Innovation influencer marketing is a new and exciting way to get customers and investors on board with your company. It’s all about connecting with people who are passionate about innovation and helping them spread the word about your organization and brand.
Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a digital marketing strategy that focuses on using key individuals or influencers to spread the word about an organization, product, or service. These influencers can be anyone, from popular bloggers and social media users to industry experts and journalists. By targeting the right people, you can create a powerful word-of-mouth campaign that can reach a large audience and significantly impact your bottom line.
The history of influencer marketing dates back to the early days of traditional advertising. In fact, famous authors and journalists who could influence the public created some of the first recorded examples of influence marketing.
In more recent times, the term “influencer marketing” has become popular thanks to the rise of social media. With platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, it’s easier than ever for influencers with social media presence to connect with their audience and promote an organization and its products or services.
In today’s world of social media, an entire influencer marketing industry has emerged.
MicroInfluencer
Micro-influencers are individuals who have a smaller follower count than traditional mega influencers, but they can still generate a lot of engagement and have a significant impact on their audience.
They can be especially valuable for brands because they typically have a more engaged following, and their followers are more likely to trust their recommendations. As a result, micro-influencers can be more effective at driving sales and conversion than traditional influencers.
A micro-influencer is someone who has between 1,000 to 100,000 followers. Micro-influencers focus on specific niche markets or areas and are regarded as industry experts or topic specialists.
“[Micro-influencers] have stronger relationships than a typical influencer. This is often driven by their perception as an opinion leader of the subject matter. A micro-influencer, as opposed to a celebrity or regular influencer, often has a very uniform audience,” said Gil Eyal, CEO, and founder of HYPR Brands.
Tech companies, including Adobe and Squarespace, are well known to engage in micro-influencer marketing campaigns.
Should Your Brand Leverage a Micro-Influencer?
Micro-influencers have a comparatively smaller following and rarely boast celebrity influencer status. Because of that, brands can bank on their followers being interested in whatever made the micro-influencer “internet famous.”
While micro-influencers have high levels of engagement, some micro-influencers charge a hefty fee. The crucial difference when working with micro-influencers is what they charge per post. Comparatively, they’re extremely expensive on a per follower basis. But their influence and impact have proven worth it.
There are a few factors a brand should consider before deciding to use a micro-influencer:
1. Does the micro-influencer have a relevant audience for my brand?
2. Is the micro-influencer’s audience engaged and likely to respond to his or her recommendations?
3. How much does the micro-influencer charge per post, article, or podcast?
4. How much influence and impact does the micro-influencer have on his or her audience?
5. Is the micro-influencer likely to generate positive brand awareness and ROI for your brand?
If a brand can answer yes to most or all of these questions, then working with a micro-influencer is likely to be a worthwhile investment.
What is Unique About Innovation Micro-Influencer Marketing?
There are several things that make innovation micro-influencer marketing unique.
First, it’s all about connecting with genuinely passionate people about innovation. These micro-influencers are the people who will be most interested in learning about your brand and spreading the word to their friends and followers. People who are passionate about innovation are the perfect target audience for brands looking to promote new products and services. These people are influential within their community of followers. As a result, they can amplify the message about you and your products or services.
Second, innovation influencer marketing is always forward-looking. You’re not just relying on influencers to talk about your brand—you’re also working with them to create new and exciting content that will get people excited about your company. This can be anything from developing new product concepts to creating informative blog posts and social media content.
Third, innovation influencer marketing is flexible and can be customized to fit your needs. You can work with multiple influencers or focus on one, and you can adjust your strategy as your company grows and changes.
Why Is Innovation Influencer Marketing Important?
Innovation influencer marketing is an important tool for any company that desires to be seen as an innovation leader in their industry and to have customers and investors attracted to their innovation story.
Innovation influencer marketing helps you spread your innovation message to a wider audience through the use of micro-influencers who are passionate about your company and what it is doing. These micro-influencers can help you create new and exciting content, reach new customers, and promote your brand to a larger audience.
The benefits of innovation influencer marketing include:
• Spreading your innovation message to a wider audience. Passionate micro-influencers will share your content with their followers, help you develop new product concepts, and create informative blog posts, podcasts, and social media content.
• Reaching new customers. Unlike traditional marketing efforts that target a general audience, innovation influencer marketing helps you reach customers who are interested in your company, your innovations, and your products or services.
• Generating positive brand awareness and ROI. Innovation micro-influencers can help you create a positive brand image and generate tangible results, such as increased sales and improved customer satisfaction.
Building An Innovation Micro-Influencer Marketing Campaign
There are a few things you need to keep in mind when you’re looking to get started with innovation influencer marketing:
1. Find the right influencers:
Not all influencers are created equal. When you’re looking for people to help promote your brand, it’s important to find those who are genuinely passionate about innovation. These are the people who will be most interested in learning about your company and spreading the word to their followers.
2. Develop a strategy:
Once you’ve found the right influencers, it’s important to develop a strategy for working with them. This includes figuring out what kind of content you want to create, how often you’ll be working with the influencers, and your overall goals.
3. Be flexible:
Innovation influencer marketing is a flexible process, so it’s important to be prepared to adjust your strategy as needed. As your company grows and changes, you may need to adjust your objectives and campaigns.
4. Have fun and be authentic:
Last but not least, remember to have fun with it! This is an opportunity to connect with people who are passionate about your company and what it’s doing. Be authentic in your interactions and let your personality shine through.
Case Study: Zoom Communications Use of Innovation Micro-Influencers
Background on Zoom
Zoom was founded by Eric Yuan, a former Cisco Webex corporate vice president. He departed Cisco in April 2011 with 40 engineers and start a new firm named Saasbee, Inc. The business struggled to secure investors since many people believed the video telephony market had already been saturated.
In May 2012, the firm’s name was changed to Zoom, in homage to Thacher Hurd’s children’s book Zoom City. In September 2012, Zoom debuted a beta version that allowed for 15 video participants at one time.
After raising a $6 million Series A round, Zoom began offering the service in January 2013. Zoom’s version 1.0 of the program allowed for up to 25 participants per conference. By the end of its first month, Zoom had 400,000 users and by May 2013 had 1 million users.
Relationship
Eric Yuan, the founder of Zoom, and I knew each other when Eric was at Cisco and I was at HP. Several people, who we both knew, felt there was an opportunity to support each other’s work. Eric, in promoting Zoom and me, writing and producing my articles and podcast.
In August 2015, Eric and I had a conversation. Eric and the team at Zoom gave my podcast team VIP access to Zoom and worked with us so we could record interviews for the Killer Innovations Show. Turns out this was one of the first podcasts to use Zoom. Feedback from my team producing the podcast went into the list of future enhancements.
In 2016, with the success of the relationship, Zoom wanted to establish a micro-influencer relationship with me and the Killer Innovations Show whereby Zoom is promoted as a sponsor and I use my social media platforms, public speaking, and personal relationships to help Zoom as it grew, had its IPO and then experience explosive growth during the pandemic.
The micro influencing campaign has been in place continuously since 2016.
Zoom’s Innovation Micro-Influencer Campaign
The Zoom team realized the importance of getting customers, strategic partners, and investors on board early on and knew that they needed to differentiate themselves from the competition. They also understood the importance of generating positive word-of-mouth buzz and knew that they needed influencers who could help them do this. While most influencers would focus on customer acquisition, our campaign focused on reputation building and endorsement with customers, investors, key partners, and global regulators.
For example, Zoom took advantage of:
- Washington DC event, in August 2017, where I hosted Eric on stage in front of 30 US Senators to share the vision and impact that Zoom technology would have on the future of work.
- Hosting the Zoom CTO in the summer of 2020 for a discussion with the CTOs of the 65 largest ISPs in the world, during the middle of the pandemic, to ensure all customers were being serviced.
- Interviewed Eric, in October 2021, in a fireside chat in front of 2,000 broadband and telecom leaders from over 70 countries. This included the CEOs of more than 60 of the latest broadband providers in the world.
- Promoting Zoom’s technology by demonstrating it from our bus/mobile studio at events across the country, including CES 2018, 2019, and 2020.
- Numerous introductions to strategic partners have led to deep and ongoing relationships that have had a direct impact on Zoom.
We broke the influencer marketing strategies into two phases:
Phase 1 of the micro-influencer campaigns was to promote the use of Zoom among target audiences by getting people to try Zoom and then becoming advocates for the product. The campaign was successful in generating a lot of word-of-mouth buzz and positioning them as a thought leader in the video telephony space.
We focused phase 2 of the campaign on maintaining the buzz and positioning Zoom as a thought leader in the post-pandemic world. This has been done by continuing to provide valuable content and brand endorsement to key customers, partners, and investors.
Benefits To Zoom
Some benefits that Zoom has received from this campaign include:
1. Increased brand awareness and name recognition in the target audience.
2. A positive association with the Killer Innovations Show, which is a popular podcast that discusses trends, technologies, and innovations.
3. Access to our extensive network of contacts has helped Zoom connect with key strategic partners.
4. A steady stream of positive word-of-mouth buzz has helped Zoom to attract a positive image as an innovator, which has attracted more users and grown its business.
5. Increased visibility for the Zoom brand, thanks to the regular promotion of the company on social media, on the podcast, our live events, and in other forums.
Benefits of Using an Innovation Micro-Influencer
There are many benefits of using an innovation micro-influencer. Some of these benefits include:
Generating word-of-mouth buzz:
Innovation micro-influencers can help generate word-of-mouth buzz by sharing their experiences with your product or service with their followers. This can help you reach a larger audience and build brand awareness.
Positioning you as a thought leader:
By sharing insights and perspectives on trends in your industry, the innovation micro-influencer can help position you as a thought leader. This can help you attract new customers and partners, as well as investment.
Building relationships:
An innovation micro-influencer can help you build relationships with key customers, partners, and investors. These relationships can be beneficial in the long run, as they can help you secure new business deals and expand your customer base.
Using an Innovation Agency
In order to create an effective innovation micro-influencing campaign, you need a good innovation agency that understands the ins and outs of this strategy. They can help you identify and target the right micro-influencers for your brand, and help you create content that will resonate with their followers.
They should also have a good understanding of the latest trends in the industry, so they can create a campaign that is relevant and timely. Additionally, the innovation agency should be able to measure the success of the campaign, so you can gauge its effectiveness and make necessary adjustments.
If you’re looking to build an innovation micro-influencing campaign, then consider working with an innovation agency, such as Techtrend, that specializes in this type of marketing. With their help, you can reach a larger audience, position yourself as a thought leader, and build relationships with key customers and partners. Contact Techtrend at hello@techtrend.com. We would be happy to discuss your specific needs and see how we can help.
The Questions You Want To Ask About Influencer Marketing
Do influencers actually help attract customers and investors?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the effectiveness of influencer marketing will vary depending on your company and its goals. However, innovation influencer marketing is an important tool for any company that desires to be seen as an innovation leader in their industry. Additionally, customers and investors are often drawn to brands with strong innovation stories.
What is the best way to find influencers?
There are a number of ways to find influencers, but one of the simplest is to use social media search tools. These tools allow you to search for people based on specific keywords and criteria. Once you’ve found some potential influencers, you can reach out to them and see if they’re interested in working with you.
How much should I pay an influencer?
This will vary depending on the project and the influence of the person you’re working with. It’s important to offer fair compensation for the work that you’re asking the influencer to do.
Do I need to sign a contract with an influencer?
It’s not required, but it’s often a good idea to have a contract in place before you work with an influencer. This will help to protect both parties and ensure that everyone is clear on the expectations for the relationship.
What are some common mistakes companies make with influencer marketing?
One of the most common mistakes is failing to find the right influencers. It’s important to take the time to find people who are genuinely passionate about innovation and who will be excited to work with you. Additionally, some companies make the mistake of expecting too much from their influencers. It’s important to remember that influencers are people, not machines, so it’s unrealistic to expect them to produce a constant stream of content. Finally, some companies fail to treat their influencers with respect. It’s important to remember that these are real people with real followers, so it’s crucial to treat them well if you want to maintain a positive relationship.
How can you be sure that the influencers you work with are actually influential?
One of the great things about working with influencers is you can make sure that they are actually influential. By looking at their engagement rates, follower counts, and other metrics, you can get a good idea of how influential they are.
And finally, don’t forget to measure the success of your influencer marketing campaign. By looking at things like reach and engagement, you can get a good idea of whether your campaign was successful.
