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Stay up to date with the latest trends and insights in the influencer marketing world.

  • Influencer campaigns guide:

    Date: March 23, 2023

    Categories: Digital Influencer, Influencer Marketing, Influencer World, Influencers, Tech & Entertainment

    SIZES, NICHES AND HOW TO CHOOSE THEM

    It’s clear that influencer campaigns are a highly effective strategy, as evidenced by the fact that 8 out of 10 marketers plan to allocate 10-20% of their budget towards it in 2022-2023. Actually, the market size of influencer marketing is projected to reach $21.1 billion, according to Viralyft.

    What all these numbers reveal? That brands and businesses recognise the value of influencer marketing, not just for increasing awareness, but also for driving sales. In fact, our study, State of the Influencer Marketing, shows that 36% of marketers consider driving sales to be the most important conversion metric for their IM strategy.

    The rise of influencers has created a booming “creator economy,” revolutionising the way businesses and brands engage with consumers

    Forbes, 2023

    Truth be told, influencer marketing is a profitable business. Various media outlets and studies have highlighted the key elements of an effective marketing strategy, including setting clear goals, selecting the right influencer, considering their reach and expertise, ensuring brand values align, developing a content strategy, and measuring results. The question, now, is how to achieve these goals.

    In the Influencer world, there is room for all sizes and territories

    Regarding the “size” or “reach” of influencers, it is outdated to believe that the largest influencer is always the best choice just because of that. Several factors must be taken into consideration, including the niche we are trying to reach as a brand, whether it’s our established target audience or a new business opportunity.

    Actually, selecting hyper-specialised influencers is becoming increasingly popular, with some brands finding their work to be more relevant and relatable to their fanbase, which provides a great opportunity for local and regional influencers as well.

    However, the main question remains: how do we filter, select, and develop a strategy with the right influencer? Many CMOs and CEOs are concerned with this issue. Fortunately, through innovation in technology and solutions, we have discovered a way to achieve these goals.

    The role of AI in Influencer Marketing Campaigns

    In today’s influencer marketing industry, artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising the way brands identify and collaborate with influencers. By analysing key data such as engagement rates, audience demographics, and content quality, AI-powered systems can help brands efficiently and effectively select the right influencers for their campaigns, saving valuable time and resources.

    We have taken our 10 years of experience in the field to develop our own AI tools that enable us to plan, strategize, create, execute, and evaluate influencer marketing campaigns with unparalleled precision and customization. Our AI-based approach ensures that each campaign is tailored to the unique needs of our clients, delivering optimal results every time. 

    Influencer campaigns tools: we take the high Road

    We offer a range of tools and services to help brands optimise their digital marketing strategies. We start with our digital strategy audit, which measures brand reputation and compares it to competitors, giving us valuable insights into a brand’s current position and potential opportunities.

    This way we can analyse the latest consumer trends and social media content, using social listening to identify the topics that generate the most traction among audiences. Our ShineBuzz AI technology helps us identify the best match among over 120 million Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) for successful social media campaigns.

    In addition, we use advanced analytics tools to identify niche influencers and non-influential characters who are driving conversations on social media in specific territories. We also analyse the affinity between influencers and brand profiles to create awareness among target audiences.

    Our technology provides optimal benchmark prices for each influencer, taking into account performance KPIs, demographics, platforms, and formats. We also monitor campaign success and analyse KPIs of each publication comparatively, to determine the effectiveness of each influencer and compare strategies with competitors.

    With this suite of tools and services, we help brands predict, plan, and report on their influencer marketing campaigns, providing valuable insights into market benchmarks and performance metrics.


    Influencer marketing is here to stay as a powerful tool for brands to reach potential customers throughout various stages of their decision-making process. With the help of AI technology, brands can now identify the right influencers to collaborate with more efficiently and, combining the human expertise, develop hyper-personalised campaigns that resonate with their target audience and achieve their business goals of digital strategy, unlocking the full potential of influencers.

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  • The future of Influencer Marketing: live now

    Date: March 19, 2023

    Categories: Data & Metrics, Influencer Marketing, Influencer World, Influencers, Social Media, Tech & Entertainment

    Influencer marketing has become an essential tool for brands to connect with their target audience, and that’s already said and set, embraced by companies of all sizes. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, it is crucial for brands to keep up with the latest trends in influencer marketing to stay ahead of their competitors, and the way to go on this is by understanding the shape of influencer marketing strategy for these upcoming years

    “Brands are increasingly recognising influencers as professional publishers with valuable audiences (…) Even behemoth social media companies recognise the pull influencers have in connecting people and keeping them engaged on their platforms—so much so that they’re actually designing some of their new features specifically to support creators’ business efforts ”

    Forbes, 2023

    The need for authenticity: believe the expert 

    Authenticity has become a buzzword in the influencer marketing world. Both brands and consumers are becoming more aware of fake followers and fake stats on social media, and users resent that. They are not looking for perfect idols anymore, but authenticity and realness. Brands that collaborate with influencers need to ensure that the influencers they work with have an actual and genuine connection with their audience, and have a place among them as equals.

    In 2023, we can expect to see brands focusing more on authenticity and collaborating with influencers and niche influencers who have an honest connection with their audience, based on interests and talents.

    Consumers are more likely to trust an influencer who they perceive as an expert in their field, this means that brands need to work with influencers who have a solid understanding of the industry they are promoting, but also rely on their knowledge and expertise; no one understands the target as they do.

    Partnering with influencers who have an intimate knowledge of their niche will enable brands to establish a deeper level of trust with their target audience, thus significantly improving their likelihood of success in influencer marketing campaigns. To achieve this, choosing the right influencer is key.

    Exploring the Metaverse

    The Metaverse needs no explanation at this point, and it has become an exciting platform for brands to connect with their target audience, offering new spaces, goods, and experiences worldwide – all from the comfort of each individual’s home.

    One of the most interesting aspects of the Metaverse is the possibility of having virtual ambassadors, also known as digital influencers. These are characters developed by brands or individuals that can represent them in the virtual world and, getting ahead of the upcoming Fashion Week, beauty and fashion brands are the ones rocking these virtual ambassadors, showing how amazingly effective they can be in promoting products and the brand itself in the Metaverse.The use of virtual ambassadors is just one example of the many opportunities that the Metaverse offers to brands. As more and more people spend time in this virtual world, brands have the chance to engage with their target audience in new and innovative ways. By building a presence in the Metaverse, brands can create a unique experience for users and establish a strong connection with their audience that can translate into increased brand awareness and loyalty.

    Live Shopping

    Live shopping is becoming increasingly popular in the influencer marketing world. It allows consumers to interact with influencers in real-time and purchase products directly from the live stream, a whole entertaining and unique experience.

    The game changer here is to build confidence: people want to be sure about what they are buying, as well as excited to see their favourite influencer talk about it.

    According to Statista, the primary benefits of livestream shopping globally are the ability to access exclusive discounts and use it as a source of inspiration and ideas. Additionally, 31% of respondents stated that this purchasing channel enabled them to shop smarter and make more informed buying decisions.

    Therefore, we can assure that collaborating with influencers to host live shopping events will represent a great strategy in the upcoming years, and it will result in a highly engaging and interactive shopping experience that will significantly increase the possibilities of consumers making a purchase.

    Niche Influencers

    As stated in our report “The rise of niche communities”, with this action involved in a strategy brands will have direct access to the target audience, meaning they can talk and communicate with them directly. Not only will they increase loyalty towards the brand, but also will get first-hand insights, challenges, goals and feedback.

    Either way, users are extremely jealous and protective with their close spaces, therefore the best way to access to them is through niche influencers; who’s that might not seem as shiny, but have the strongest bond in the community, and understanding why they are there is the base to give proper information that will result into buying decisions for them.

    Why are communities looking for decentralised spaces?

    Discover new things77%
    Connect with people who have similar interests66%
    Find funny/entertaining content62%
    Keep up with the news/current events60%
    Ask a question to people knowledgeable about a topic60%
    To seek honest advice55%
    Get a recommendation for a product/service to buy54%
    To have a safe space to share ideas, thoughts, etc.49%
    To have genuine conversations with other people44%
    To share advice38%
    As we can see, it’s not only about showing off a product in these spaces, it’s about offering a solution based on the interests of people who belong there. And that’s why we, as brands, need an insider.

    Best Platforms to be IN

    In today’s ever-changing digital landscape, influencer marketing has become a crucial tool for brands to connect with their target audience. As the popularity of social media continues to grow, so does the number of platforms available for influencer marketing. While Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube are currently the most popular platforms for influencer marketing, it is important to note that the best platform for your brand may differ based on your industry and target audience. For instance, a brand that caters to young people may find TikTok to be the best platform, while a brand targeting professionals may find LinkedIn to be more effective.

    Looking ahead, we can expect to see more brands explore new and emerging platforms for influencer marketing. Clubhouse, the audio-based social media app, has already gained significant traction among certain audiences, and brands are starting to take notice. Similarly, Reddit, Twitch, and Discord are all platforms that have the potential to become popular for influencer marketing in the near future.

    By staying informed on the latest trends and platforms, brands can stay ahead of the curve and effectively reach their target audience through influencer marketing.

    Down to business: is it worth the Investment?

    Influencer marketing has been proven to be a valuable tool for brands to reach their target audience and increase brand awareness. By connecting with their audience in a more authentic and personal way, brands can increase sales and revenue. As such, we can expect to see more brands investing in influencer marketing, since 8 out of 10 marketers intended to dedicate from 10% to 20% of the marketing budget to Influencer Marketing in 2022, given the potential for high returns on investment.

    However, influencer marketing is an ever-evolving industry, and brands need to stay up-to-date with the latest trends to stay ahead of competitors. It’s, indeed, a huge effort and strategy that needs to guarantee that this ally will retrieve the investment in terms of growth and driving sales, and understanding the needs of brands and considering the over 90.000 content creators that signed up for TikTok only in 2022, we saw the need of developing specialised high-tech tools to assure effective influencer marketing campaigns.

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  • Social animals and the future of social media

    Date: July 1, 2022

    Category: Social Media

    I feel very fortunate to be part of the generation that experienced the transition from the analogue to the digital world. I was neither too old nor too young. It allowed me to understand the potential of new technologies and simultaneously experience it as something almost magical: the first email, the first web page, the first search engine… A new world to be discovered, and every day was an adventure.

    But the unforgettable memory that blew my mind was when I was visiting a friend, and he showed me the chat on a page called ole.com. He said, “I’m talking live with other people”. That was witchcraft! To talk to people worldwide in real-time on the computer was completely revolutionary for me. 

    We were living in the early days of the internet with 56k connections, ISDN, and the first ADSL… and we were already using the net to connect with others. Later new sites would call themselves ‘social media”, but these networks were already in place from the beginning of time. We talked to our school friends via messenger, met people with the same interests as us on forums, and shared our first university photos on pages like Fotolog. Social media were always there, although we didn’t call them that. 

    We have empowered our relationships through social media that our physical reality cannot be understood without them. I’m not saying anything new, am I? We all know it, and brands know it. Their perception depends on what they say and do through them, who their digital ambassadors are, and what users talk about. It is well known that a tweet can change your life, and this risk is multiplied infinitely in the case of brands.

    We know the power of Facebook, the revolutions of Twitter, the paradigm shift of TikTok or Twitch… We interact with others, known and unknown, in the same ways. We meet new people, debate, create our own tribes, dogmas, taboos… 

    And now, we are at the forefront of a new community model. Platforms like Discord enable users to create smaller closed spaces only invited people can join. Users enjoy this private space since it is where they can discuss with other like-minded individuals with similar values and knowledge around specific topics. Why should I talk to everybody if I want to interact with particular individuals? This thinking is step-by-step arising, especially after Twitch became the most relevant communication platform of the future.  

    Today, The so-called Internet 3.0 is looming on the horizon, but there is still too much talk about it. We don’t know what’s coming up next, we can only dream about what our following networks will be. 

    Martín Brotons

    Planning and Creative Director at Samy Alliance

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  • In-Stream Ads by topic, the new Facebook feature

    Date: June 20, 2021

    Category: Social Media

    Image credit: Will Francis

    If you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one

    This is the premise of generic ads or content videos that do not have a clear target audience. Now this is going to change.

    Facebook continues to improve its technical features to help retailers and content creators maximise both their impact and their ability to optimise the audience they are targeting with their ads.

    Although still in beta, the platform has launched a new way to filter the type of video ads to be shown by topics, allowing for even more customisation of the user and potential consumer experience.

    Where can I add them?

    These ads can appear before, during or after the video, or even be static images that accompany it. The minimum time an ad can be shown in a video with automation enabled is 30 seconds, if it is a static image, and 45 seconds if it is a video.

    In order for a content creator to be eligible to add this type of ad, they must have a series of minimum requirements: 10,000 followers or more, 600,000 total minutes with views in the last 60 days, with at least 60,000 minutes of their live videos viewed and a minimum of 5 active videos on their page.

    With ad automation and the algorithm, the platform is trying to get closer to optimising the ads it displays. In this case, Facebook’s ad auction system detects the best time to show an ad to the user.

    In order to choose the best type of ad to show on the videos you need to have some things in consideration:

    • Before the video: These ads, showed before the video, are targeted for users actively searching for an specific content. More views equal more payments for the creator of the content where the ads are showed.
    • During the video: This kind of ad is perfect for videos with natural breaks. Most of the videos are discovered in the news feed of the platform, we recommend creators to schedule their content to show ads during the video.
    • Image ads: these ads are static images displayed below the content. They are perfect for videos where it’s difficult to insert publicity.
    • After the video: This kind of ad can be shown to viewers who did not see ads before the video or image advertising.

    What else is new?

    This is not the only new feature the platform is introducing for advertisers, as it is also currently testing sticker ads that creators and advertisers will be able to add to their stories.  This type of advertising will allow creators to monetise their Facebook stories, receiving part of the profits generated by these stickers.

    In addition, Instagram, a platform owned by Facebook, is testing Reel ads. These ads can be a maximum of 30 seconds and will allow users to comment on them, like, view, save, share or skip them.

    There are undoubtedly many new features coming to the different social networks that will help brands and creators to maximise their advantages and optimise their content.

    Want to know more?

    In SamyRoad we are experts in social networks, if you want to know how we can help you do not hesitate to contact us.

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  • Most popular content on Instagram for your brand

    Date: May 26, 2021

    Categories: Influencer Marketing, Social Media

    Popular content for brands to post on Instagram

     

    Instagram is the king of social networks. There is still no doubt about this statement, as it is currently chosen by more than 1.2 billion users, the one that generates the most engagement and the one preferred by influencers, brands and users.

    On Instagram, 90% of users follow a brand, and shoppable posts can increase brand traffic by more than 2,600%. But, what content is most popular when it comes to brands?

    User Generated Content

    User Generated Content on Instagram

    UGC is very popular on social networks and Instagram is no exception. Brands can and should take advantage of content generated by users and customers. It’s real, honest content and shows the real consumer reception of your product.

    Behind-the-scenes Shots

    Behind-the-scenes shots is a popular content on Instagram

    People are curious by nature, a behind-the-scenes is always a good way to show how work is done and to show things never seen before by the user. Behind-the-scenes videos always generate great impact and interest no matter what you are talking about.

    Teaser Product

    Teaser your products

    Without a doubt, teaser content is a classic. Creating buzz by generating teaser posts to present a product is always a good idea. It increases engagement, people will want and try to find out what it is, especially if the teaser content is well done.

    Real-time Trends

    Keep it up with trends! Generating content following real-time trends is a must in social media. It is essential to have a good social listening strategy to know what is happening and always keep in mind the challenges and types of content that are popular at any given moment.

    Carousel Posts To improve your Information Sharing

    Data, tips or lists of information and curiosities are becoming more and more popular. People like to be informed in a quick way and this kind of information pills generate interest and curiosity. It is a very popular style of branded content.

    Memes are Taking Over

    Memes are popular content on Instagram

    Don’t be afraid of corporate memes! Although Twitter is the main social network for this humorous content, many are already taking up the format on Instagram. Branded content memes are becoming increasingly popular, but it is important to know how to use them correctly.

    Branded AR Filters

    Instagram filters never go out of fashion. They are easy to create and people like them, especially if they are absurd. A brand can create filters to promote items, that are just for fun or that serve to generate a challenge.The options are varied, you just have to be bold.

    Do you need help with your Instagram strategy?

    In SamyRoad we are experts in social media and influencer marketing, if you are curious to know more or want to know how we can help you, do not hesitate to contact us.

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  • Clubhouse, the popular livestreaming platform

    Date: May 10, 2021

    Category: Influencer Marketing

    With a meteoric rise to the top of the most downloaded iOS apps, Clubhouse is currently positioned as one of the social livestreaming platforms with the most potential.

    Launched in April 2020, the platform currently has more than 10 million active users per week and expects to reach even more people in 2021 with its arrival on Android in mid-2021.

    What’s so special about Clubhouse?

    Clubhouse is all about the sound. The platform is born from the podcast concept and adds a twist: live and interactive experience. In addition, the invitation-only access and the fact that it is, for the moment, an iPhone-only product, creates a sense of exclusivity.

    The magic of livestreaming, already discussed in our article about Twitch, is based on several key points. On the one hand, we have the dreaded FOMO, fear of missing out, people want to be part of something that is happening at that moment and will only happen at that moment. On the other hand, we have the possibility of active participation by the audience, who can easily become part of the group of speakers.

    The potential of the livestreaming platform

    The platform is still growing and adding more features in a continuous improvement of the platform, focusing on helping creators, improving technicalities and listening to user requests.

    Clubhouse offers a new way for brands to socialise with audiences. There are several ways to do this, here are some of them:

    • Sponsoring a room: Invite people to talk about a specific topic with public sponsorship of your brand.
    • Round tables: create a space for discussion of a specific topic moderated by the brand.
    • Active participation in different rooms: the brand can be a participant in the rooms created by users.

    Dare to be creative

    The fear of unpredictability in the livestreaming world is real, but the possibilities it offers are even greater.

    A prime example of this is the narrative games that are already being played on the platform. As Marketing Directo points out in this article (in Spanish), they have almost unlimited potential for brands.

    On April 17th, a group of users, led by Goya winner for best original screenplay David Pulido, created an investigation game based on the murder on the Orient Express. In this game, users could walk through its carriages and listen to the conversations of its characters to try to find out, through clues and situations, who was guilty of the murder committed.

    Gathering a total of 188 spectators and participants during the more than three hours of the event, the innovative and immersive narrative created by Pulido became a mass success.

    A brand could create, with the help of skilled hands, an original sponsored narrative game that will engage the audience, generating visibility and desired buzz around it, even including prizes for the winner(s).

    Need help or want to know more about livestreaming platforms?

    At SamyRoad, we are experts in partnership campaigns with profiles and creating original and engaging content for audiences.

    If you are interested in learning more about the possibilities of the platforms and how we can help you, contact us.

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