New Report Finds Influencers Improve Content Marketing Performance and ROI
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) April 05, 2017 -- Linqia, the first performance-based influencer marketing platform, today released the results of The Value of Influencer Content 2017, a survey designed to better understand how B2C marketers are using influencer marketing to fuel their content marketing strategies.
As influencer marketing enters the mainstream, marketers are exploring synergies between the two channels and are turning to influencers as a new, cost-effective source for content creation at scale. The survey found that 86% of marketers use influencer marketing as part of their content strategy, 88.5% of whom find influencer content to be a valuable part of their marketing plan. Marketers also report spending 2.6X less on average for content creation when working with influencers versus working with a professional to produce the same output.
In addition to its cost-efficiency, influencer content has also proven to be more effective at inspiring consumers to take action than professionally produced content. 57% of survey respondents indicated that influencer content either somewhat or greatly outperforms brand created content.
As marketers look to become even more efficient with their media spend, many are opting for programs that include the ability to repurpose content as part of the influencer media buy. With this model, brands can market test a large quantity of influencer content, determine which pieces of content perform best, and then put paid media behind proven assets to scale the success of the program. According to the survey, between 38% - 40% of marketers are now choosing this route.
“According to McKinsey & Company, 15 to 20 percent of marketing spend can be released through better marketing return on investment (MROI) efforts, striking a more efficient balance between non-working marketing spend and working marketing spend,” said Nader Alizadeh, co-founder and CEO of Linqia. “When marketers choose to run influencer marketing programs as media, they become 100% working marketing spend, maximizing ROI for the brand.”
Influencer marketing’s rise in popularity can be attributed to the fact that consumers trust online influencers more than they do traditional advertisements or celebrity endorsements. When asked why they chose to work with influencers for content creation, 73% of respondents said it’s because of their relevance to the target audience, 72% use the tactic for the influencers’ authenticity and trusted voice, and 60% use influencer marketing to spark audience engagement.
Additional findings from the report include:
- 66% of marketers repurpose influencer content on other digital channels, with the most common being organic social media (84%), paid social media (72%), website and product pages (50%), and email marketing (40%).
- 26% of marketers spend 2.2X more to professionally produce photos versus working with influencers, 45% spend 2.7X more for professionally produced video, and 49% spend 2.9X more for usage-based content such as a recipe or how-to article.
- Case studies and results from the influencer marketing programs of Gerber, Mezzetta, GOODFOODS, Dorot, and Fab.com.
207 marketers participated in The Value of Influencer Content 2017 survey across a variety of industries, including CPG, Food & Beverage, Media, Retail, as well as their agencies. To download a full copy of the report, visit http://go.pardot.com/l/153091/2017-03-30/hmv78g.
About Linqia
Linqia is a leader in performance content marketing technology, delivering turnkey influencer marketing programs that are guaranteed to deliver concrete business results. Linqia is the easiest way to inspire action with your target audience, reaching today’s consumers through authentic, influencer-generated content. Our performance pricing model means you only pay for consumers who have developed an emotional connection with your brand and have taken an action as a result. As programs continue to run over time, the Linqia platform identifies the best performing content and enables you to amplify it through social and native advertising, reaching “look-alike” consumers with content that has been proven to deliver results.
Founded in 2012, Linqia works with over 250 leading national brands including Black & Decker, Gerber, Herdez, JP Morgan Chase, Kimberly-Clark, Mezzetta, NBC, Nestle, Purina, Samsung, Unilever, Viacom and Walmart. Linqia is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Chicago and New York.
Eileen Bernardo, Linqia, http://www.linqia.com, +1 (415) 913-7681, [email protected]
Share this article