MKT101 SE1006 TruongNXSE04362

PRINCIPLEOFMARKETING
INDIVIDUALASSIGNMENT


INFLUENCERMARKETINGRESEARCH



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NguyenXuanTruong
SE04362
MKT101
SE1006

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Contents
1.

INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................................3

2.

DEFINITIONANDLITERATUREBACKGROUND......................................................................................3

2.1

InfluencerMarketing........................................................................................................................3

2.2

Influencer.........................................................................................................................................3

2.2.1.

Definition......................................................................................................................................3

2.2.2.

TypesofInfluencers.....................................................................................................................4

2.3

TheFutureImpactofInfluencerMarketing.....................................................................................5

2.4

InfluencerMarketingStrategy.........................................................................................................6

3.
3.1.

MANAGEMENTIMPLICATIONSTOSOMEPRACTICALSITUATIONS...................................................13
Sony’sXperiaZ5onInstagram..........................................................Error!Bookmarknotdefined.

References..................................................................................................................................................14






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1. INTRODUCTION
Over the last decade we have seen social media grow rapidly in importance. As
consumers gravitate to word-of-mouth recommendations, social media and user
reviews to help them make their purchase decisions, the use of influencer marketing
canhelpgetyourbrandmessagesacrossinamoreauthenticway

2. DEFINITIONANDLITERATUREBACKGROUND
2.1

InfluencerMarketing
Influencer marketing involves commissioning key individuals in order to get the word
out about your brand, your product or your service. These individuals are the
influencers – they are likely to have large social media followings and their verdict is
seenastrustworthyandsincere.

Thistypeofmarketingdiffersfrommanyothersinthattheinfluencerisoftengiventhe
freedomandflexibilitytopromoteandendorsethebrandorproductinwhicheverway
bestfitstheirownlifestyleandimage.Ifyouweretohirefiveinfluencerstopromote
yourproduct,eachonewouldlikelycomeupwithadifferenttakeonit.

2.2

Influencer
2.2.1. Definition
Thoughalargesocialmediafollowingisaprerequisiteforaninfluencer,theyalsoneed
topossessanumberofothertraitsandqualities:

Abilitytoreachoutandengageonline.Aninfluencermustbeabletoconnectwithother
usersonarangeofplatforms,aswellaspromotingtheirownworkonthechannelsthat

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aremostsuitedtotheiraudience.Influencerswon’tbeonedimensional-lookforthose
whoareactiveacrossarangeofplatforms,suchastwoormoresocialmediachannels.

Thoughtleadership.Aninfluencerisusuallysomeonewhoisconsideredtohaveahigh
levelunderstandingofacertainniche,whetherthat’sbaking,beauty,sport,gamingor
travel.

Trustworthy.Becauseoftheinfluencer’sthoughtleadership,they’realsoconsidereda
trustworthysourceofinformationbytheirfollowers.
2.2.2. TypesofInfluencers
The majority of influencers fit into the following categories, with the last category
rapidlybecomingthemostimportant:

•

Celebrities

•

Industryexpertsandthoughtleaders

•

Bloggersandcontentcreators

•

MicroInfluencers

Thebulkofsocialinfluencermarketingtodayoccursinsocialmedia,predominantlywith
microinfluencers,andblogging.Industryexpertsandthoughtleaderssuchasjournalists
can also be considered influencers and hold an important position for brands. Then
there are celebrities. These were the original influencers, and they still have a role to
play,althoughtheirimportanceasinfluencersiswaning.
Bloggersandinfluencersinsocialmedia(predominantlymicro-bloggers)havethemost
authentic and active relationships with their fans. Brands are now recognizing and
encouragingthis.

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2.3

TheFutureImpactofInfluencerMarketing
Influencer marketing is here to stay, and we will see many changes in the way we do
marketing.ThisInstagrampostisaperfectexampleofinfluencermarketingwhereKylie
JennerisposingwithhernewjeansfromFashionNova.Therearemanysuchexamples
where celebrities are taking photos pertaining to a certain brand they are associated
with.Thentheysharethesephotosontheirsocialchannels.

Instagrammakesagoodfitforbeautyandfashionrelatedbusinesses,andhenceyou

willfindalotofinfluencersinthissite.Youcanfindmanyoftheseinfluencersmaking
connectionsandexchangingideaswitheachotherthroughFacebook,aswell.

Thefutureimpactofinfluencermarketingisgoingtobebig:
1. Wewillseeatremendousincreaseinthegrowthofsocialmediachannels.
2. Many influencers will try to build their own agencies rather than being an
individualfreelancer.
3. Thepoweroftiertwoinfluencerswillgrowsinceitiseasytoconnectwiththem.
4. Manymainstreammarketingexpertswilltrytobecomeinfluencers.
5. Therewillbemoreplatformstofindrealandauthenticinfluencers.

Influencer marketing is the perfect strategy for brands to reap many advantages of
being influential through a well-known persona and reach the customers that matter
most in a more efficient way. An article on Forbes explains why influencer marketing
will explode in 2017. Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and
Snapchat,etc.aretheprimarysources.





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2.4

InfluencerMarketingStrategy

1. DefineYourTargetAudience
Foranyinfluencercampaigntobesuccessfulyoufirstneedtoknowwhoyouaretrying
toinfluence.Ithelpstobespecific.Thetighteryoucandefineyourtargetaudience,the
easieritistofindinfluencerswhoarerelevant.
You will hopefully have already found this for your business when you wrote your
businessplan.Evenifyouhaven’tformallydefinedyourtargetaudienceyouwillknow
thetypesofpeoplewhotypicallybuyyourproduct.
The worst kind of answer is to try and target everybody. Even producers of everyday
commodity products, such as bread and toilet paper, try to differentiate their
marketing. That is why they create ranges, focusing on different niches, e.g. a range
targetingpeoplewhofavorquality,versusarangeforthebudgetconscious.
2. SetObjectives
Before you can create an influencer marketing strategy you first need to determine
what you are trying to achieve. Your aim may be something small like gaining a set
number of extra visitors to your website, with them signing up for a newsletter.
Alternatively, you might choose to engage in influencer marketing with the aim of
increasingsalesofaparticularproductbyacertainpercentage.
It is impossible for you to measure whether a campaign is successful or not if you
haven’t set any objectives. The measurement of your ROI at the end of the campaign
dependsonhowyouhaveperformedinrelationtoyourinitialobjective.
3. DiscovertheMostAppropriateInfluencers
Thewholereasonthatbusinessesundertakeinfluencermarketingistowidenthereach
ofcontentrelatingtotheirproductorservice.

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Foryearsbusinessescreatedadvertisementspromotingtheirproducts.Buttheproblem
isthatpeoplecannowseerightthroughads.Adsareself-serving.Bydefinition,anad
simply tells the consumer why a business thinks they should buy a product. An
advertisementforadysfunctionalproductislikelytostillpromoteitasbeinggoodfor
theconsumer.
Consumersinsteadrelyoninfluencersfortheirrecommendations.Wehavecoveredthis
extensivelyontheInfluencerMarketingHub,forexampleinWhyInfluencerMarketing
is the New Content King. The influencers provide the trust and authenticity that are
necessaryforconsumerstobelieveinaproductenoughtotakeariskonbuyingit.
But remember, influence is not simply about popularity. People don’t automatically
becomeinfluencersbecausetheyhavelargefollowingsonsocialmedia.Ifthatwasthe
case, the biggest influencers would be those with the deepest pockets for buying
followers.
Aninfluencerissomebodywhomanypeopleconsidertobeathoughtleaderonatopic
orniche.Thusifyouwishtoundertakeasuccessfulinfluencermarketingcampaign,you
needtofindthepeoplewhoyourtargetaudiencelookuptoasthoughtleaders.
Youhavealreadydeterminedwhothetargetaudienceisforyourinfluencercampaign.
Thusyouneedtomapouttheinfluencerlandscapetodeterminewhoistrulyprovides
influencetoyourtargetaudience.
Tohelpyoudothisyoushouldanswerthefollowingquestionsaboutyourniche:
•

Wheredotheonlineconversationsaboutyournichetakeplace?Howsocialare
thekeyparticipantsintheniche?

•

Whatmotivatespeopleinyournichetopromoterelevantcontent

•

Isactivityconcentratedinaparticularplace,e.g.onFacebookoronarespected
blog,oristhenichemorefragmented?

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•

Who are the people that most often write or create other content about your
topic?

•

Whatisthebackgroundofthesepeople?

Themoreyouknowaboutyournicheandtargetaudience,theeasierthetaskyouwill
havefindingthebestpossibleinfluencers.
4. ChooseYourMethodForApproachingInfluencers
Therearethreemainwaysthatyoucanfindyourinfluencers,dependingonhowmuch
timeandmoneyyouarewillingtoputintotheprocess.
Thethreemethodsyoucanfolloware:
1. Gothroughtheprocessofinfluenceridentificationmanually,graduallybuilding
up relationships. We have covered this in detail in our Ultimate Step by Step
GuidetoReachOuttoInfluencers
2. Signuptooneoftheplatforms,whichhavedatabasesofpotentialinfluencersto
helpyououtwithacampaign.Therearenowquiteafewplatformsandthese

range from fully automated systems to those that only work with personallyselectedinfluencers.Wehavegivenanoverviewofsomeoftheplatformsin25
TopInfluencerMarketingPlatformstoBoostyourCampaigns
3. Workwithaspecialistinfluenceragencytoassistyouwiththevariousstagesof
setting up your campaign. We have previously written about 25 Leading
InfluencerMarketingAgencies.Also,ifyouareBritishwehaverecentlycovered
8InfluencerMarketingAgenciesintheUKYouShouldKnow
In simple terms, the more money you have for influencer identification, the less time
youneedtospendonitandviceversa.
5. WorkwithInfluencerstofindOpportunities
Yourinfluencerscanhelpyoushapeyourcontentstrategybyshowingyouwhatmost
engagesyourtargetaudience.
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By allowing your influencers to share your content you can better spot trends and
opportunities.Theycanalsohelptoguideyouaboutwhatyourtargetaudiencewants.
Byactivelylisteningtoyourinfluencersyoucanunderstandthetypesofconversations
your target audience are having. The influencers know these people very well. They
understand the types of content that work – and the types that your audience don’t
careabout.Theycanalsoguideyoutoareaswheretherearegaps,waitingforyouto
createcontentwherethereisademand.Theinfluencersknowyouraudience'sworries
andconcerns,andtheyknowthetypesofquestionsyouraudienceoftenask.
6. CarryOutaContentandOpportunityAudit
ItmakessensethatyoucarryoutaContentandOpportunityAuditatthestartofyour
processtobetterunderstandtheneedsofyourtargetaudience.Itisimportantthatyou
includeyourinfluencersintheconversations.
Whatyouarelookingforinthisphaseofyourinfluencermarketingstrategyare:

•

The general feeling of your target audience to the types of content you are

aimingtoproduce
•

Whatareyourcompetitorsdoingwiththeircontentmarketing?

•

Whatmotivationdoyourinfluencershavetohelpindistributingyourcontent

•

Howdoyourtargetaudienceperceiveyou?

•

What can your brand do to make it relevant to your target audience’s

conversations?
7. PrepareaContentPlan
Once you have decided the general topic areas that might interest your audience you
willwanttocreateacontentplan.
You are going to want to prepare a coordinated series of content that will meet your
audience’sneeds.Itisagreatideatosetupacontentcalendarwhenyoudecidewhat
contentyouneedtocreatebywhatdates.
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Youwanttothinkthroughthespecifictopicsthatyouwanttocover.Thisisalsoagood
timetodeterminewhichinfluencerswillbebestforsharingparticulartypesofcontent.
Insomecases,youmayopttocontractparticularinfluencerstocreatespecificitemsof
contentwhichtheycanshareatsetpointsinyourcampaign.
A content calendar helps you plan and coordinate the content you share with your
target audience. It also helps you work in with the schedules of your influencers, and
anybodyyoumayworkwithtohelpwithcontentcreationandediting.
Youshouldtryandensurethatyouarealwaysplanningatleastamonthahead.Ifyou
are using busy influencers, you may even want to create greater lead time, especially
aroundbusytimesoftheyear.
8. KeepUp-To-DateWithRelevantIssuesinYourNiche
Youhavepresumablyselectedyourinfluencersbasedontheirknowledgeoftheniche.
Thusyoushouldfollowtheothercontentyourinfluencersshare.Theyarelikelytobe
cuttingedgeinyourniche.Iftheyaregoingtoshareyourcontentitisusefultoseewhat
else they share with their followers. How does your content fit in with the bigger
picture?
By studying what your influencers say to their followers you may find more
opportunities.Itisonewaythatyoucankeepupwiththetrendsandremainrelevantto
yourtargetaudience.
Don’tbeafraidtogobackandreviseyourcontentcalendarsothatitreflectsthetopics
thattrulyinterestyouraudience.Youcanuseyourinfluencerstoguideyouwithup-todate areas of focus and interest. In turn, you can create content that people see as
ground-breaking,ratherthansimply“me-too”material.
Onceyourcampaignisunderway,keepacloseeyeonhowitprogresses.Takeagood
look at comments made in relation to your shared content. Take particular note of
questionsaskedandproblemsreferredto.
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9. CollaborateWithYourinfluencerstoProduceQualityContent
For an influencer marketing campaign to be successful, you need quality content for
your influencers to share. The influencers may have followers who trust them, but
nobodyisgoingtospendmoneysimplybecauseaninfluencertoldthemto.
Wheninfluencerscommunicatewiththeirfollowersitistoinform,entertain,educateor
inspirethem,usuallyinrelationtotheirspecialistniche.Thusforinfluencermarketing
to work, any content that the influencer shares about your product must also be
informative,entertaining,educationalorinspiring.
Thereisalotofrubbishcontentontheinternet.Nomatterhowgoodaninfluenceris,
heorshecannotremainrelevantiftheysharerubbishcontent.
If you haven’t yet built up relationships with your influencers you may kickstart this
process,bycuratinghigh-qualitypiecesofyourinfluencers’content,sharingitwithyour
followers.
Receive exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else other than our monthly
subscribermails.Notonlythat,butyou’llbethefirsttoaccessournewcontent,tools
andoffers.
Ifyoudothisandaddfurthervaluetoityourself,youmightevengainthenoticeofthe
influencers,whomay,inturn,shareyourcuratedcontentwiththeirlargeraudiences.
Thisisagoodwaytobuildupaninfluencerrelationship,particularlyifyouhavechosen
themanualinfluenceridentificationprocess,withoutinvolvingplatformsoragencies.
Yourinfluencersneedtoconstantlybeonthelookoutforcompellingcontent.Youcan
helptheminthisprocess.Providethemwithresourcestheycanusefortheircontent.If
itwouldhelpthem,givethemaninsider’sviewofyourbusiness.Provideyourexpertise
toassistthem–thiscouldbedata,expertiseorinsideknowledgeoftheindustry.

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Youcouldnegotiatewithaninfluencertoco-createanitemofcontent.Whilethiscould
something as simple as a blog post, you might consider something larger, such as a
whitepaperorresearchreport,awebinar,oranonlinepresentation.
10. SetUpCampaignswithYourInfluencerstoDistributeYourContent
The level of formality to your campaign will depend to some extent on the nature of
your relationship with your influencers. If you have signed up to a platform or agency
and found influencers there, you will clearly set up specific campaigns with your
influencers.
In these cases, you will probably come to an agreement on the content that the
influencerswilldeliver–whetheritiscreatedbyyouortheinfluencers–andhowthey
willdeliverthecontent.Youwillprobablymakeanarrangementforthemtomakeaset
numberofposts,aboutcertaintopics,onsetdays.Youwillhaveagreedonapayment
schedule – either via an agency or platform or directly in negotiations with the
influencersthemselves.
If you have built up your influencer arrangements more informally, you might not
operate dedicated campaigns. It may be more of a case of you creating content, and
tryingtoencourageinfluencerstoshareit.Oftenthiswillbeforfree–theychooseto
shareyourcontentbecauseofitsquality,notforfinancialreward.
Ifyoubuildupagoodenoughorganicrelationshipwithaninfluenceryoumaybeableto
approachthemaboutparticipatinginamoreformalcampaign,foranagreedpayment.
This may be in money terms, or it may be for free product. In this case, you and the
influencercannegotiateaboutwhoprovidesthecontentheorshewillshare.
11. MeasuretheResultsofYourInfluencerCampaigns
Ultimately the success or otherwise of your influencer campaign comes back to the

objective you set at the start of the process. We have written an eBook on How To

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Measure Influencer Marketing ROI that can give you more details about how you can
determinethebestROImeasurementforyou.
Whenyourcampaignisover,youshouldcompareyouractualROItoyourobjective.If
you have met your objective, it is time to re-evaluate things and possibly a new
campaignwithahigherobjective.Ifyouhavefailedtomeetyourobjective,takeaclose
look to try and determine what the problem was. Take stock and change your next
campaigntoseeifyoucanimproveonyourresults.

3. MANAGEMENTIMPLICATIONSTOSOMEPRACTICALSITUATIONS
3.1.

SamsungQLEDTVonInstagram



SAMSUNGCorphascreatedaInstagramaccount-@samsungus-whichtheywantedto
promote. The QLED TV is a new TV with new technology of display panel, it named
QLED,whichprovideaTVcandisplaybettercolor,alsotheframerate.



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References
12InfluencerMarketingExamplesThatProveInfluencerMarketingisDigitalMarketing’sNext
BigThing.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
InfluencerMarketingStrategy–11FactorstoConsiderwhenplanningyourNextInfluencer
Campaign.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom
TheImportanceandImpactofInfluencerMarketing.(n.d.).Retrievedfrom

WhatisanInfluencer?(n.d.).Retrievedfrom





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