Influencer marketing has become a key consideration for all brands, with the rising use of algorithms putting increased emphasis on engagement – which is what influencers generate best.
But it’s not just the influencers themselves you need to consider, influencer effectiveness is also relative to each platform.
As explained by Twitter:
“For marketers today, it’s not “if” you should be partnering with creators but more so “why and how” to partner with them. What’s even more important for brands to understand is that there is a unique why and how for every platform - especially for Twitter.”
If Twitter is a key focus for your brand, then influencer marketing can definitely be effective. Underlining this, Twitter recently partnered with Magna and IPG Media Lab to look at how Twitter users respond to creator content – and what brands should learn from this behavior.
Here’s what they found.
First off, Twitter found that the real-time immediacy of the platform makes it a key tool for following influential creators.
“When individuals who carry a wealth of influence and creativity become more accessible. and their thoughts and conversations more transparent, audiences begin to trust those individuals. People look to creators for recommendations over online reviews, brand Tweets, and traditional TV and digital ads when it comes to what to buy, where to go, and what to watch. Today’s word-of-mouth marketing is often driven by creators on Twitter.”
Twitter says that 61% of users follow a creator, which is more so than on any other platform.
I mean, on comparative scale, Twitter has far fewer users than Facebook and Instagram, so I’m not sure this is a great indicator, but nonetheless, it does underline that Twitter users are engaged with prominent creators, boosting the potential of influencer marketing.
In terms of how influencers on Twitter work best with brands, the researchers found that 93% of creators look to partner with brands that want to hear their ideas, and tap into their voice, enabling them to provide authentic content and maintain audience connection in a genuine way.
That, of course, makes logical sense, but the point Twitter’s looking to emphasize here is that brands need to choose creators who align with their business, then let those creators come up with ideas.
They know their audiences, they understand what works (otherwise they wouldn’t be influencers). Brands need to set guidelines, sure, but they also need to trust in each influencers’ creative capacity.
And if brands can get this balance right, the benefits can be significant.
Further to this, Twitter has also found that creator content also drives increased brand favorability and purchase intent.
In the final element of the report, Twitter also notes how brands can connect with influencers on their platform.
Their main option here is Niche, Twitter’s platform for connecting brands to creators. Twitter has also recently launched its Creator Originals program, which aims to help creators produce their own high-end content series, and connect them with relevant brands on sponsorships.
But of course, you can also search through Twitter profiles for relevant influencers and get in touch – BuzzSumo is a good tool for filtering users by influence and niche.
There’s not a heap of eye-opening type stats in this report, most social media marketers would be well aware of the potential of influencer marketing. But it does further underline the value of the process within the context of Twitter itself.
Really, Twitter’s opening note is relevant – for most brands, it’s not “if” you should be moving into influencer marketing, it’s “how”. These stats further add to that case.
You can read Twitter's full "The Power of Creators on Twitter" Report here.