Using co-creation to make a successful influencer strategy

Co-creation for a successful influencer campaign

In 2023, the influencer sector will continue to grow and, above all, become ever more professional. By 2022 it was predicted that the influencer industry will be worth around $15 billion. These figures suggest that the business value of influencers will continue to increase, and that few companies can afford to ignore this.

Today, influencers aren’t just a way to promote products or services, but authentic partners who can make a real contribution to your brand's sales and marketing strategy. In influencer marketing, the term co-creation means close collaboration with an influencer who is involved in a campaign. Where previously an influencer campaign was a simple exchange agreement, now we see the rise of ambassador programmes, clear contracts, and regulatory legislation.

"In influencer marketing, co-creation means close collaboration with an influencer who is involved in a campaign."

When you let influencers shape and define their roles in a campaign, you gain authenticity, and it is a win-win when you determine how you interpret the concept together and listen to each other. After all, when you bring both parties’ knowledge together, you can unlock how to convey a message in the most successful way. By co-creating you ensure that the credibility of the message is guaranteed and that the content closely matches the interests of the target group.

Why focus on co-creation?

More authenticity: an influencer often uses a certain style in content creation. By co-creating you can match the content perfectly, so that the content also looks more "native”, and the message comes across as less commercial.
More credibility: you leverage the relationship that the influencer has built with his / her community.
Less own content creation: the influencer creates content for you, so you have to invest less in visuals and content creation. With the rise of TikTok and Reels in the social media landscape, we see the attention of social media users shifting to video content. These "snackable videos" (short, vertical videos of about 15 seconds) are increasingly important. If you want to ride this wave, co-creation with influencers is an efficient solution for the creation of video content.

TikTok and Meta co-creation platforms

Both TikTok and Meta have already launched platforms to bringing companies and creators together: TikTok creator marketplace and Meta brand collabs manager. Both platforms have similar intentions: to connect companies and content creators and create spaces for partnerships to grow. For example, companies can launch a campaign pitch and find the perfect influencer match. With the expansion and future growth of these platforms, both Meta and TikTok confirm that content creators will play an important role in the future of their businesses.

Source: https://mediakix.com/blog/tiktok-creator-marketplace-tcm/

Branded content ads: a new type of media buying

Branded content ads are a new type of ad in social advertising. It involves advertising posts created by creators. Now you can boost creator posts on a company page, both on Facebook and Instagram and on TikTok. Companies can use influencer produced content themselves as part of paid social media campaigns. This new form of advertising is a reaction to the legislation around influencer marketing, but also to the growth of the brand collab platforms. You can also promote this branded content directly on the platforms.

Branded content ads can be called up via Business Manager for Instagram & Facebook. TikTok has the TikTok ads manager. Use of branded content ads on TikTok is called 'spark ads'. By using these types of advertisements, you can now also use influencers to generate traffic or conversions. Your influencer strategy can be of enormous value throughout the funnel - from awareness to conversion.

Performance-based influencer marketing

Finally, it is becoming easier to measure influencer marketing. For example, the "link sticker", a new feature on Instagram, gives all professional accounts the opportunity to share a link via stories. UTM tagging means we can track the number of clicks that lead to the website from a certain influencer as follows. The impact of an organic influencer campaign can also be measured in the same way.

But there are even more different tools on the market that make it possible to measure the impact of an influencer campaign. This evolution gives us more insights into the impact of the influencer market so that we can adjust our strategy accordingly.

Launch your own successful influencer campaigns

Want to know more about the power of influencer marketing, but no idea how to get started? Our experts are here to help you to define your strategy and design an impactful campaign.

About the author/speaker

Joyce Vandijck

Social media & influencer marketer - iO

When it comes to (new) social media and deploying the right influencers for your brand and marketing, Joyce Vandijck is more than willing to share her extensive knowledge and experience with you. You'll learn everything there is to know about the subject, gain refreshing insights, and receive practical tips that you can implement immediately in your business. And on top of all that, her infectious enthusiasm will leave you feeling energized.