"Influence 2.0, influencers, influencer marketing": for several years now, we've been hearing these terms all over the place, but what is it really? 

👉 How can event management take advantage of the assets of influence? 

The challenges of influence are at the heart of almost every agency strategy, which would represent $15 billion in revenue worldwide by 2022, according to Business Insider forecasts. 🚀 

Influencer marketing, or how to use the power of an influencer on the web (also known as opinion leaders or content creators) to promote a product, service or even an event, has proven to be a clear, effective, and above all profitable method, in the short and long term.

Influence and the art of persuasion have been around for a long time, but practices are evolving over time, and various trends have emerged thanks to the rise of social networks and blogs, but also their use in the world of events. 

Responding to this desire for digitalization while placing the human being as the true ambassador of the event is THE challenge for event professionals! 💪 

So, which #eventprofs don't dream of multiplying the media, social and financial impact of their event, by reaching a maximum number of internet users in record time? Who doesn't want to increase their brand's visibility and build a truly committed community? 

This is what we will discover together in this article: here are our tips for developing an influence strategy that matches your event. 

1. Some tips for building your influencer strategy 

Unlike traditional advertising, influencer marketing relies heavily on interaction, trust, and sympathy. This proximity between Internet users and influencers is to your advantage, as targeting is assured and facilitates the positive perception of your message. 

Which influencer for your event? 

In the burgeoning world of influence, there are different types of content creators, classified according to the size of their community and their impact in terms of engagement:

- nano-influencers, niche influencers with less than 10,000 subscribers, low rates, but high engagement and conversion rates

- micro-influencers, close to their audience with 10,000 to 100,000 followers, with a highly segmented audience and a high engagement rate

- macro-influencers, often linked to several audiences, have between 100,000 and 500,000 followers, and have a high visibility

- mega-influencers, usually celebrities, artists, or sportspeople, with more than 500,000 subscribers, a large reach, but low engagement and high rates

To choose the influencer who will have the opportunity to attend your event, you must first define your objectives (visibility, image, action, return on investment...), a dedicated budget, and establish a report of your KPIs before, during, and after the event. This reporting will allow you to look for an influencer consistent with your values, your brand image, but also to check the relevance of your partnership.

💡 Ask yourself the right questions: "does this influencer have an audience that corresponds to my target participants, to my business sector?" - "does his e-reputation measure up and guarantee me a transparent and quality collaboration?" 

Of course, make it a point to work with influencers who have an audience and qualitative content, with real expertise or specialization in a specific field. It is crucial to establish a real work of monitoring and reflection: getting into influencer marketing is not a game to be taken lightly, because if your strategy is not thought through properly and upstream, you can instead face negative media fallout. 

📝 So dear #eventprofs, think quality, relevance, values, and common goals, and you will be surprised at the considerable effects in terms of engagement and awareness of this win-win partnership! 

We advise you to turn more towards micro-influencers, who are accessible, close to their community, and very active on social networks. 

Establish a winning strategy 

By inviting an influencer to your event, you will allow them to take photos and videos that will be broadcast on their various social networks and on their blog, to mention you when they publish a story, or to use a dedicated hashtag. Before the planned date, he can also do some teasing: your visibility and your SEO will thank you!

To establish a winning strategy, rely on a relationship of trust and honesty with your influencer, this will allow you to aim for a long-term partnership, and maybe make him/her a real ambassador of your brand or event! You can propose a paid partnership (the content will then be sponsored, in this case, make sure to establish a contract or an approval agreement) or a simple invitation. 

Don't hesitate to personalize your approach (original invitation, animations, goodies...). To help you, there are specialized sites for finding influential people in a particular field. And above all, don't forget: influencers are above all human beings, be yourself! 🦰 🦱

A winning strategy is also a strategy where effectiveness is measured. Thanks to your reporting, you will be able to analyze your statistics and the impact of your event (number of mentions, likes, influencer statistics...) in order to improve your future collaborations. 

👉 84% of companies already have a content marketing strategy, why don't you?

2. What are the risks and benefits? 

Preventing the risks 

Unfortunately, the world of influencers has often been linked to scams, misleading campaigns, or brand-influencer contracts that turn into bad buzz. In order to prevent any unpleasant surprises, it is essential to set up a time of monitoring and thought processing to establish your strategy and ensure the good reputation of the influencer. 

Open and honest communication during your collaboration and a margin of creativity and freedom for the influencer are all elements that will allow you to establish a healthy and sustainable partnership that respects your values. 

Be aware that an influencer who provides mass content and who accumulates too many partnerships is not necessarily qualitative, and would risk affecting your credibility and authenticity. It also happens that influencers collaborate with competing brands. To secure your strategy, we advise you to draw up a brand-influencer contract and to call upon an influence agency for your first collaborations.

Finally, partner with influencers who have used and liked your product or service before the event: a content creator that uses the product is a new customer acquired! ✔️ 

Reap the benefits 

For 89% of marketing professionals, the return on investment from influencer marketing is higher than results from other marketing channels. Influencers represent a bridge between event professionals and attendees: an accessible, friendly, and reliable intermediary. 

To get the most out of your collaboration, you can involve the influencer in the design of your event or storytelling, and in the creation of their content. 

The profile and personality of the influencer must be tailored to the target audience: these are the elements that will allow you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Each influencer has his own particularity, his own unique touch that allows him to have his place in this complex world of influence, by federating an audience that resembles him. 

This experience vector will allow you to amplify the reach of your event, to access a wider coverage and access to previously ignored targets, but above all to convert participants into members of your community so that they can continue to interact with your brand throughout the year. 

The influencer is an expert in attractive and engaging digital communication, and knows his audience and tools by heart: listen to his proposals and trust him! 💪 

So, whether your event is face-to-face, hybrid or digital, what are you waiting for to boost your sympathy capital, create an unforgettable buzz, and take advantage of the persuasive power of web opinion leaders?

Conclusion 

In our ultra-connected society, all means are good to make your event known to as many people as possible. All #eventprofs are trying to see who will be the most comfortable with new technologies, with the latest marketing trends, and who will be the most innovative and original in the way they promote their event. 

While traditional advertising can be extremely expensive and is increasingly boring to consumers, influencer strategies can be adapted to any budget and achieve great results. This new 2.0 communication channel, influencer marketing, is said to generate twice as many sales as social media, with a retention rate of nearly 37%. 🔥

An event associates directly with its communication. The future of event communication was seriously questioned during the health crisis, but this accelerating digital mutation has also allowed professionals to question a new way of modernizing its practices and investing in influencer marketing. Whether you're a simple visitor, an opinion giver, a product tester, a contributor, or a co-creator, your choice of partnership is wide and your opportunities numerous! 

So, are you ready to differentiate yourself from your competitors and make the most of influencer marketing for your next event? 🏆