What is influencer marketing? A phrase that is currently one of the hottest in marketing. We spoke with two partners in a new type of agency specializing in influencer marketing, namely "influencer marketing", Jan Macarol, editor and creator of various media platforms, and Filip Kržišnik, who earns his living in the field of influencer marketing at home and abroad.
Together, they are starting a new story within the agency for media solutions and influencer marketing Reformabit.
What is influencer marketing for you?
Influencer marketing or you "influencer marketing" is an extremely sensitive and complex field, which fundamentally has more in common with media creation good contents like s classic advertising. We are strong in this area, so on influencer marketing we look differently than most. Above all, we see him as subtle and neutral bridge between brands and content creators, let them be influencers or you »influencers” or the media.
John: It's basically influencer marketing quality creation of meaningful content, related to brands whose distribution is carried out in the framework micro content on different social platforms and, thanks to its innovation and creativity, it is also capable of transitioning into "mainstream" the media.
Philip: It is a passion to present cool products and services in an innovative way, and in this neutral and a subtle way to impress my followers.
Is influencer marketing really marketing at all?
Yes and no. It's primarily about creating good content, then marketing. Basically here classic marketing techniques they mean nothing and are not even wanted. Influencers, i.e. individuals who care a set of elements, but above all managed to create talents successful digital media channels, are themselves the best creators of their content. They are, of course, the ones who know how to create suitable content for their followers in an appropriate and unobtrusive way. They are of a kind modern micromedia, which have a significant influence in the framework social platforms, such as Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook ... In their private sphere of creation, they only want to inspire and not impose in any way. Your followers they can only direct unobtrusively, but they do not rape with classic advertising techniques. For them, only the agency's creative and production support is suitable and not putting words in their mouths, as we often witness.
Philip: "Content is the king!"
John: Yes, there is a whole "stunt" in that. Good stories that inspire. Otherwise, this type of marketing is ineffective and the message is diluted.
How effective is influencer marketing?
It is globally considered that influencers on social networks are users we believe up to 10 times more than classic brands or media. Therefore, if an influencer is enthusiastic about a product and advocates for it because of the good features of this product, this information will be accepted by his followers as more neutral and genuine, as if it provides this information brand or media. In doing so, it is almost essential that the influencer believes in the product and not only plays everything. But we both think it is influencer marketing suitable only for certain demographic groups, certain types of products and by no means for everyone and just average. This is in influencer marketing often happens a lot tragicomic way and is for brand due to the large degree of ignorance and misunderstanding present even in advertising agencies, even harmful.
How can Slovenian influencer marketing compare with global trends?
Slovenia is also in its infancy in this area. But things are moving in a positive direction. And some influencers have already shown very nice examples this type of marketing. In conversations with clients we see movements, mainly in the perception that influencer marketing has little in common with advertising in the good old sense of the word. Subscribers seem to understand that it is a different and a more subtle level of communication or rather that by joining this segment they actually support it creating good content. Basically, they are not marketing in the direct sense, but they are supporting formation of excellent micro-contents, which inspire. Of course, they want to have measurable results and concrete numbers for this.
So how does it actually differ from content advertising?
Basically no communication is created by the brand, but influencers who create the best possible content for their users. Brand buys their production of content that remains copyrighted. Brand they're actually buying the time, if you will, the influencer's attention and the value they've built up followers on social networks, and not advertising in his intimate sphere. It sounds like a world gone wrong, and it is. Good influencer marketing you will never really notice if you do not pay special attention to it. And it will never act unnaturally and distorted, but as part of the personality of the influencer. Because a good story is also part of his personality, we perceive the influencer as completely sincere. And it is this sincerity that consumers believe.
Who are Slovenian influencers?
With special tools, partly also in our own development, we managed to identify via 120 individuals, who impress people with their creativity social platforms. These are mostly influencers with more than 10,000 followers on social networks. Among them are many public figures who are known to the general public, and about a good half of them are those who have z modern social platforms managed to create a significant impact on their own. They didn't help them with that classical media, but merely their talent for creating interesting content. We also have signed declarations of cooperation with the majority and are already implementing various projects.
Are the media also influencers?
Yes, definitely. But only those who are in a flood of stupid "advertorialsmanaged to keep his own professionalism and independent of opinione. It's about media that create relevant content. Unfortunately, there is something like this in Slovenia media creation too little, or it is getting less and less and slowly disappearing. Therefore, the influence of the media is actually decreasing. People just don't believe stories made up in PR departments anymore. But we trust influencers.
Where are your competitive advantages?
Basically we believe into measurability and technologies, which will also be in this area in the future for brand authority. Therefore, in contrast to others, we want to implement various content campaigns with influencers, measure them in detail and to analyze and impress your clients with these results. In the past, we have already developed within the company highly complex clipping tools to monitor social media posts (viralnewschart.com), which should be added to this segment as well. On the other hand, we believe that with classic advertising influencer marketing doesn't have much in common. He observes that classic advertising agencies have difficulty adapting to the new environment and are unable to transition into something else. They still think completely classically, which we encounter every day. Basically, we perceive ourselves as creator of content and stories. And here we see our chance.
Who is who in your agency?
Currently, the department team counts five individuals. Philip is the head of the influencer department, talent scout and advisor in the growth of our protégés. Jan manages creative projects and work with clients. The others deal with project management, channel management, etc social networks for subscribers and media production, also support the implementation of campaigns in the field influencer marketing.
And the future?
The future is in connectivity. That is also why we kindly invite you to the event "MADE BY INFLUENCERS", with which we want to unite everything in advertising triangle at a "series" of professional meetings. The first meeting of this kind, where we will socialize while having a short debate and exchange of opinions, will be 24. 5. 2017 in Vander Urbani Resort in Ljubljana at 17.00. Welcome!
EVENT REGISTRATION — > MADE BY INFLUENCERS
