Marketers are just beginning to understand the value of influencer marketing.
Jason NeubauerInfluencer marketing wasn’t even an industry 5 years ago. That’s what makes it such a fascinating space. It has been one of the most rapidly evolving marketing strategies, and yet in many ways it still flies under the radar in terms of big-brand recognition. There are only a handful of brands and companies that have truly gone all in on influencer marketing, recognizing the value (and ROI) of the new strategy.
For many, though, influencer marketing is still seen as the Wild West. They are understandably hesitant to move their budget for TV, for example, into the hands of a 16-year-old Instagram star.
Go back 5 years, and some of today’s hottest social-media influencers were kids just having fun and making entertaining videos on platforms like YouTube and Vine. But before anyone knew what to call the new phenomenon, influencer-making professional and strategist Jason Neubauer saw where it was headed and was willing to bet big. He saw what influencers Nash Grier and Cameron Dallas were doing, representing brands and products and driving massive traffic, and he knew this was where digital marketing was headed.
For context: social-media stars Nash Grier and Cameron Dallas, managed by 26MGMT at the time, drove over 1 million downloads in 24 hours to what Neubauer called a “below-average game” on the app store. That was all the proof he needed that people’s attention was shifting.
Since then, Neubauer has worked with over 1,000 influencers, has personal relationships with 250 of the biggest names out there and has built influencer-marketing campaigns and programs for 30+ brands, ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. He has also built two multimillion-dollar businesses utilizing influencers to establish his brands.
When I asked him about the key to his success, he said, “There is a right way to do influencer marketing, and a wrong way. I only invest my time in working with the people who want to do it the right way.”
Neubauer explained that influencers are like stocks, and in the influencer category there are many different variables to be aware of. Finding the right influencer to represent the brand and its message is a key piece of the puzzle. It’s important that the influencer has established trust and credibility within the target space.
Some of the variables he considers while picking an influencer include:
- Primary social platform
- Target demographic
- Growth potential
- Content deliverables
- Contract length
- Contract price
- Cost effectiveness
- Personality
- Brand history
- Exclusivity duration
A glance at the list above will tell you that follower count alone is a poor metric. In fact, if that’s all you’re looking at, then you’re starting off on the wrong foot.
As influencer marketing continues to grow, and more and more brands see the value of shifting their marketing budgets into the hands of influencers, Neubauer thinks brands should be paying attention to the following issues:
1. Rising Influencers Vs. Established Influencers
“Every month, the big-name influencers and their reps field dozens of lucrative offers to make branded content. They could run a major brand activation every week if they wanted to, but they don’t. Their fans would stop watching them because all they’re producing is ads,” said Neubauer.
“Also, sponsored activations take time and energy. They can’t just turn on the camera and post what they want. They have to review creative briefs, go through rounds of collaboration and review, make extra edits, etcetera. They pursue a select number of partnerships that best promote their brand and advance their career, and sometimes a great opportunity comes along and they’re unable to take advantage because their schedule is already booked for the next 6 months.”
Most brands see it as a failure if they don’t get big-name influencers like Cameron Dallas or Logan Paul in their campaign. However, Neubauer explained that the social universe is ripe with talented individuals who are ready to work but who just haven’t gotten the opportunity yet.
There are plenty of up-and-coming, under-the-radar stars who can serve as effective substitutes: who produce high-quality content that is comparable with that of the big hitters, but who are generally more available and eager to make their name as marketing superstars.
As an example, Neubauer pointed to last year’s Super Bowl. Influencer Steven Spence, who had 565,000 followers on Instagram, teamed up with Sprint, while Nash Grier, who had 11,200,000 followers on Instagram, teamed up with Tommy Hilfiger. The result? Steven Spence generated over 359,000 views for his Sprint Super Bowl commercial, while Nash Grier generated 293,000 views for his Tommy Hilfiger campaign.
It’s not always about how big the influencer is. It’s about how influential they are within your target space. Sprint’s new initiatives are a great example of authentically integrating brand messaging to relate to the millennial and Gen Z audience. Sprint started their influencer marketing with Jake Paul’s viral vlog video “Helicopter Trampoline,” which has generated over 8 million views on all platforms, with a 98 percent positive engagement.
2. ESports Is A Rapidly Emerging Category For Influencers
According to Neubauer, eSports are still predominantly unregulated, offering unique marketing opportunities unavailable in other industries. By entering the market early, brands can avoid a whole lot of red tape, and have the opportunity to establish themselves as industry leaders.
Also, eSports are attracting some of the world’s biggest brands. Multinational corporations such as Coca-Cola, Red Bull and Nissan have already aligned themselves with professional eSports events, teams and players. Marketing agencies such as M&C Saatchi Sport and Entertainment have launched internal eSports divisions. Others have built their entire business model around the sector.
“As an online vertical, eSports fans are typically tech savvy, highly engaged millennials and Gen Zers who are less responsive to traditional advertising and marketing techniques,” said Neubauer. “They want unique, immersive experiences, so rather than pushing straight advertisements through bread-and-butter marketing channels, they want brands to be relevant and authentic. Getting it wrong can severely impact a brand’s reputation.”
3. Up-And-Coming Influencers To Look Out For
“If your brand is interested in getting into influencer marketing, then here are some influencers who are up and coming that you should pay attention to,” said Neubauer.
Twan Kuyper: A Dutch native who was first discovered by fans when he appeared in some of Lele Pons’ early vines, Twan grew to over 80,000 followers on Vine in one day and hasn’t looked back since. He has quickly become a highly sought-after model, and is currently at a tipping point in the acting world. Twan’s follower base is growing by 200K+ per month on Instagram.
Steven Spence: Steven is an incredible musician, actor, producer and DJ. He has grown his following rapidly by creating viral videos with other established influencers while staying focused on his music career. Spence does it all: he sings, and plays the drums, keyboard and guitar. He is now being managed by 4-time Grammy Award–winning producer Rodney Jerkins. Watch out for Steven Spence, as he will be a household name in the music industry in the near future.
Soar Gaming: This is one of the top gaming teams in the world. They compete in popular games such as SMITE, H1Z1, Rocket League, World of Warcraft, Rainbow Six Siege and Halo. The fan base of the prestigious organization reaches over 12 million on all social-media networks. The team is poised to do big things in 2017.
Shots Studios: Founded by John Shahidi and Sam Shahidi, Shots Studios is a digital-media company for a new world of creators. Shots Studios is the Air Jordans of the digital world. They have over 1 billion minutes watched in the first 4 months on YouTube, and 500 million views per month on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The have the talent, managers and partners to be wildly successful. John and Sam Shahidi have struck gold.
Charles Gitnick: Gitnick is a 9th grader waging war against gun violence by getting guns off the streets and into art galleries. Not only is he an amazing young artist, he has over 350,000 followers on Instagram and is growing rapidly. Gitnick has become best friends with Joey Birlem, and the two are often referred to as “Choey.” The future is bright for these two young men.
