Hollywood Branded’s Influencer Marketing & Brand Partnerships 2018 Report: What Influencers Believe Are Best Brand Practices For Impactful Campaign Results
LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) May 01, 2018 -- Hollywood Branded, a leading influencer and entertainment content marketing consultancy, released the results of a new survey highlighting the current state of influencer marketing. The report was created after interviewing over 650 influencer participants, and provides brands and their agencies an in-depth analysis and direct feedback of what influencers think of today’s brand partnerships, along with their beliefs of the best practices needed for impactful brand results and long-term relationships. The findings showcase that there is tremendous room for improvement within the industry by actions brand and agency marketers can easily take.
Influencer marketing provides brands an opportunity to have these hyper connected content producers promote their products in a meaningful way, helping the brand to stand out, build awareness and grow. Yet brands considering influencer partnerships need to be prepared, as it is very easy to make missteps along the way. From finding the right influencers, managing communication to ensure the end goal result is obtained, making sure the messaging is authentic and on point to a targeted audience, to negotiating compensation, measuring campaign success, and building long term partnerships, brands and their agencies risk losing considerable money and investment if they don’t have the right knowledge to make success happen.
The survey was designed to explore the current landscape of influencer marketing, how this relatively new marketing strategy has changed and matured, and provide insight into what practices to avoid, and which to build upon. Influencers overwhelmingly reported feeling that the marketing practice is less authentic, more competitive and that brands are demanding more work for less money. Influencers’ biggest frustrations were based on limited campaign budgets, slow communication with the brand, and a lack of creative flexibility provided to the influencer.
According to Stacy Jones, CEO of Hollywood Branded, “Leveraging influencers to impact their own fan base with content they have created will become a required marketing strategy and brand awareness building block for every brand. Influencer marketing offers brands a tremendous opportunity to target niche audiences to build awareness, engagement and trust. However, as reported by our study’s participants, and experienced by our agency in daily practice, influencer marketing is hampered in large part due to the lack of standardized communication practices, brand mindsets not open to allowing influencers creative decision making, and the inaccurate expectation that influencer marketing will immediately result in sales.”
Results showcase that brands need to be aware that social influencer campaigns are viewed by influencers as brand awareness builders versus direct response sales drivers. Survey statistics illustrate this fact as 61% of influencers measure success through fan engagement, 21% through product inquiry or comments and only 5% by sales.
Key influencer findings from the survey include:
• 71% think labeling a post as #sponsored or #paid does not affect the authenticity of their post.
• 52% use content creation on social platforms and blogging as their main source of income.
• 83% will not work for a percentage of sales as their only form of compensation.
• 47% have set payment rates, while 36% provide payments based on scope of work.
• Brands who depend strictly on using influencer discovery platforms are missing out on the 53% of influencers who do not use those platforms. Influencers cited concerns around discovery platforms about prompt platform payment, inability to create long-term relationships and opportunities that are not organic fits as their main objections to utilization. Typical connection is reported as occurring through established relationships, direct message or referrals.
• The largest categories for brand partnership opportunities are with lifestyle, travel, parenting, food, fitness, DIY, home design, technology and beauty & makeup influencers.
Findings further highlight that influencer marketing has continued to grow and solidify itself as a major marketing strategy for brands and marketers alike. However, influencers’ overwhelming consensus is that there is immense room for further growth based on an apparent lack of understanding between what brands and influencer are looking for from one another. The survey results suggest that communication and budget are the primary focal points for many of the frustrations that brands and influencers have with one another, and that standards need to be set. Influencers state they feel as though brands don’t properly communicate their goals from the beginning nor maintain streamlined communication throughout the campaign, often leading to a failed campaign.
The influencer feedback and comments included in the report offer a detailed understanding of the industry and additionally provides over 300 tips and insider advice on how brand marketers can better partner with social media influencers to create impactful campaigns which will resonate with consumers. To view all survey findings and learn more about how influencers feel successful brand partnerships can be most effectively achieved, get access to the ninety-two page 2018 Influencer Marketing & Brand Partnerships Report at learn.hollywoodbranded.com and download the agency’s 2018 Influencer Marketing & Brand Partnerships infographic.
About Hollywood Branded
Founded in 2007, Hollywood Branded has been at the forefront of influencer marketing. The agency is comprised of influencer and entertainment marketing experts that create opportunities for brands to gain exposure and engagement through the content consumers interact with. Brand partnerships are created with social influencers and celebrities, as well as through content partners ranging from television productions, feature films, music videos and celebrity driven events. Branded content strategies include influencer partnerships, brand integration, product placement, celebrity endorsements and event activation - services which have helped build engagement and awareness for brands like BlackBerry, Bumble, Canadian Club, Crayola, Pilot Pen and White Cloud.
Education is the foundation of the development of each influencer and content marketing strategy, ensuring clients have the required knowledge to smartly make decisions on budget allocation and partnership activation opportunities. Led by agency founder Stacy Jones, who has over 20 years of industry experience, the team of go-getters offers fresh ideas and excellent relationships across the influencer, celebrity and Hollywood landscape.
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AJ Henry, Hollywood Branded Inc., https://hollywoodbranded.com/, +1 (310) 606-2030, [email protected]
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