In recent years, we have seen the rise of influencer marketing. For an efficient PR strategy, a mere presence on social media is not enough. Ninety-five percent of the people have active accounts on social media platforms. Therefore, more and more brands have sought the help of social media influencers.
A brand can get all the help in the world, but the team still needs to learn lessons and apply them in later PR campaigns. In this piece, we will explore these PR lessons and the way influencers use them.
Reputation is always significant
Paid partnerships on Instagram are more popular than ever. Famous brands don’t stop at just organic PR strategies, but also pay attention to the activities of influencers. One lesson you can equip your PR strategy with is the importance of reputation. Influencers depend on their networking skills in the beginning, but from there – it’s all reputation.
How do they do it? Influencers assume a set of characteristics, and they combine the characteristics to create an image of themselves. A study by Collective Bias shows that 70 percent of millennials are influenced more by a non-celebrity rather than a famous celebrity.
The key to their success is consistency. Your brand can assume the same approach and achieve brand consistency. By being consistent, you will gain a reputation for having the same set of characteristics and behavioral patterns.
Furthermore, being consistent will improve customer attraction and customer retention. If you intend to implement benefits for your loyal customers, implement small ones to experiment. Doing this gives your room to experiment and doesn’t break your PR strategy if the plan fails.
Branded blog posts have a higher lifespan
An essential part of your PR strategy should revolve around branded blog posts. Social media influencers use branded posts all the time. But what is so effective about them?
Globally, 2/3rd of consumers make a purchase based on beliefs. A brand builds a belief and this is where branded posts come into play.
Branded posts contain two of the most important traits of post – relevance and a clear goal. Think of it this way. The information in the post dissects and explains a problem that many people face. Immediately after dissecting the problem, the branded part provides an immediate solution.
Social media influencers do just that. They highlight a problem and provide a cheap and immediate solution. Molding your PR strategy to function on a problem-solution relation will increase the popularity of your posts.
Additionally, branded blog posts have a much higher repost value. You can recycle them and add relevant information to the existing structure.
Doing more is the best way to get noticed
Influencers use sporadic contests, giveaways and promotions to attract more people to their page. The strategy is very effective because it rewards people solely for the act of following.
The gesture of “doing more” resonates with the audience and accomplishes stellar PR-related results. To improve your customer retention, you can take a page of the influencers’ book and start doing more.
Coupon codes are a great way of establishing “hype” and governing a proper product release. If you run an eCommerce store, surprise customers with a gift within their initial package.
By doing more, your make generosity into a consistent practice and boost your reputation. As we’ve said, reputation is everything in PR and giveaways are a quick and efficient way to improve upon it.
Long-term partnerships are better than short-term cooperation
PR is considered earned media. Unlike organic marketing, you are the only factor to the success of your PR strategy. A lesson we can all learn from social media influencers is the value of long-term partnerships.
If you find something that works, don’t give up on it. Cooperating with influencers and other brands is integral, but you should turn functional relationships into a basis of your PR strategy.
Long-term associating transforms the identity of both your brand and your associates. Remember that 70 percent of people in the world have accounts on social media platforms. Therefore, a PR strategy should be secured in the long run and every collaboration a viable one.
To conclude
Influencers use consistency and reputation as their foremost tools for growth. By assuming such a strategy, you can take your PR strategy to the next level. Form long-term partnerships and stay creative.
Ellie Chapman is a PR manager and a writer for Brill Assignment. There, she specializes in influencer marketing and personal finance.
