3 Tactics to Maximize Influencer Marketing ROI

Last year we shared the three ways brands use Snapchat for Influencer Marketing. Today we're sharing three tactics for maximizing the ROI of the platform. It also goes without saying, that Snapchat is not the only social network for influencer marketing and that brands should choose the medium that not only represents the destination of its audience but also mirrors to brand voice.

Social media influencers like Amanda Cerny represent an authentic and non-transactional voice that brands often lack. They also attract an audience drawn to their content, whether it be entertaining, informative, inspiring or more.

For instance, Nadia Sahar has a growing following for her informative suggestions in the cosmetics and makeup category and is recognized by a multitude of brands in the MENA market.

This authenticity, coupled with the trust and reliability factor, only adds value to the influencer. Influencer marketing is more about building brand sentiment over time and represents a longer term investment. So vanity metrics such as likes, heart's and retweets need not be the sole criteria to measure success.

Here are the three tactics to track and target the right audience:

Pixel Tracking

If your campaign is focused on sales, use pixels to track the journey the customer took, marking a path from the first type of content consumed that led them to your point of sale. Collect hard data such as the # of page impressions and views that resulted in viewership. Use C2 to track the engagement between sponsored and non-sponsored content, as well as unique IP addresses. From the point of awareness to conversion, you can track what worked and focus on that alone. The attribution of purchase and tracking of assists is also informative to give credence toward the supporting touchpoints that contributed towards the sale.

Go Mobile or Go Home

If you want to track how influencer marketing drives purchase decisions, one tactic is to have your influencer offer a ticket or digital coupon to its audiences, which can be availed at a specified point of sale. Brands can continue the conversation via C2 based email marketing or SMS based notifications. With the lure of discounts and free gifts, focus on attaining valuable data such as phone numbers or email addresses.

Get More Baskets

As mentioned above, influencer marketing is not restricted to Snapchat. Don't place all your eggs in one basket and expand your reach. Recognize that the persona of the influencer is just as important as the persona of the social platform. Leverage the platforms the influencer is on to repurpose the content for maximum follower reach, regardless of how obscure it appears. Doing so also leads to economies of scale, canceling out the need for platform specific content all the time.

Following these tactics allows digital media based campaigns to show their true worth towards driving footfall, converting a prospect and attributing towards a goal. Use them wisely and think through the goal with the customer in mind.