Originally, influencers relied heavily on blogs as their primary platform to connect with audiences. Over time, as more platforms came to the forefront, Instagram took hold of the market as a primary influencer marketing platform.  

However, when Instagram first took over as #1, influencer marketing was less about measurability and more about things like follower count, likes, and shares — metrics that Instagram is really known for. 

Now, priorities have changed for marketers when it comes to choosing a mix of platforms for an influencer marketing strategy. It’s important these days for brands to branch out if they want to reach their full potential in the market.

Why Brands Should Branch Out

The pressure is on for marketers to prove marketing spend through more than likes and shares — which are now considered two-dimensional “vanity metrics.” It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all industry, and there are different types of influencers for disparate categories, with varying follower counts. 

What matters today is attention, engagement, and conversions. No matter which platform you’re using, influencer marketing helps brands do one or more of the following:  

• Drive conversions and hard numbers
• Track the content that resonates with consumers to the point of purchase
• Know where consumers are directly making their purchasing decisions
• Reach the right customers for the most effective brand awareness 

A linear and hyper-focused approach to influencer marketing won’t get you the growth results you’re looking for. Your brand needs more coverage, more data, and more ability to tap into revenue potential.

How to Branch Out to Other Channels

As you consider a multi-faceted IM platform strategy, you’ll need to think about:

• The audience and demographics you’re looking to target
• The type of content you want the influencer to produce
• How you’d like to use that content
• How you’d like to track its performance
• The results you want to come from your IM strategy

From there, you can move backwards into the appropriate channel mix. However, with today’s focus on tracking performance for revenue and proving marketing spend, brands will need to make tracking their top priority. Otherwise, you will not know  whether or not you have room to grow and convert more consumers.

With our comprehensive network of influencers, nearly 10 years of historical performance data, and our innovative experience in the influencer marketing space, we’ve made “branching out” a science.

Using Other Branches

Even if you’re comfortable with your Insta-only strategy, you should know that working with influencers who utilize other platforms is only going to point your numbers up. And it doesn’t mean you have to choose one channel over the other. 

Influencers can leverage every popular social media platform in their unique (and noticeable) ways. They’ve done it for years and have developed their own audiences of faithful followers (i.e. your consumers). 

YouTube

With video as the dominant content format of today and the future, YouTube is a must for reaching more engaged audiences – especially Gen Zers, who say that YouTube is the number 1 platform they choose when they want to relax. And 80% of those consumers say that YouTube helped them become more knowledgeable in some way. This is where they spend a lot of their time staying connected, learning about things they’re interested in, and following influencers they value.

YouTube also has a formal advertising setup, allowing for more creativity in campaigns. If brands want to reach these younger audiences, they’ll need to include YouTube influencers into their casting. 

TikTok

In 2019, TikTok really gained traction. Now, the majority of its growing audience is also in the Gen Z range, and they are obsessed. This isn’t a surprise, as it’s a video-based platform where short-form (often humorous) content is the name of the game. This platform is full of opportunities for influencers to create light-hearted DIY content that speaks to current trends, products, and brands.

Why Should TikTok be on your radar :

• It’s the fastest growing social media app in the world
• Attracts new demographics for brands
• Potential to drive more than engagement metrics

And with more than 800M users worldwide, TikTok can not only amplify your influencer campaigns with us at rewardStyle, but when used with LIKEtoKNOW.it (LTK), it can track and measure sales from your influencer marketing efforts. 

Now, let’s talk more about LTK.

LIKEtoKNOW.it (LTK)

(LTK) is an easy add-on for your Instagram content, and it’s something influencers can append as an additional tracking measurement. With this app, people are pulled infor shoppable, entertaining content — another purchase destination for people to shop your brand.

Again, because of the dominance of video in today’s social environment, we saw the value in implementing LTK Shopping Videos into the LTK app — yet another modern, sought-after way to market your brand and make it easy for consumers to watch and shop.

Ultimately, LTK is the way to make sure you’re getting the most out of your influencer marketing efforts because its in-app tracking features is the key to:

• Revealing the source of sales
• Understanding the value of your marketing efforts
• Knowing where to direct your marketing spend 

Influencer marketing is multi-faceted in nature and will be most effective when brands keep a diverse channel and influencer mix. We know it isn’t easy to navigate all the moving parts of diverse campaigns, and that’s why we’re here to help direct your effort.

Ready to learn more? Contact us.