The power that Influencers and Micro Influencers have to generate engagement is undeniable.

They have the ability to communicate with passion, intelligence and enough authority to influence and create loyalty. Advertisers are becoming increasingly aware of how much relevance their brand can gain when it is well managed in the capable hands of these experts.

Affiliate Marketing and Influencer Marketing are perhaps closer than you think, but you still might wish to consider the following important differences between them. This is especially true for those who are used to dealing with Publishers and are maybe thinking about taking a leap into the unknown world of Influencers.

Monetization Models:

If you are used to working with Publishers then you need to understand that Influencers don’t monetise in the same way. Publishers normally get paid for each completed goal, objective or result, whereas Influencers use either a simple process of charging a fee for the promotional period or a more sophisticated method which allows them to charge sales commissions, for co-branding or any other type of activity.

It would be great to see the Influencer marketing develop a monetization model that matches the Publisher’s model since it is widely considered to be the fairest and reliable method. But for the moment we recommend that as Advertisers you agree on a model of monetization and that you are clear from the onset upon the terms and conditions of the agreement before entering into a partnership with an Influencer.

Which Influencers or Micro Influencer should you choose?

Before making your final choice it is imperative that you check that the Influencer will make an excellent brand ambassador. Do they share similar values to those which your brand represents? Their content is very important, will it engage with new followers of your brand? What type of tone do they use with their followers, which platforms do they use? As well as what type of engagements do they create? It is important that your brand is in harmony with what their followers do or say. Also one mustn’t forget other factors such as have they worked with any of your competitors and which strategy was used during those campaigns?

Who are their followers?

When investing time and energy into any partnership with Influencers, it is really important to know whether all your efforts are directed at the right target audience. So remember to check out the Influencers followers: their age, gender, interests… Do they match your target audience profiles? Above all check that the number of followers subscribing to the Influencer actually exist, there have been many instances of followers not being real people but “Bots” who can generate comments and likes thus creating a false engagement.

Controlling the creativity and of course the message!

Influencer marketing allows you to have greater control over the content as well as the creative aspects that the Influencers will share on your behalf amongst their followers, so it is imperative you that check and double check everything you provide for the campaign, even the hashtags. Don’t leave anything to chance when working with Influencers.

Changes in Social Media algorithms:

Recent changes to social media Algorithms have resulted in profound changes in Influencers Marketing. For example, Facebook’s algorithm prioritizes the contents of family and friends (Organic Content) in the “news feed”, which will greatly influence how users see Brands and Influencers. Instagram mirrors Facebook’s Algorithm more and more, so increased organic content is now appearing. Given these changes, Brands will need to think more carefully about the interests of their users or Followers. Remember that every Influencer has their own content style which resonates with their particular audience.

From our point of view, Influencer Marketing is an upward trend in Performance Marketing. It is important to remember the Influencers are first and foremost people and they will continue to gain followers with their organic content. As advertisers, you need to see them as simply another extension of Performance Marketing.