Matters of Influence: Week of 10/11/20

Influencer marketing news moves at the speed of social media. Every platform update, algorithm tweak, and current event makes a huge difference to the influencer marketer. We’ll help you keep up.

Featured headlines

'Stay tuned': Ocean Spray Hints There's More to Come Following Viral TikTok (The Drum)

By now, everyone (influencers and marketers alike) has heard about the massively viral Ocean Spray TikTok. The no-frills, casual lip-syncing-while-skateboarding video has propelled Nathan Apodaca from average user to star influencer. The video has everything that fans love about TikTok: spontaneity, sincerity, and good vibes. Those elements coupled with the seamless integration of Ocean Spray’s product resulted in a dream collaboration. Brands looking to practice authenticity on social media, take notes: average fans are doing it every day, and your next partner could be one of them.

Power of Influencers May Be Growing amid Pandemic (Street Fight)

It’s a creator’s world. With influencers continuing to rise in popularity since the beginning of the pandemic, it should come as no surprise that 73% of marketers have increased their budgets for influencer marketing. With more customers shopping from the comfort of their own couch than ever, 21% have purchased a product recommended by an influencer for the very first time. Influencers, ready your cameras–as Black Friday rapidly approaches, and consumers plan their holiday gifts, they’ll be looking for inspiration from none other than their favorite creators.

[INFOGRAPHIC] Study Shows How to Use Instagram Stories and Story Ads to Drive Results (Social Media Today)

Does your Instagram strategy include daily stories? If not, then you might be underutilizing the platform. According to a recent study by Social Insider, the optimal rate for Instagram stories is five per day. If you can keep a viewer’s attention hooked through at least the fourth story, they’ll probably stick around to see the whole thing. One way to keep things interesting is to post more video stories: they consistently outperform images in tap-through, click-through, and engagement rates. And don’t sweat about planning ahead of time–connecting with customers candidly and authentically is one of the best ways to share your story right now.

Featured blog

Sometimes, the perfect partnership can be found internally. Brands looking to partner with influencers often overlook the untapped resource that is their own employees. From Macy’s to Peloton, brands have found strong success in elevating employees to influencers, and have even started creating internal social media training programs. With the experience and expertise to confidently represent your brand, employees already have the makings for excellent ambassadors. Read more to find out how to utilize your team’s skills and strengthen your influencer marketing strategy from within.

Julius product spotlight

Julius data is powerful to help vet influencers. However, our Compare View helps take that vetting process to a new level by allowing you to see influencer data side-by-side to choose the best fit for your campaign. Plus, the Compare View is exportable, to boot! For more information about where and how to use the Compare View, watch the video in this Help Center article.