Use live streaming in influencer marketing
Use live streaming in influencer marketing
1. Cross-reference your brand’s buyer personas with your website and social media analytics to define your target demographic.
To find the demographics reports in Google Analytics, go to Audience > Demographics. The Overview page gives you a general demographics breakdown of all of your website’s visitors, and you can get more detailed information in the Key Metrics dropdown menu. Facebook’s Audience Insights reveals key demographic information about your engaged users on Instagram and Facebook. You can find similar tools on YouTube, Twitter, and any other platforms you use.
2. List desired characteristics of your ideal livestreaming influencer based on your campaign goals, the content you want to use, brand values, budget, and target audience.
Campaign goals: Do you want to build brand awareness? Create new content? Promote specific products, sales, offers, or campaigns? Content that completes that goal: What do you hope to feature in the influencer’s livestreaming videos. Are they doing product reviews? Promoting a new initiative? Brand values specific to your industry: What type of personal values align with your brand? For instance, an environmentally sustainable brand may want to partner with a climate activist, or a weight loss supplement company may seek out influencers in the fitness world. Budget: How much money do you want to spend on this livestreaming campaign? This will determine the influencer size or amount of influencers you can recruit. Target audience information: Where does your audience live on social media? For instance, if your audience primarily uses Instagram, recruiting a livestreamer on Twitch is likely not appropriate.
3. Set a specific engagement goal for how your livestream can engage your audience, reach new audiences, or excite your existing community.
Unlike many other sales-focused forms of influencer marketing, such as affiliate links and branded checkout coupon codes, livestreaming is more about earned media. Focus on driving authentic connections and engaging with your target audience, and not just driving immediate sales. Popular goals that work well for livestreaming include: Brand awareness Audience acquisition Audience retention This doesn’t mean that sales and product-focused live streams can’t be successful. However, they should be more than just pushing a sales link, and include the very raw, human element that livestreams are known for. For instance, Kohl’s partnered with influencers who filmed themselves unboxing and reviewing a product they purchased, and Target has partnered in the past with influencers who let audiences follow live as they shopped Black Friday.
4. Make a list of influencers who livestream by searching social media, influencer platforms, and blogs.
Use a spreadsheet to track the potential influencers you want to use in your livestreaming campaign. Search the web for influencers, using search modifiers for the platform, specific industry niche, content type, or following size. For example, you could search for weightloss influencer or top beauty influencers. Look through relevant hashtags on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, DLive, or Amazon Live to find influencers who post in your niche. Use Google with the # modifier, or a hashtag research tool like Keyhole, RiteTag, or HootSuite. Find influencers associated with top-performing content in your niche by searching for popular blogs or by using a tool like BuzzSumo. Use an influencer marketing platform and browse profiles of influencers in your niche. Example platforms include Grin, Upfluence, Pitchboard, NeoReach and Tribe. Filter for your industry category, social media platform, audience size, and demographics.
5. Review your list of influencers and analyze their audience engagement and suitability for a livestreaming partnership.
Look at their engagement rate compared to follower count. A good engagement rate is typically more useful than a high follower count. Compare their engagement rate to specific benchmarks in different industries. Make sure their target audience is who you expect it to be by looking at their audience analytics and comments. Do they offer advice, content, or recommendations that are contradictory to your brand’s beliefs and brand values? Does their personality fit your brand’s and target audience’s values? Scroll through their feed and see how often they do a livestream. An influencer who has done livestreams in the past will be more comfortable with the format and their audience will be more prepared to engage. Watch a few of their most recent videos to get a feel of their speaking style, presentation style, audio quality, and visual approach. Does their persona on video fit your brand and your goals? Consider grouping influencers into high, medium, and low priority categories on your spreadsheet based on your analysis.
6. Contact the influencers you’ve highlighted in your list and pitch them your livestreaming campaign.
Refer back to your list of influencers, and reach out to the influencer through the social media they’re on. Alternatively, you can check their social media bio for a contact link. You don’t have to overthink your pitch: Personalize it: Mention some of their recent pieces of content that you really liked, and why you think their online brand and persona is a good fit for you. Keep it simple: Now is not the time to get into contract details. Say that you want them to do a livestream about a specific topic, product category or theme, and ask if they would be interested in partnering with you. Invite collaboration: Influencers enjoy being part of the creative process. Specify that if they’re interested, you’ll send over a creative brief and would love to hear about their creative vision and how they would approach the project. If they accept your invitation and indicate they’re interested in collaborating, send them a creative brief.
7. Send the influencer a creative brief that gives the influencer strict dos and don’ts, while also allowing for creative freedom.
Livestreams work best when they’re truly authentic, which means giving the influencer a lot of leeway and creative control over how they want to do the video. But there will be specific things that are must-haves, and those should be stipulated in your creative brief: Important information critical for the campaign, including themes, goals, deadlines and deliverables. Specific phrases to say or to avoid. Expectations on quality, length, voice and tone, and other aspects key for your brand. Compensation and payment dates.
8. Collaborate with the influencer and approve a draft approach to the influencer’s livestream.
Collaboration creates creative authenticity. Don’t dictate exactly what the influencer will do in his or her livestream, but instead ask them to pitch ideas to you. During the process, allow the influencer to: Share their general thoughts Send you an idea for an approach and a strategy to their livestream Outline basic thematic approaches and major talking points Indicate how they’ll get the livestream chat started and engage with their audience members in the chat Once you are both satisfied, approve the draft.
9. Announce the livestream and amplify it across your marketing channels. Tease the livestream and mention any incentives for tuning in.
For example, if the influencer is giving away a product or service that they’re reviewing, you could tell people to tune in for a special surprise gift. Or, you could even give the influencer a special discount code for your online store that will only be shared during the live video.