campaigns – Editorial PR

04/Nov/2019

Influencers can amplify the power of content marketing campaigns and 84% of brands are now running at least one campaign involving endorsements from celebrities, experts and other high-profile people on social media, according to a new report published by AspireIQ.

The study, titled ‘The State of Influencer Marketing 2019: An Analysis of the Social Media Ecosystem’ brings to light the pervasive use of influencers and their evolution from being a nice-to-have to an essential part of campaigns throughout the year.

More than three quarters are now planning to or are already managing ‘always-on’ influencer campaigns due to the wide-ranging benefits, which include increased awareness, reach, impressions and engagement.

Almost nine in 10 are running multiple campaigns a year, and over 50% say that they manage five or more.

The non-negotiable tactic has been driven in part by the sheer scale of audiences that influencers can tap into, which now numbers more than two billion across social media platforms.

Complementing high-quality content marketing with influencer-generated content (IGC) on social via emails and ads has also become a popular practice, as the latter gives influencers the freedom to use their unique voices to create more authentic content, which can engage with an already established audience.

Two-thirds of brands are now using IGC in some form and 21% have set their sights on leveraging it during the next 12 months.

A wide range of content is being produced, and output has evolved from the static images and photos that were once the staple for influencers.

Eight in 10 expect to invest in video content in late 2019 and into 2020, while 55% will tap into the current trend of storytelling to move and engage audiences.

Written content is also hugely popular, with 42% planning to focus their spending in this area.

The types of influencers that brands are looking to work with is also changing as the move away from high-profile celebrities to micro-influencers with smaller followings continues.

Research shows that smaller channels and influencers have 42% higher engagement rates than their larger, macro-based counterparts.

AspireIQ’s founder and president Anand Kishore said in a statement that we are now in an era when influencer marketing is about more than just promoting a brand on social – influencers now power content engines to assist brands with telling a consistent story on all of the channels in which their users are active.

Kishore added that brands and influencers are going to work even closer in the future to build communities that have a shared passion for what the brands make.

The age of influencers is also trending lower due to the rise of TikTok, with data showing that 70% on the platform are now teenagers between 14 and 19.

Meanwhile, brands are spending $10k on average on campaigns on TikTok.

Influencer costs are rising though and the average price now stands at $0.26 per post, while cost per engagement has also risen sharply since last year and is expected to increase further next year.

Fortunately, return on investment (ROI) is high at 423% from the $6,249.91 per campaign budget.

Annie

24/Oct/2016

Video marketing is becoming huge, with content strategists increasingly using this medium to gain momentum and interest through their campaigns. However, it is vital to recognise that the first five seconds of a video are crucial for maintaining interest. If a brand is unable to hook a viewer immediately it risks losing some business, so it’s essential to focus on video openings.

New research from Cisco suggests that over 69 per cent of content could consist of video by 2017. This shows that the video marketing approach continues to excel; however, it also indicates there will be far more competition than ever before, meaning that videos must be expertly curated if they’re to keep consumer attention. Users are becoming extremely fussy over what they watch during their precious time, so companies need to catch them during the first five seconds, otherwise, people will simply move on. If it’s a small firm they’ve lost interest in, they may well forget that brand name forever.

There are numerous reasons why the first seconds are vital. For example, research has shown that the average attention span has shortened. In just 15 years, it has dropped from 12 seconds to 8.25 seconds. It now means that human beings have an attention span less than goldfish; which has an average of nine seconds. With it being harder to catch and keep people’s attention, brands must now offer some form of instant gratification.

Viewers need to be hooked instantly if they’re not to click back and forget about a brand. To do this, video needs to speak to the consumer directly and answer any questions to confirm they’ve found the information they’re looking for. When a consumer knows they’re in the right place, they’re more likely to stay around. In addition, the first five seconds of a video can be used to set the tone – not only of the content to come – but the brand overall. There are many ways to do this, including voice tone, visual style and music.

Finally, all video content must spark curiosity. Most consumers will not stay around long enough to watch the entire piece if it doesn’t make them wonder what’s to come. Five seconds is not a lot of time to work with and it’s a huge challenge to get any form of complex idea across. However, by hooking viewers and making them curious about the content, people are more likely to stay for longer. One good tip is to open with a question they’ve asked themselves; thereby indicating the content has the answer. Alternatively, outlining a common situation they may find themselves in and indicating that the video will have solutions is a good option.

Video marketing is set to continue growing in appeal over the coming months and years. It is, therefore, essential for content strategists to start honing their expertise in this space. With falling attention spans, hooking consumers immediately is of growing importance, especially if brands are to get people to watch an entire video, regardless of its length.

Annie

27/Jun/2016

New data has suggested that many strategists will be heavily focussing on digital marketing throughout 2016. In fact, it is likely to become one of the most important platforms for content creators, with many marketers already spending vast amounts of time and money on creating campaigns to boost engagement on digital posts, videos and other content. With the plethora of platforms that enable content to be spread across the globe, each having the potential to hit the lucrative ‘viral’ status, a lot of priority will be placed upon digital advertising.

The latest predictions for the remainder of the year come courtesy of Ignite Digital, the recruitment specialists. In a new study, it was revealed that two thirds of marketers have already created content campaigns with the aim of raising engagement and interaction levels. It’s been well reported for some time that content marketing has been seeing a noticeable shift towards highly engaging, interactive and creative mediums.

It was only in February 2016, that 29 per cent of Canadian-based marketers revealed their primary marketing focus this year would be on content marketing. This was 10 per cent above those who chose engagement on social media as their top priority, and 16 per cent more than those who mentioned search engine optimisation (SEO).

There are also some interesting findings in relation to just where campaigns are being run. For instance, social platforms have become big business for strategists over the past few years, with Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook taking the fore. In the study, it was shown that 83 per cent of content marketers are conducting campaigns on these platforms, engaging with both clients and customers through these portals. Meanwhile, 80 per cent of people are marketing via website development, far ahead of content marketing and email marketing, both of which scored 69 per cent.

It is also interesting to note that though there is a huge buzz around the potential for mobile applications, only 26 per cent of survey respondents are placing a priority on developing new apps. Instead, social media continues to be one of the most popular tools for boosting engagement, with almost two thirds of marketers saying they regularly monitor places like Facebook and Twitter, not only to connect with customers, but to identify the latest trends and developments.

For content creators wanting to put efforts into the right type of media, it’s important to note that blog-type articles and videos continue to be successful. They make up a notable contributing percentage of marketing activity, with 78 per cent of people saying that the personalisation and management of content remain a critical operation. There’s also a similarly weighted emphasis upon SEO and the value of social media for creating and running a successful and effective digital marketing campaign.

Ignite Digital’s data was published as part of the ‘Canadian Marketers 2016 Outlook Report’. It was revealed, overall, that 83 per cent of marketers aim to boost their campaigning efforts this year. In fact, 43 per cent of respondents said they believed company budget for content marketing would be higher than in previous years.

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Eight in ten marketers now run one or more influencer campaigns a year

Content marketers must focus on first 5 seconds of video

Strategists to focus on digital marketing in 2016