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

👉 How can event managers utilize influencer marketing? 

Influencer marketing is heavily used by agencies around the world, as Business Insider predicts it will represent $15 billion in worldwide revenue by 2022. 🚀 

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, increasing the social and financial impact of their event, and 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 the best influencer strategy for your event: 

1. Some tips for building your influencer strategy 

Unlike traditional advertising, influencer marketing relies heavily on interaction, trust, and relationship building. The closeness between Internet users and influencers they follow can be used to your advantage, as targeting is assured and it helps facilitate the positive perception of your message. 

Which influencer for your event? 

In the burgeoning world of influencers, there are different types of content creators who are classified by 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 professional athletes, with more than 500,000 subscribers, a large reach and visibility, but low engagement 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/her online reputation reflect how I want others to perceive my event?" 

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's important to do your homework before choosing to go into business with an influencer. Influencer marketing needs to be well thought out because if your strategy is not thoroughly planned out ahead of time, you could find yourself facing negative media fallout. Not all press is good press. 

📝 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 day of the event, the influencer 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 human beings, so 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 is important during your collaboration, as well as giving the influencer creative freedom if you want to establish a healthy and sustainable partnership that respects your values. 

Be aware that an influencer who mass produces content and accepts too many partnerships may not provide the best quality content, which could risk affecting your credibility and authenticity. Some influencers also collaborate with competing brands. To protect your brand, we advise you to draw up a brand-influencer contract and consult an influencer 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/her own niche in the market. An influencer’s personal touch is what gained them an audience that relates to them in one way or another. 

This experience vector will allow you to amplify the reach of your event by creating a wider net of coverage to previously ignored segments. Expanding your audience through influencer marketing also converts participants to 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/her audience and tools by heart. Listen to and place trust in your influencer! 💪 

No matter the format of your event, don't wait to boost your audience, create lasting buzz, and take advantage of the persuasive power of web opinion leaders?

Conclusion 

In our ultra-connected society, it’s important to use as many means as possible to create awareness for your event. 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 is directly impacted by the communication used to promote it. The future of event communication was brought into question during the pandemic, but the increasing popularity of influencer marketing has given event professionals a new means to modernize their event promotion. 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? 🏆