The Way We Think About Influencer Marketing Is Changing — Are You Ready?

Marketing professionals aren’t the only ones getting turned off from working with paid influencers. With the rise of influencer fraud, consumer– especially millennials and Gen Zers– are losing their trust in paid partnerships, and are instead looking for more authentic voices for new recommendations. 

To reach this hard-to-reach audience, it’s important to first understand how they engage with each other online and in the real world. They’re no longer looking towards celebrities and macro-influencers with millions of followers for insights — they want to hear about new brands from people that are actually like them and relatable.

This means your audience is starting to move away from social media sites like Facebook and Instagram and shifting their focus elsewhere. Texting, DMs, email, and even real-world communication are playing a bigger role than ever in word-of-mouth marketing. 

Once you identify where communication is happening and how your top customers are talking about your product, you’re ready to tap into that community of super fans. These fans thrive off feeling like they’re part of a community, and they want to get their friends to join the community as well. Creating a brand ambassador program will give them exactly that, and allow you the insight into what makes these consumers successful so you can amplify their power. 

Building lasting relationships with your ambassadors is about more than just offering them free products or payment in exchange for posts. It’s important to make sure your ambassadors feel valued for their work and that they’re an integral part of your brand’s journey. Through community chats, meet-ups, and even hosting exclusive events, you can help ensure that your ambassadors feel valued and that your brand is growing via word of mouth referrals.

With this changing landscape, it can be overwhelming to think about how to engage your top fans in a way that fits your growth goals for the new year. That’s why we’re here to help you think about your ambassadors and keep you updated on best practices to continue to authentically and strategically grow your brand.