One of the biggest misconceptions of influencer marketing that using an influencer is just like buying an ad. Pierre-Loic Assayag, is the founder and CEO of Traackr, and he knows there is much more to it than that.

“When social commerce is front and center for so many, where a lot of decisions around purchase are taking place online, the notion of being able to not just create that initial spike of awareness, but being able to get people to influence their audience It gives you an ability to move down the funnel towards nano influencers.”

As influencers continue to rise in popularity and the authenticity of the products they’re promoting becomes more and more important, aligning brand and promoter is at the forefront of best practices when it comes to influencer marketing. On this episode of Marketing Trends, Pierre-Loic discusses why aligning your brand with the proper influencer can pay huge dividends. Plus he explains why there is a good chance you’re not using influencer marketing to the most of its potential.

Main Takeaways:

• Flavor of the Week: Don’t limit yourself to large-scale influencers. Instead, when you’re identifying influencers that work for you, make sure their values and brand align with what the company stands for. Just because an influencer has hundreds of thousands of followers doesn’t mean those followers align with your brand. An influencer with less followers could have a greater impact on pushing your product because their followers resonate more with your brand.
• Building Loyalty: When aligning with influencers, don’t think about the immediate purchases that could occur. Instead, think of influencers as a way to build lifelong advocates for the brand. Data suggests that when influencers and brands align on values and products, consumers are less sensitive to overall pricing.
• Not Like Your Other Channels: In order for influencer marketing to work, you can’t treat it like every other channel. When you stop thinking of influencer marketing as a new channel, you stop thinking about the complexity and richness of the practice. Take the time to learn about the influencers you are investing with and don’t overthink the content.

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