Leveraging Influencer Marketing for Authentic Brand Engagement + Growth
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The saying “People like to do business with those they trust” rings truer than ever today. More brands are leveraging the trust that influencers and content creators build with their audiences, creating opportunities for authentic engagement and enhanced brand credibility.
The impact and return on investment (ROI) speak for itself:
- Projected to grow at a 32.4% annual rate through 2026.
- Brands are seeing an average return of $5.78 for every $1 spent.
- 80% of consumers say they made a purchase last year based on an influencer’s recommendation.
Source: Scoop Market US. Influencer Marketing Statistics.
As the influencer marketing industry evolves and gains momentum, so do the strategies that drive successful campaigns.
It’s Not Just About Numbers
The industry is seeing significant changes that reflect a deeper understanding of what truly resonates with audiences and drives engagement:
Content Evolution: There’s been a shift from highly produced content to more authentic, “in-the-moment” posts. This change aligns with consumers’ desire for genuine, relatable content that feels less like traditional advertising and more like peer recommendations.
Influencer Selection: The industry is moving away from collaborating exclusively with mega influencers (millions of followers) to embracing micro influencers (typically 10k-100k followers). This pivot is driven by the recognition that micro influencers often have higher engagement rates and stronger trust with their audience, despite their smaller follower count.
These shifts underscore a broader trend in influencer marketing: the prioritization of authenticity and meaningful connections. So, where and how can an influencer marketing strategy be integrated with traditional channels?
Where Influencers Fit in the Comms Ecosystem
Integrating influencer marketing into the traditional PESO (Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned) model can be seamless as it can overlap multiple areas. At Dalton, we find this strategy to be a truly integrated component in the communications ecosystem. Here’s why:
- Paid Media: Influencers are often compensated for their agreed upon deliverables and promotion.
- Earned Media: Influencers can generate organic engagement, build credibility and enhance brand reputation–key elements that PR and comms teams also focus on.
- Shared and Owned Media: The most impactful influencer campaigns allow the brand to leverage the user generated content across shared and owned channels to amplify and maximize the collaboration.
Influencer marketing stands apart from traditional advertising by leveraging authentic endorsements rather than direct promotional messaging. Influencers are also becoming more discerning in their brand partnerships, carefully evaluating how a brand’s values, attributes and products or experiences align with their personal brand and resonate with their audience.
One of the key strengths of influencer marketing is its ability to create unique synergies by amplifying content across other channels. Leveraging owned media—such as social media, websites, and email newsletters—to repost or feature influencer content can boost visibility and craft a cohesive brand narrative across multiple touchpoints.
Our Approach
At Dalton, we take a structured and strategic approach to influencer marketing to ensure impactful, successful campaigns. Here’s a brief look at how we manage the process:
- Strategy Development:
- Goals + Objectives: We start by setting clear campaign goals aligned with success metrics and client budget.
- Discovery + Qualification:
- Criteria: We evaluate influencers by assessing follower authenticity, content alignment and how well their audience matches our client’s target demographic.
- Client Alignment: We involve clients in the selection process to select the most suitable influencer profiles.
- Campaign Planning + Creative Support:
- Content Creation: Influencers are given creative freedom while ensuring alignment with key messaging. We review content for accuracy without changing the influencer’s unique voice.
- Materials Prepared: We provide creator briefs outlining campaign details and customize contracts or itineraries.
- Performance Monitoring
- Publishing: Campaigns generally run for two weeks to maximize engagement, with ongoing performance monitoring.
- Optimizations: We make adjustments as needed and collaborate with influencers to provide clients with recommendations.
- Analyses + Reporting:
- We utilize influencer management tools to combine influencer and agency data, delivering comprehensive wrap-up reports to clients.
How We Measure Success
We evaluate metrics across three key areas to ensure our campaigns achieve both immediate objectives and contribute to long-term brand growth:
Brand Awareness: We track impressions, engagement (cost per engagement), and views (cost per view) to measure how well the campaign raises brand visibility.
Conversion: Metrics like click-through rates, bookings, purchases, code redemptions and website visits show how effectively the campaign drives actionable results.
Long-Term Relationships: We prioritize ongoing partnerships with influencers to build sustained benefits and gather valuable content over time.
Curious about whether influencer marketing is the right fit for your brand or business? Now is the time to explore how authentic connections with influencers can amplify your message, build trust, and drive measurable results.