How to Plan an Influencer Program, Part 1

For the past 10+ years, public relations has been a three-way street of brand to consumer, consumer to brand, and consumer to consumer. Throw in a rapidly evolving communication landscape fueled by personal interests and broader trends and we’ve got quite the expansive range of engagement strategies. How do brands navigate the ever-changing currents of not only reaching, but engaging their audiences? Advertising? Marketing?  

Amplifying a word-of-mouth approach and taking traditional public relations strategies to the consumer, brands are leveraging social media influencers, those carrying influence over followers within a specific space, to reach target consumer markets through popular social media channels include Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. More receptive to recommendations from a person they respect and trust, nearly 40 percent of Twitter users report having made a purchase as a direct result of an influencer’s Tweet.  

A blossoming aspect of the industry, Influencer Marketing, allows social media influencers the ability to monetize for product integrations and recommendations, in some cases to the equivalent of a full salary– talk about a dream job! But here’s where things get interesting:

While paid influencers certainly exist within every industry, our specialty sectors – wine, food and wellness – remain to be areas that consumers and brands alike, spark passion and adoration about products and ideas that excite them. Identifying and engaging these passionate foodies and wine lovers is our favorite part of our job. Introducing users to new wines and food products, sharing industry news, offering tips and advice - it’s not only part of our job, it’s our shared passion. We are foodies. We are wine lovers. We are health- and environment-conscious citizens.

And like our audiences of influencers and end consumers, we thrive online.

Stay tuned for future posts on what makes a social influencer, how to build brand advocacy communities, and how to reach your target audience in an ever-evolving tech world.