How to Launch a Product With an Influencer Marketing Agency
Thanks in part to the Kardashians, influencer marketing has products flying off shelves. It capitalizes on the fact that 92% of consumers trust a person over a company.
Influencer marketing is a great way to build excitement when introducing a product. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry. We’ve got your official influencer marketing (IM) agency guide below.
Successful IM Product Launches
KFC Ricebox
Kentucky Fried Chicken‘s international branches launched a new menu item using influencer marketing.
They capitalized on the London Fashion Week hype and chose a designer as their influencer. Her task was to create 13 designs inspired by the product, in under an hour.
The design and new menu item were then revealed live during London Fashion Week.
Their combination of a relevant influencer, launch event and creative task proved successful. Both target areas bought and responded to the new item on Twitter, via their provided launch #hashtag.
Star Wars Video Game
EA Games partnered with social media influencers to build excitement for their Star Wars game. They reached out to a video game developer and actress Anna Kendrick to promote the game.
EA provided both parties with the game before releasing it and asked them to post about it.
Matthew Patrick and Kendrick both tweeted their own responses to the game. Their followers trusted their opinions so much, the game held the #1 spot after release.
What to Learn
Both companies did succeed enormously in their campaigns. Let’s break down their success.
Influencer Choices
Each company did their research on the right influencers for their products. KFC’s influencer was unusual but worked in combination with fashion week.
EA’s choices were more traditional with one tech influencer and pop culture. Unfortunately for them, they took a risk and reached out to a third, less fitting gamer.
The gamers did not like their marketing technique and posted a rant about their game on Instagram. Due to the size of their company and resources, they were able to recover but not all businesses could.
To avoid the mistake EA games made with an ill-fitting influencer, you can work with an influencer marketing agency. They will do research on your behalf to make sure your pitch will be well received.
Activity Strategy
Since influence marketing has started taking off, methods have changed. It’s no longer enough to have an influencer post one picture on Instagram. There needs to be a way to engage.
KFC engaged their customers by building a sense of mystery and urgency. They had their clients thinking, ‘can she do it’? ‘What does KFC have to do with fashion?’
Their tactics made their customers think, which is a form of engagement. Their customers were unknowingly engaging, instead of being bombarded by commercials.
EA’s campaign engaged consumers by giving them the chance to win something relevant. Their tech influencer, Matthew Patrick, sponsored a PS4 giveaway with the game included.
To win, his followers had to watch his live video and actively engage. They were doing something self-motivated that promoted the game at the same time.
An influencer marketing agency can help you plan a great giveaway for your launch.
Influencer Marketing Trends
Smaller Niches, Bigger Payoff
Instead of marketing to the masses, the new trend is targeting a very specific niche. With this trend, you’re looking for quality product views instead of quantity.
At your product launch, you want customers ready to buy. This means they’ll need to be the product’s target audience. But how do you balance your niche with bringing in first-time customers? It’s not easy.
Luckily, an influencer marketing agency can help you find the perfect audience. They will help find the balance between your niche market and the general public.
Live Videos
Going live is huge in all marketing sectors right now and it doesn’t look like it’s slowing down.
They’re so popular, that HBO got thousands of people to watch ice melt. They froze their release date in ice and live streamed as they melted it.
People were confused, but they tuned in none the less. If HBO had success with something as simple as that, imagine what you could do with fun content.
Need an idea? Try an unboxing video. They’re taking over the influencer marketing and YouTube world right now. In them, the influencer unpacks and explains products sent to them.
Consumers find it intriguing, relaxing, and informative to see their organic reactions. They learn exactly what to expect and don’t risk disappointment.
As an added benefit, many social media platforms tell followers when someone is live. Both Facebook and Instagram, who launched live videos last year, send out an alert for live videos.
Your followers will see a notification like, “@instaname is live, check it out.” Most of the time, their curiosity gets the best of them and they tune in.
Your job is to keep them watching!
Why Work with An Influencer Marketing Agency?
If you’re ready to give influence marketing a try, take the time to talk to the experts. They have insight on the complicated IM world that you won’t succeed without.
One of the best things about an influencer marketing agency is their network. Working with an agency gives you access to their trusted and experienced influencers.
The choices that they offer vary in niche markets and strength of influence. They’ll be able to calculate which of their influencers will have the best effect on your product launch.
As well as finding the best influencers, they can help you shape your IM campaign. They employ marketing teams who will work with you to create something successful.
Final Thoughts
Before you approach an influencer marketing agency about a campaign, know your priorities.
Are you looking for max sales, raving reviews, or brand awareness with this product launch? Answering these questions before you start will make the campaign smoother for everyone.
If you had no budget, which celeb would you pick as your influencer? Let us know in the comments!