions and user-friendly features. After production, distribute the video on your website, social media, and within your app store listing.

Consistently publishing relevant content not only attracts users but also improves your website’s SEO. Including pitches for your app within your content can further boost app awareness and interest.

LEVERAGE INFLUENCERS’ POWER: THE BEST WAY TO STAND OUT FROM YOUR COMPETITION

Today we can hardly imagine any marketing efforts without collaborations with relevant content creators. Once you’ve made your best in terms of ASO and SEO, and you’re having a robust content strategy, it’s high time to move further. Promoting your mobile app via influencers can bring you to the next level. This is not only about expanding reach but also about boosting app visibility and trustworthiness. No doubt, it’s quite another thing when a potential user gets to know about a new promising app from a personality who has a particular influence in this or that niche. Trusted experts know very well how to encourage app downloads by reviewing your app in front of their dedicated followers.

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According to the BuzzGuru report, 71% of marketers find that the quality of customers from influencer marketing is much better than from other marketing efforts. Additionally, 92% of consumers admit they have trust in influencers’ advice: they are ready to click their links, and use what influencers suggest using. This is the main reason why the influencer marketing traffic is more qualitative.

guality of cutomers - traffic from influenser marketing

The ultimate influencer marketing report

Thus, collaborating with influencers, especially those on platforms like YouTube or specialized platforms, can lead to beneficial exposure. However, it’s essential to choose influencers carefully, considering both their reach, and also the engagement level and relevance of their audience. Here at Famesters we know for sure how to find the best content creators in your niche, what platforms are better for this or that kind of mobile app, and also we are experts in negotiating with influencers. First launching a campaign, we use only 40% of the budget to find out the most advantageous directions. Further, we analyze the result, highlighting the most profitable solutions. Only then we scale the exactly fruitful decisions with the remaining 60% of the budget – getting you a higher ROI.

FINAL THOUGHTS

There’s no doubt that the quality of the app is crucial. Even if you manage to get a lot of downloads, retaining users will be challenging if the app doesn’t meet their expectations. However, in today’s saturated app market, simply having a well-crafted application isn’t enough.  You should focus on providing a great user experience while employing the above strategies and tactics to increase app downloads.

To stand out and achieve remarkable download numbers, a holistic and strategic approach to app promotion is indispensable. Effective methods span from leveraging the power of content marketing and engaging visuals to fostering influencer partnerships and making the most out of user generated content. 

Contact us if you want to know how to encourage your app downloads via partnerships with content creators. Here at Famesters we promise to manage the best A to Z influencer marketing campaign for the benefit of your mobile app. 

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Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia Zaichko

Anastasia is a creative B2B marketing and sales professional, passionate about helping companies achieve their user acquisition, growth and visibility objectives
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