As marketing and communications professionals, we often think we understand consumers and audiences. Conventional wisdom and established thought are valuable in forming a marketing hypothesis, but deeper research to get a unique perspective and uncover unique insights can be the key factor in developing impactful campaigns. We all have heard the term “data-driven” ad nauseum in the past number of years, but what does that mean in influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing is most successful when reaching a primed audience through credible and relatable voices. But how do we know a given influencer is indeed credible and relatable to our end consumer, and that the message will resonate? Consider the very accurate cliché: measure twice; cut once. The more accurate and informed our inputs are when developing strategy, the more predictable and cost-effective the tactics will be.

First, we must define our end consumer accurately and identify what motivates them to convert, whether that be purchase a product, redeem a coupon, or schedule a cancer screening appointment with their doctor. Simply identifying an audience as “parents aged 24-35” does not provide enough specificity to tailor an impactful influencer selection. We must dive deeper.

1: Utilizing Survey Data

Survey data provides a strong foundation for any campaign, whether earned media, digital marketing, or influencer campaigns. Survey data provides valuable, timely information on messaging and audience targeting as we can directly measure and quantify representative sample audiences. If we are trying to sell laundry detergent through influencers, what motivates our audience to purchase? Create a survey with a diverse set of consumers with a choice of purchase motivators. The initial hunch may be that stain-fighting and bright colors are paramount, but the survey may hypothetically show that product efficacy drives suburban moms, but scent and odor control is most important to Latinx parents. You could then cast your influencer roster to reflect both angles and tailor messaging to be most relevant.

2: Social Listening

Another form of research that is incredibly valuable in crafting effective influencer campaigns is social listening and audience segmentation. People spend more time on social media platforms than ever, and their viewing habits, sentiment and purchase decisions can be translated into quantifiable data. The level of detail available in social listening is very dependent on the tools you invest in, but even openly available and free options exist and can provide valuable insights. At Dynamik Influence, we invest in multiple platforms to dive deep into audiences, their motivations and media preferences, and which influencers correlate most closely.

3: Research Informing Messaging

Not only does research inform strategy, but the research itself can be attention-grabbing. Utilizing survey data in earned media campaigns is well proven, and the same logic applies to influencer marketing. Having a surprising or affirming statistic validates an influencer’s story. Authenticity is key in influencer marketing, and sponsored content can feel inauthentic if not done correctly. No one like to see the influencers they follow promote any and all brands. By anchoring the message in an interesting new statistic, the content lands as less of a commercial and more of an informative conversation starter…which means it is more engaging, and thus, more favored by the ever-changing algorithms within social media platforms we have all grown to know and love.