20 Tips for Marketing During Coronavirus Influencer Marketing
Although social media usage has gone up significantly during the Coronavirus pandemic, increasing the appeal for influencer marketing, the unique situation means that you need to adopt different strategies as far as this marketing technique is concerned according to the experts over at runrex.com. This article will look to help both brands and influencers by listing 20 tips for marketing during the Coronavirus pandemic for influencer marketing.
Authenticity
One of the most important factors to consider when it comes to influencer marketing is authenticity. This is particularly important in the Coronavirus world we leave in as influencers are in the public eye as covered over at guttulus.com. In this time of uncertainty, people want to find someone they can trust and who is authentic, which is something both influencers and brands looking for them should keep in mind.
Be responsible
Given that more people are on their electronic devices scrolling through digital content now more than ever before, brands have more opportunities to engage with their audiences. This comes with increased responsibility for both the brands and influencers, which, according to the experts over at runrex.com, means ensuring that you don’t post misinformation.
Show your audience that you are here for the long-term
If you invest in the right kind of influencer marketing campaigns at this moment, you can set yourself up for long-term success when it comes to brand affinity. As outlined over at guttulus.com, whether you are a brand or an influencer, take this time to remind your audience that you are still here, keeping your name on the top of their minds.
Add value
Influencer campaigns should never be about capitalizing on a crisis, which means that this is the time for brands to proactively communicate regarding the COVID-19 safety measures your business may be taking as well as related updates such as store closures and any policy changes. Given that many consumers are being bombarded with such messages, you should make sure that yours include useful information.
Look for ways to be helpful
In continuation from the point above, you should also ask yourself how your brand can best provide value right now as well as who can benefit from your products or services. Invest in the right kind of influencer campaigns at this moment, with the focus being on being helpful, and you will get increased brand affinity.
Pursue organic partnerships
As you prioritize authenticity during this time, the gurus over ay runrex.com recommend that you pursue organic partnerships that make sense at this unique moment. An example is fabric brands partnering with crafters to showcase mask-making instruction, among others. You should avoid inauthentic partnerships and inflexible creative programs.
Rethink your content
You need also to adjust your influencer marketing strategy to fit the current climate, and the first thing to do here, according to guttulus.com, is to rethink your content. Closely consider the videos and images you post as well as the messaging behind them. Brands should work with influencers in a new setting in a way that is relevant to current living and working conditions, and make sure the content they put out there reflects this new situation.
Consider alternative social platforms
The pandemic has led to people spending more time on their devices and social media as discussed over at runrex.com, which means that there has been a change in the channels that resonate most among consumers. We have seen new platforms come in and strongly challenge the dominance of some of the established names, with TikTok being a fine example. This is the time to consider alternative platforms when looking to run influencer marketing campaigns.
Consider the new kind of influencer
The pandemic has led to people changing their priorities, leading to a change in the faces that they have decided to follow. Health and wellness have now become a priority for many, which has resulted in the emergence of new influential figures such as doctors, mental health advocates, financial advisors, fitness gurus, and so forth. Now is the time to consider working with a new kind of influencer for the best results.
Don’t be ignorant
Now is also the time to strike an empathetic tone with consumers and acknowledge the current situation, whether you are communicating with consumers through your brand or an influencer. While you must avoid being too deep and dark with your messaging, you should acknowledge the current situation which will go a long way in creating trust between you and your audience.
Give back to your community when you can
The gurus over at guttulus.com point out that in such a crisis, it never hurts to think about how your brand can help better serve the community and integrate goodwill into your marketing strategy. If you are using influencers to promote certain products or services, and have the financial muscle, donate a portion of the proceeds of the campaign to frontline workers.
Consider taking your products out completely
Other than just donating, you could take your products out completely and use your influencer relationships to spread awareness of some of the ways your brand is giving back as discussed over at runrex.com. Although this may not win you much in terms of sales, it will enable you to win the hearts and minds of consumers.
Giveaways
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, brands have also achieved success by partnering with influencers in giveaways that also benefit various charitable organizations. You can also run a giveaway where you ask people to tag a nurse, teacher, or essential worker they know to enter them to receive the prize.
Consider not starting a campaign from scratch
Now is probably not the time to start an influencer marketing campaign from scratch if you have never experimented in this space before. Instead, you should consider leveraging brand loyalists and devoted customers through word of mouth and social proof.
Turn your customers into influencers
Another tip worth trying out is one that will help turn your customers into influencers themselves, and that is by asking them to share user-generated content on social media under a certain hashtag, something that can be very effective.
Avoid offering influencers free products
When it comes to influencer marketing, as revealed over at runrex.com, it is common knowledge that many influencers and celebrities receive free products from brands for their endorsement and PR. In normal circumstances, such efforts are normally understood among consumers. However, these are not normal circumstances as people are more sensitive to these kinds of hand-outs now when the larger community is struggling, hence why you should be careful with this.
Be careful when selecting influencers
We have also seen many influencers getting caught breaking social distancing and lockdown protocols and ending up facing a lot of public backlash across social media. Therefore, according to the gurus over at guttulus.com, when selecting influencers to partner with, make sure they haven’t been involved in any controversies as this will negatively impact your campaign.
Do some research
If your campaigns are not performing well, then you should do some research to see which topics are trending and what your target audience is talking about at this time of the pandemic. This is something the experts over at runrex.com highly recommend.
Leverage micro-influencers
The current situation means that consumers are looking for more relatable and down-to-earth content that speaks to their current needs. This is why, while brands mostly worked with models, celebrities, and socialites before on campaigns, many are now looking to work with a more approachable subset of users to share their products with smaller niche called micro-influencers who are less likely to be millionaires posting from their mansions but parents posting from their apartments, making them more relatable.
Don’t be flashy
If you are in the food industry, it is probably better to avoid posting extravagant spreads, among other such examples. It will not be taken well if you are highlighting excessive spending and lavish living while people are grappling with layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts. Be sensitive to the current situation when deciding on the type of content to incorporate into your campaigns.
Remember, if you are looking for more information on this and other related topics, then look no further than the excellent runrex.com and guttulus.com.