Both traditional affiliate programmes and influencer marketing campaigns strive to build brand authority and drive conversions based on your goals, whether that be clicks, downloads, sales, or something else that can be achieved by engaging consumers. The two industries, affiliate and influencer marketing – which arguably both sit under the industry umbrella of partnership marketing – are converging now more than ever. This is because as the influencer space matures, affiliate marketers are realising how it can be viewed and utilised through a performance-based lens. 

When worlds collide

Global affiliate marketing agency, Acceleration Partners, has been putting a heavy focus on developing an influencer programme management service. AP believes that investment in the maturing channel is essential for top-of-funnel brand exposure across paid and owned channels, which is discussed in detail in its latest report. 

impact.com, is also among the big industry names that are dedicating teams and resources to elevate their influencer marketing offerings. For the second year in a row, impact.com is a partner of the Influencer Marketing Show London, as well as PI LIVE London. The team will be raising conversations about how their multifaceted approach to elevated partnership programmes benefits from the implementation of influencers. San Sareen, impact.com’s Director of Influencers and Creators, will be taking to the IMS stage specifically to hone into how to correctly compensate your influencers to beat the competition.

What about trackable metrics? 

SaaS and tech are also becoming increasingly more prominent in the influencer marketing space, with similar tools becoming available to those that have been harnessed and solidified in the affiliate space for many years. Platforms such as LTK and Metapic allow brands and influencer affiliates to earn an income from sharing fashion recommendations, and the likes of Captiv8 and Influencity allow brands and affiliates to identify content partners and seamlessly run end to end campaigns. 

The growth of SaaS and tech platforms in the influencer space that provide services similar to their traditional affiliate counterparts such as Afise and Partnerize shows that influencer marketing isn’t just posing with a product on Instagram, but is a channel that can be tracked and measured efficiently. 

Ultimately, putting a focus on influencer marketing as a part of your affiliate programme is a great way to expand the type of audiences you can reach, therefore escalating your potential for excellent outcomes. Affiliate marketers, it’s time to invest time and energy into understanding the true value of a creator’s influence.

The post The Increasing Focus on Influencer Marketing from Affiliate Marketing Companies appeared first on PerformanceIN.

To support this, more and more platforms are introducing proprietary affiliate programmes, with aims to ensure they are a progressive and encouraging place for creators and influencers.

Here’s a deep dive into a few of those…do you think they’re doing enough to support the future of influencer marketing?

The post A Deep Dive into Scaling Influencer Relationships appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Here’s impact.com’s Sanchit Sareen on four important points for you to consider when thinking about aligning your influencer and affiliate strategies…

The post Influencers and Affiliates are Complementary, Not Competitive appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Here’s LTK (formerly rewardStyle & LIKEtoKNOW.it)’s Robin Ward with some insightful case studies from leading brands that LTK works with, such as MATCHESFASHION and River Island.

The post Why Long-Term, Data-Driven Influencer Partnerships Drive Greater Performance for Brands appeared first on PerformanceIN.

The post Deep Dive: How Can Influencer Marketing be an Answer for All Brands? appeared first on PerformanceIN.

Many years ago, as discussion boards fell out of fashion we closed the forum and shifted conversation to Facebook. On reflection it was a little lazy as that’s not the right platform and I feel that we lost the sense of community we once had outside of our annual events.

As we look to refocus in 2022, I’m pleased to say we’ve created a new community on Guild. A platform that was created by eConsultancy founder Ashley Friedlein to serve B2B communities and we think it does an exceptional job.

Collaborative problem solving and support

The knowledge we have within our industry and the willingness of the community to help their peers is something that should make us proud. Our new community already boasts 250+ pioneers of Affiliate & Performance Marketing from around the world.

The group has a no-nonsense approach to self-promotion and everyone is expected to post transparently.

Membership

Access to the community is free, and what’s more we pay for it so it’s also ad free. We also like it better than slack as it encourages more meaningful and in-depth conversation.

To join, you’ll need to be a member of PerformanceIN and you’ll be provided with a unique link to join the community via email or you can visit this page (once signed in)

I look forward to seeing you in the group!

The post Introducing the Partnerships Lounge appeared first on PerformanceIN.

These high-value relationships drive awareness, engagement, deliver customer conversions and are a major force in digital marketing, increasing in importance as the buyer journey becomes more fragmented and consumers grow an immunity to traditional advertising. The right influencer can produce content that is 11 times more effective than banner ads. In fact, according to a 2020 GlobalWebIndex survey, 96% of US and UK consumers who followed influencers were engaging with them more or at least to the same extent as before the coronavirus outbreak.

What are the drivers?

Social media really has been the most significant driver of the ‘influencer’ era and when platforms such as Youtube, Instagram and now TikTok, really started taking off, brands were somewhat at a loss for where to place the responsibility of influencer strategies. Some created entirely new teams, others placed it under PR or branding, what didn’t happen, in this initial instance anyway, was a movement to have this sit within the remit of performance teams. But why is that? 

Well, until recently the diversification of the performance, and more specifically, the partnership channel has been slow to emerge. But in the last decade as SaaS API driven solutions have developed, the scope of affiliate has increased and a more vast array of potential partner categories has grown the partnership ecosystem ten-fold, thus greater onus is being placed on the channel and its appealing pay-for-outcome model.

Once a marketing tactic driven purely by programme based conversions has now awoken its versatility and capabilities of influencing consumer purchase decisions at every stage of the buying cycle, incorporating traditional coupon partners, cashback websites, content publishers, banks, card-linked offers, and the list continues. Thus the question of will influencer and performance marketing converge is somewhat moot, the fact is it already has, what we should ask ourselves is will influencer programmes ever sit entirely under the remit of performance teams?

How to get started

There are some delicate steps to take in making the move to a performance based influencer programme. First and foremost, it’s crucial to maintain the relationships that brand or PR teams have built with their audience of influencers. A lot of time has gone into cultivating these relationships and it would be irresponsible to simply pass over the reigns. 

What’s more, many influencers, especially those with a more significant follower base, have grown accustomed to being paid on a flat fee basis and therefore may show resistance moving to a performance-based approach. The key here is around diversification and education. What’s so fantastic about the partner channel is its propensity to open up new partnerships. With technology vendors like Sideqik and Zine offering an unrivalled opportunity for brands to discover new influencer partners, brands are not simply limited to those with the largest follower base.

These solutions don’t just introduce you to new influencers, they also give breakdowns in terms of audience demographics and whether these partners are working with your competitors, which can help create more focused programmes aligned to the ideal client/customer profile (ICP) of your brand. And what’s more, SaaS platforms are further opening up the influencer supply change to provide access to a limitless ecosystem of partners, empowering marketers to quickly identify right-fit partners and influencers with both filtering and query logic to quickly hone in on attributes that align to a brand’s and allowing automation of serving lookalike recommendations.

For example, micro-influencers tend to have a more niche but engaged audience and because of this they are also far more likely to accept performance-based attribution. A micro influencer can provide a 47% increase in engagement rates compared to the macro variety. And why is this the case? It’s largely based on micro-influencers having a more “dialed-in” audience which therefore finds them better able to make authentic and valuable connections.

How can brands effectively use it?

From a brand perspective, the larger an audience gets, the more diluted their demographics become, which makes targeting consumers with the right message increasingly difficult, potentially impacting revenue. Brands trust the micro-influencer to be a genuine advocate and one that will be influential with their audience on the subject matter that brought that audience to them in the first place. We’ve seen many brands utilise a hybrid approach, keeping their most prominent influencers on a flat fee whilst maintaining a good group of these smaller micro-influencers on a pay-for-outcome basis and it truly is paying dividends in both awareness and revenue. 

And speaking of brand awareness, the reason some advertisers are still hesitant to trial an influencer programme is because of the outdated notion that it is more of a branding exercise than something that will generate reward in the form of return of ad spend (ROAS). But that’s the beauty of a performance-based approach. It takes the risk out of this still somewhat uncertain channel and puts the power in the brands’ hands to dial a programme up and down depending on external factors, budget and campaign goals. And do you know what else is great about influencers?

They are providing a whole host of promotions all in one. Think about it, they give testimonials, demonstrations, and calls-to-action, through photo, video and text. It’s like having an entire advertising campaign developed on your behalf by a consumer-trusted content creator. What this means is that influencers are helping their audiences go through the typical sales funnel, from awareness down to consideration and even purchase. Seems like a pretty cost-effective route now doesn’t it? 

The question of brand affiliation.

The reason many companies struggle with influencer marketing is not that the channel doesn’t work, it’s often because their sponsored content is not thoughtfully planned, executed or authentically aligned with the audience. But when it comes to marketing to specific demographics, in particular the consumer powerhouse of Gen Z, audiences tend to be drawn to quality over quantity in social media, they value individual expression, and above all, they greatly prefer brand authenticity and companies that are transparent. Whilst brands may be nervous about negative affiliation, what they should really be more concerned about is no affiliation at all, and the impact this will ultimately have on their sales, especially when their competitors are investing heavily. 

With SaaS solutions, brands actually have far more exposure and opportunities for direct communication with their audience of influencers and can ensure that they are adhering to guidelines. If you tap the right influencer, you’ll know they’ve fostered an engaged community based on trust and you can reap the benefits of this transferred positive affiliation and their advocacy. 

When it comes to influencer and partnership marketing, it is safe to say that there are a growing number of overlapping similarities, and the differences that once separated these marketing mediums are becoming few and far between. If you already have standalone influencer and affiliate strategies in place, you might notice many dissimilarities in the way you recruit and interact with these two groups, as highlighted previously. But it doesn’t need to be that way.

Marrying your affiliate and influencer strategy solves several problems: it simplifies your business, promotes and strengthens your brand, creates clear incentives for affiliates and influencers, and allows you to experience the best that both marketing channels have to offer.  So if not now when? It’s high time that marketers still siloing these two channels realise the potential of converging both to sit under the blissfully harmonious remit of partnership.

The post The Increasingly Blurred Lines Between Influencer and Performance Marketing appeared first on PerformanceIN.

This is the theory behind influencer marketing: a brand partners with an influential creator to promote a product, service or brand to their followers. They use their position as a trusted advisor to focus attention and lend credibility to that brand. It’s a more personal, targeted form of marketing – and it’s rapidly becoming a staple. 

Nine out of ten marketers that have worked with influencers reported that their campaign was a success, and influencer marketing budgets are growing significantly every year. However, many marketers still don’t feel confident introducing influencer marketing to their work. That’s why I’ve put together this introduction to the what, how and why of influencer marketing.  

Defining influencer marketing 

Influencer marketing is the use of a personality on a social network to provide endorsements or recommendations of a brand, product or service. The exact form that this takes varies between online creators, which is a major part of the appeal of influencer marketing. By collaborating with an online personality to create custom content that promotes a brand, marketers benefit from their unique reach, authenticity and character. 

This is particularly effective for influencers that have built up their following in a specific niche with a narrow target audience. Counter-intuitively, so-called “micro-influencers” with smaller audiences may actually be more effective at reaching audiences than major stars. Smaller creators have time to build a closer connection with their audience, getting to know them and interacting directly in ways that celebrities cannot. This also provides the potential for brands to interact in the comments, further building their presence among an interested community. 

For example, influencers in the photography space are considered trusted voices on topics like photo editing software. Adobe is a great example of this, during its influencer marketing campaign they used a total of 107 influencers around the world to raise awareness of the company’s new editing software. These influencers created their own content using the software and shared the results with their followers in social posts. The campaign generated a record six-times increase in engagement over the industry average. 

Affiliate marketing and influencer marketing 

Traditional affiliate marketing was previously popular among bloggers and other small- and medium-scale media publishers with their own websites. However, these sites often made fairly little from each individual promotion, so they had to take on several to make enough money to stay in business. This produced sites with dozens of competing promotions, clouding their message and diluting trust in their endorsements. 

Influencer marketing is different in its approach and use of affiliates, since influencers are directly dependent on the trust of their followers. According to Nielson’s Consumer Trust Index report, 92% of consumers trust influencer marketing over traditional advertising. This authenticity is central to influencer marketing, and marketers must ensure that they choose the right influencer for the product, service or brand they’re promoting. 

An ideal pairing is one where followers feel the influencer genuinely likes the brand and would use it regardless of whether they were paid to promote it. The public understands that influencers are paid to promote – especially in light of transparency-focused rules such as Instagram’s “#ad” disclosure policy – but this doesn’t have to undermine trust.

The creator-audience relationship is built on completely different incentives and trust is central, so their endorsements carry far more weight. In fact, an Edelman Trust survey found that 63% of 18-to-34-year-olds trust an influencer’s say more than that of the brand itself. 

Working with influencers

With their incredible success – it has been shown to deliver 11 times better ROI than traditional marketing – and ability to make meaningful connections with consumers, it’s no surprise that influencer marketing is a rising power. Brands are set to spend up to $15 billion on influencer marketing by next year.

Getting started with influencer marketing is straightforward and relatively low risk. Micro-influencers are an ideal place to start, with research showing that they have 60% better engagement and 22% higher conversion rates. 

While there are some pitfalls to influencer marketing, they can easily be overcome. The main things to look out for are authenticity and reliability. As discussed, creating an authentic match between the creator and the brand is essential, and a mismatch can backfire on both the brand and the influencer. 

In terms of reliability, brands must vet their influencers to ensure that they will not draw negative attention. When a brand works with an influencer, they link themselves in customers’ eyes, which can apply negatively and positively. 

To ensure that influencers stick to the guidelines and don’t behave controversially, brands have the option of working with platforms that offer pre-vetted influencers. These platforms also offer a range of additional benefits, such as handling briefing and payment, further lowering the barriers to entry for brands looking to get started with influencer marketing. 

Becoming the norm

Influencer marketing has rapidly established itself as a fundamental part of the marketing mix in our online, social culture. While some marketers have been slow to adopt the practice, the results speak for themselves, and influencers will continue to play a significant role in connecting consumers and brands in the years ahead. So, for marketers and brands that haven’t yet acquainted themselves with influencer marketing, now is the ideal time to get started.

The post What Exactly is Influencer Marketing? – A Deeper Dive appeared first on PerformanceIN.

They’ll also now be able to earn commissions through affiliate links and partner with brands on sponsored content, similar to other social platforms like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

Despite its general focus on turning product inspiration into clicks and purchases, Pinterest has been slower to embrace the creator community, which today is responsible for driving a significant amount of interest in new products among online shoppers.

Influencer marketing investment is increasing

Over the past several years, brands have increased their influencer marketing budgets from $1.7 billion in 2016 to $13.8 billion in 2021. However, Pinterest offered few tools for its creators to tap into that market until its debut of Idea Pins in May.

These pins are somewhat similar to Pinterest’s take on TikTok, mixed with Stories – they offer a way for creators to produce content that combines music, video and other interactive elements. The videos in Idea Pins can be up to 60 seconds per page, with up to 20 total pages per pin. Creators can also add other features to their pins, like stickers or music, and tag other creators with their @username.

The videos can include ‘detail pages’ where viewers can find associated content, like the ingredient list and instructions for a recipe, or a list of how-to instructions for a craft project.

Pinterest also says that creators will be able to tag products in their pins. That means fans viewing the pin content can now go from inspiration to purchase from the Pinterest app. 

The path isn’t as straightforward as it is on Instagram, where a tap on a tag leads you to a page where you can then add an item to a shopping cart. Instead, Pinterest’s product tags tend to take you to another Pinterest page for the product in question, and from there you have to click again to visit the retailer’s website to complete your order.

The company has been testing the feature with creators including Olive + Brown, Fall for DIY and UnconventionalSouthernBelle, who have already made some of their content shoppable.

The new Idea Pins product tagging tool will roll out to all business accounts in the US and the UK. Access will continue over the coming months to international creators.

What else is being launched?

Other new monetisation features launching now include support for affiliate programmes and brand sponsorships.

Creators will now be able to integrate their affiliate programmes for Rakuten and ShopStyle to generate additional revenue from their recommendations. Meanwhile, creators who come to the platform with brand partnerships will be able to use a new tool, still in beta, that will let them disclose those partnerships to their followers.

When they then produce branded content on Pinterest and add the brands to their Idea Pins, the brand will be able to approve the tag and the Idea Pin will feature a label that reads “Paid Partnership.”

This paid partnerships tool is now live for select creators in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

Pinterest’s new tools mean the platform is catching up to other social platforms, which have been better catering to creators in recent years by allowing them to build their own businesses on their respective platforms and expand their reach.

Given the significant competition, Pinterest’s pitch to the creator community is that its user base is already primed to shop.

By the end of 2020, the company says it saw a 20x increase in product searches on its platform. It also notes that Pinterest users are 89% more likely to exhibit shopping intent on products tagged in creators’ Idea Pins than on its standalone pins. Plus, the company says that its focus will be more on inspirational content, rather than ‘influence and entertainment’.

“Pinterest is the place where creators with inspiring and actionable ideas get discovered. With this latest update, we’re empowering creators to reach millions of shoppers on the platform and monetize their work,” said Aya Kanai, Pinterest’s head of content and creator partnerships. 

“Creators deserve to be rewarded for the inspiration they deliver to their followers, and the sales they drive for brands. Creators are central to our mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and we’ll continue working with them to build their businesses and find success on Pinterest.”

The post Pinterest Rolls Out New Features That Let Creators Make Money From Pins appeared first on PerformanceIN.

What began as a simple photo-sharing app has now become a worldwide favourite, with its feet firmly planted in e-commerce. Influencers have long reigned over the platform, but it seems there are finally changes coming into play which will mean the integration between content-sharing and monetisation will be more seamless than ever.

Instagram has shared on it’s ‘creators’ account how it’s new affiliate programme, which will be rolled out over the coming months, will allow creators, when creating a Feed or Story post, to not only tag the exact products they are featuring in their content, but earn commission on any sales they drive from that content.

The programme will not only benefit creators on Instagram, who will be able to drive greater income, but will also engage and interest their audiences who are on the lookout for new product recommendations. Users can shop and invest in the products they want to buy, all while supporting their favourite creators. 

Comments on the Instagram post announcing the programme are extremely positive, with users and creators alike sharing how they’re ‘excited to see this in action’ and how ‘this is going to be a huge monetisation step for creators’.

It is still unclear whether all users will be able to use the feature, or if it is limited to creators with a certain amount of followers.

Journalist Neve Fear-Smith, at influencer marketing industry publication, Talking Influence, heavily focuses on the growth of the influencer marketing industry, and focuses on how creators are business entities within themselves. She says: “A move like this from a platform as huge as Instagram, which so many creators are native to, further emphasises that content creation is a professional business. 

“Where many industries are still failing to recognise the legitimacy of content creation and influencer marketing in regards to earning a living, Instagram not only recognises the opportunities, but is offering more.

“This tool will be great for those who are just starting out to earn extra income when beginning to engage in paid and sponsored post partnerships, but also great for established creators who have large audiences who are on the market for product recommendations.” 

PerformanceIN will continue to follow the roll out of Instagram’s affiliate programme, monitoring it’s success, as well as looking at how the creators using the tool are reaping the benefits and the impact this development will have on influencer marketing agencies.

The post Instagram Launch Native Affiliate Programme appeared first on PerformanceIN.