Identifying Brand InfluencersThe art and science behind marketing’s holy grail

Jason Metz@MKTGInfluencers

jason@brand-influencers.com www.brand-influencers.com

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Some brands have an existing social fan base – companies like Coca-Cola and Under Armour and Patron. And typically these sexy consumer-facing

brands also have their fair share of influential fans – influencers they can tap into to help broadcast their

messaging and engage key audiences. But most brands either don’t have a massive built-in fan

base, or they have no fan base at all (including new launches, among others). So of course, they

likewise have no influencers. So how then do brands build an influencer community from scratch,

which is so critical in a world where everyday consumers can significantly push the needle for

perception, trial, purchase and evangelism?

Introduction

IT ALL BEGINS WITH DATA ANALYSIS

Social Ethnography™ is our proprietary social listening platform, through which we aggregate and analyze millions of social conversations and activities taking place among any brand’s

target audience, across all social channels – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, blogs, etc.

Instead of merely paying attention to a brand’s existing fans and consumers, we monitor conversations among a brand’s target audience – based on a psychographic profile we

establish with that brand (i.e. Kraft Cheese wants to engage young moms who are balancing raising a family with maintaining their own independence). And instead of merely paying attention to how those people are interacting with that brand, we observe all aspects of their behavior, so we can build a comprehensive engagement strategy that taps into all

aspects of their lives.

We identify the trending conversations YOUR target audience is engaged with, and as a result, we crystalize the

things that genuinely matter to them.

Pamela SchwartzNo need to wait for govt to ban unhealthy school lunches. My kids prefer healthy food! #AppleADay”

about an hour ago • 89 Likes • 42 Comments

Jenny looks so adorable in this pic! OJ and sliced apples on the farm. Fun times ;)42 minutes ago • 17 Likes

Even farm animals want to share JK. So true though Pam—just develop good habits and bad choices aren’t made.6 minutes ago • 9 Likes

BECAUSE TO BETTER KNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS,YOU BETTER KNOW THEIR MOUTHWASH.

AND TO SELL MORE PASTA SAUCE, YOU BETTERKNOW YOUR CUSTOMERS’ FAVORITE TOOTHPASTE.

Through Social Ethnography™, we confirm your target audience’s passion points and behavioral triggers, and we identify the trending conversations across all social media channels that your audience is engaged with.

And then we go one step deeper, identifying the actual people (influencers) responsible for driving those conversations.

For most brands, Social Ethnography™ produces 4 to 6 very different target audience segments that should be engaged, and as a result we look to identify influencers within each of those segments.

For example, we identified 5 key segments for Kraft Cheese to engage, each of who had very different behavioral triggers and passions, and very different influencers.

Often brands THINK they know their target, but because they’re so blinded by useless “demographics”, they really have NO idea who they’re trying to engage.

And if our experience is worth ANYTHING at all, many brands’ assumptions about their target audience often turn out to be ALL WRONG.

REACH

RELEVANCERESONANCERESONANCE

Measure of audience

engagement

RELEVANCEAligning content with

brand attributes & campaign objectives

REACHMeasure of

audience size

Once we have confirmed a brand’s key target segments based on Social Ethnography and identified the potential influencers within each segment, we then use our technology platform to create a dashboard for each influencer, where we analyze all of their social platforms.

We rank potential influencers based on 3 critical criteria – REACH, RESONANCE and RELEVANCE – to ensure the people we engage are best equipped to align with the brand, to reach the brand’s target audience, and to significantly influence behavior.

And for all influencers we deem to be viable, we create an influencer profile, which allows us to track all of their conversations and postings across all social channels, as well as the audience interaction and amplification they trigger.

Key parameters of a successful Influencer Marketing campaign:

1. Requires Authenticity2. Requires Partnership & co-creation3. Requires Context – relevant to influencers & their communities 4. Requires Sustainment – have a plan for long-term collaboration5. Requires Experiences – no gimicks, gamification, points or badges6. No Pay-for-Play – mutual value proposition beyond cash7. Content is Currency – empower creation

Once we’ve built our community of influencers, the next step is to activate them – to create a series of engagements and touch points FOR them and THROUGH them, to reach their audiences. There are 7 key parameters for success in influencer marketing.

And once a campaign goes live, we track EVERYTHING through our dashboard.

18.5MM 18.5MM 24K $229K

20 20 935 $88K

And the brand – YOU – become the engagement conductor, because you are able to engage your most important audience segments around the passions and triggers

they genuinely care about… and respond to… through the RIGHT Influencers!

Watch the video here: http://www.brand-influencers.com/#section=methodology

CASE STUDY: ACURA ILX INFLUENCER LAUNCHHTTP://WWW.BRAND-INFLUENCERS.COM/PORTFOLIO/ACURA/

THANK YOU!

Jason Metz@MKTGINFLUENCERS