The Sunday Mail
Big Business Ideas
Stephene Chikozho
IF you do not know where you are, a map will not help. As such, it is critical for business executives and entrepreneurs to critically assess their businesses, establish their market position and competitive advantage before taking the leap to influencer marketing.
The Southern African business environment is continuously evolving, and with it influencer marketing has become an integral part of modern business promotion strategies.
Leveraging on the reach, engagement and authenticity of influencers can provide tremendous value for businesses.
However, to fully capitalise on the potential benefits, it is essential to approach influencer marketing with a strategic mindset. In this article, we will explore the key steps to obtain the best value from influencer marketing campaigns.
How do you engage influencers?
Sponsoring content: A sponsored post is when a company approaches an influencer, and the latter gets paid to advertise the company’s product or service on his/her social media pages.
Brand ambassador contract: Brand ambassadorships are frequently long-term commitments through which an influencer promotes your brand. An influencer might, for example, sign an ambassador arrangement with a brand for six to 12 months.
Affiliate marketing: When influencers share a link to purchase a product, they receive a part of the transaction if a follower buys something through that link.
Live events appearances: Appearing as special guests at live events and creating a buzz, pre-event, during the event and post-event.
How to find an affordable influencer?
Finding the ideal influencer for your brand requires a delicate balance involving your brand reputation goals, budget and influencer charges. Charges vary and depend on various factors, including reach, engagement, industry and level of expertise.
The charges for influencer marketing in Zimbabwe and South Africa can vary depending on various factors such as the influencer’s popularity, reach, engagement rate and the type of campaign.
Generally, influencer marketing in Africa is less expensive compared to other regions like the United States and Europe.
Average charges by influencers
In Zimbabwe, influencers who have a highly engaged audience of 200 000 or more followers may charge US$300 for posting a flier on Facebook or Instagram.
They also charge an average of US$500 per hour for a live Facebook or Instagram video endorsement.
Charges averaging US$600 apply for appearing in a commercial video.
When it comes to brand ambassadorship contracts, the minimum package average is US$1 200 per month. In this package, a client gets two flier posts on digital media every week, one live Facebook or Instagram video per month and one commercial video per month.
Depending on the deliverables of the brand ambassadorship contract, some influencers charge up to US$2 000 per month for a package of one skit or jingle, one live session, attending company events, commercial video shoot and two posts on digital media every week.
The pricing for influencer marketing in South Africa can vary depending on several factors, such as the influencer’s reach, engagement, content quality and industry niche.
Collaborating with micro-influencers with 10 000 or less followers in South Africa may cost anywhere between R500 and R3 000 per post, depending on their engagement rate and niche expertise.
For collaborations with mid-tier influencers with 100 000 or more followers, prices may range from R3 000 to R10 000 per post, depending on their reach, engagement and industry relevance.
Macro-influencers with hundreds of thousands to millions of followers have a wider reach and higher influence. Collaborating with macro-influencers in South Africa may cost between R10 000 and R50 000 per post, although prices can go higher for top-tier influencers, celebrities or public figures.
It is important to keep in mind that the charges mentioned above are approximate figures, and negotiations between brands and influencers can vary based on campaign requirements, exclusivity, duration and additional services provided.
Challenges of influencer marketing
Identifying the right influencers: Finding influencers who align with your brand and target audience can be a challenge. It requires thorough research and analysis to identify influencers who have the right reach, engagement and credibility.
Building genuine relationships: Building a genuine relationship with influencers can be difficult, especially when they are bombarded with partnership requests. It takes time and effort to establish trust and rapport with influencers to ensure a successful collaboration.
Authenticity and trust: Maintaining authenticity and trust is crucial in influencer marketing. Consumers are becoming more sceptical of sponsored content, so it is essential to work with influencers who can create genuine, transparent and authentic content that resonates with their followers.
Measuring return on investment (ROI): Measuring ROI of influencer marketing can be challenging. It can be difficult to track the direct impact of influencer campaigns on sales and revenue. Brands need to establish clear goals and metrics to measure the effectiveness of influencer marketing efforts.
Compliance with regulations: Influencer marketing is subject to regulations and guidelines set by advertising and consumer protection authorities. Ensuring compliance with these regulations, such as disclosing sponsored content, can be a challenge for brands and influencers.
Content control: Brands often face challenges in maintaining control over the content created by influencers. It is important to strike a balance between giving influencers creative freedom while ensuring that the content aligns with the brand’s values and messaging.
Budget constraints: Influencer marketing can be costly, especially when working with high-profile individuals. Brands need to carefully allocate their budgets and negotiate fair compensation with influencers to maximise ROI.
Saturation and authenticity: With the rise in influencer marketing, there is a risk of oversaturation and loss of authenticity. Consumers are becoming more discerning and can easily spot inauthentic or overly promotional content. Brands need to carefully select influencers who can maintain their authenticity and credibility.
Long-term partnerships: Building long-term partnerships with influencers can be challenging, as influencers may receive numerous partnership offers and may switch brands frequently. Brands need to invest in nurturing relationships with influencers to ensure continued collaboration and loyalty.
Adapting to changing trends: Influencer marketing is constantly evolving, and brands need to stay updated with the latest trends and platforms. Adapting to new social media platforms, emerging influencers and shifting consumer behaviours can be a challenge for brands in influencer marketing.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing can be a valuable strategy for brands to raise awareness, connect with their target audience and drive sales. However, it requires careful planning, strategic selection of influencers and ongoing measurement and evaluation to ensure success.
Stephene Chikozho is managing director of Urbane Create Agency, a strategy, marketing and advertising agency. He writes in his personal capacity. You can follow him on social media (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) WhatsApp +263772409651 or email [email protected]
