The influencer space is evolving fast, and its easy for brands and companies to be left behind. However, a proportion of agencies are working hard to stay ahead.
Meet The Blogger Programme. A global influencer marketing resource connecting brands with influencers all over the world. With a rich roster of flagship names including Samsung, Deliveroo, Primark and Superdry, TBP provides the tools and support every party needs to execute a successful campaign.
We caught up with TBP CEO Byron Rawlings to chat about the space and how it's become one of the ripest areas to promote a brand, but allowing influencers to do their own thing is still as important as ever.
InfluencerUpdate.biz: What is The Blogger Programme annd what services do you offer?
Bryon Rawlings: The Blogger Programme is a global influencer marketing solution. We are a full service agency enabling brands and agencies to connect and collaborate with influencers to create unique and effective campaigns.
We operate in all four areas of the industry making us completely unique to any other influencer
agency out there. Our services include:
- Bespoke influencer campaigns delivered with engagement rates of up to 15 per cent
- A self service platform to discover 40,000 registered influencers based on audience insights
- In-house influencer management representing the most commercially aware talent
- Branded influencer events and trips abroad at unique locations sponsored by global brands
What excites you about the influencer marketing space?
The most exciting thing about the influencer marketing space is that you never know what’s coming next. We work in an ever evolving industry where we have new social platforms, features and creative campaigns being implemented almost every month. As a result we’re constantly adapting our business and platform to keep up with the rapid pace of change.
The past year or so has seen the industry become a much more established marketing channel resulting in brands now planning in advance and integrating influencers at an earlier stage of their marketing strategies. We’re seeing an increasing number of brands trying out new channels and creative campaign ideas to meet their marketing objectives.
The power of the influencer marketing space has also been amplified by influencers using social channels to build their own brand first and then expanding to other channels including podcasts, books and TV. We expect the creativity of the industry to blossom further over the next few years and The Blogger Programme will be leading the way.
What do you think are the hottest trends in the influencer space right now?
Something more recent, but set to grow, is the incredible rise of influencers who are collaborating with global brands to release their own merchandise and product ranges.
Global beauty brand MAC have recently announced make-up YouTubers Jamie Genevieve and Patricia Bright as their latest MAC Makers who have created their very own limited edition MAC lipsticks.
Whilst Revolution Beauty have taken influencer collaborations by storm with eight influencers already up their sleeve. We have no doubt this trend will be picked up across all industries as brands strive to market their products through relatable brand ambassadors rather than traditional marketing strategies.
Alongside this, we’re seeing influencers developing their content further to become more relatable and connect with their audience through the use of live and video content. We’ve seen a rise in influencers using Instagram carousels and longer captions giving their audience a deeper insight into their everyday lives and therefore generating more of an in depth conversation on their content.
What are the big do’s and don’ts of Influencer PR in your opinion?
Our biggest do is something you may have heard time and time again but we believe it’s imperative to ensure you focus on an influencer’s relevance and engagement over the number of followers they have.
Unfortunately as the industry has grown, influencer fraud has also grown making it increasingly difficult for brands to identify the right influencers to work with. The Blogger Programme’s simple self service platform provides brands and agencies with detailed audience insights to ensure the right audience is always being targeted.
Don’t restrict an influencer’s creativity with a strict brief that allows no creative freedom. Ultimately you’re paying them to do what they’re best at so it’s important to have faith in their ability.
When it comes to influencer marketing it’s always important you don’t overlook an influencer’s value. At the end of the day, influencers are content creators and for many this is their full time career. Therefore it’s important that brands recognise this during collaborations and ensure influencers are compensated for their time and effort.
Following on from content creation, we believe that influencer marketing should be a collaborative effort rather than brands trying to dictate an influencer’s every word. Don’t restrict an influencer’s creativity with a strict brief that allows no creative freedom. Ultimately you’re paying them to do what they’re best at so it’s important to have faith in their ability.
How do you the think entertainment industry has changed with the rise of influencers?
We think the entertainment industry has welcomed influencers with open arms due to their relatability to consumers. It’s been extraordinary to see an increasing number of influencers transition into TV with recent examples including the likes of Jack Maynard on I'm A Celebrity, Joe Sugg on Strictly Come Dancing and Alfie Deyes on The Crystal Maze.
Possibly one of the biggest forms of influencer entertainment this year was the infamous KSI - Logan Paul boxing match which saw 800,000 people officially stream the match on YouTube. Both influencers have over 18 million followers each making them some of the biggest online followings on the video sharing site.
We have no doubt that influencers will continue to be recognised for their talents and expand into further channels and new ventures.
What does TBP planned for the next year or so?
Over the next year, we’re set to shape the influencer marketing industry in ways no other agency has done before. We are currently creating new analytic tools to prove the ROI on influencer marketing, and giving brands a deeper insight into the authenticity of individual influencers.
Each month, our tech team are adding innovative features to our platform, ensuring our brands and influencers can connect and collaborate seamlessly. From unlimited access to audience insights, connections to over 40,000 influencers and an instant messaging app, the TBP platform is growing into the ultimate influencer marketing tool.
Our agency is moving towards creating high performance campaigns which are much bigger than social media alone. Using our knowledge of brands and influencers, we’re bringing together elements of traditional marketing and merging it with new technologies. By doing this, we’re helping brands to develop content which can be used in print, Out Of Home advertising and in-store, creating an immersive and well rounded brand experience.
