By Zach Beatty, Customer Growth Marketing Lead
As technologies and regulatory policies have evolved, there have been fundamental changes to the data marketers have to work with for advertising and measurement.
As a result, across the industry, digital advertisers have found that it may be more challenging to drive performance and that attribution is becoming increasingly complex.
Today, many advertisers are relying on broader ad targeting and the power of machine learning to help them reach new customers. Consumers are also likely to build relationships with brands when they feel personally connected to them—so it shouldn’t be a surprise that creators can play a crucial role in reaching new audiences.
Not only can creators help your brand reach new audiences, but they may also drive consumer action—the “Discovery-Led Shopping Study” by GFK in 2020 found that 58% of consumers surveyed bought a new product in the prior six months because of a creator’s recommendation
In Meta’s webinar series “Marketing Strategies for the New Era of Advertising,” I sat down with colleagues from Meta Creative Shop, partner solutions and Meta Business Partners to uncover how brands can build a successful creator strategy for their businesses. Here are three key insights that can help you get started.
Similar to how your marketing team tailors creative and messaging to drive specific outcomes, it is essential to align your work with creators to these same objectives. For example, if you are looking to refresh your brand or expand your audience, choose a creator that your new audience can relate to, as creators can help build a bridge to this new set of customers.
Or, if your objective is to drive sales of a new product, you could pick a creator that can bring excitement and entertainment value to what you are selling. And as a final example, if you are looking to make your brand or a complex product more relatable, look for a creator whose superpower is explaining things in simple, clear terms or is a subject matter expert in the category.
When building a creator strategy, don’t shy away from creators with fewer followers. Research has shown that large follower sizes don’t necessarily lead to higher conversions.
What’s more important is finding a creator who can collaborate with you to build inspiring content. In the “Impact of influencer marketing on brand building and shopping” study conducted by YouGov, 40% of respondents in the U.S. stated they followed a mix of both social media stars and micro-creators.
Brands should plan to extend the reach of their creator’s content as part of their media strategy. In addition to reaching the creator’s own audience, brands should consider integrating the creator’s content into their other paid media channels.
Meta’s branded content ads are a powerful conversion tool for creator content that can drive incremental results. Meta research across 15 advertiser tests in multiple verticals from June 2021 to January 2022 across the Norther American and APAC regions showed that adding branded content ads to a brand’s “business as usual” direct response campaigns drove a 19% reduction in cost per acquisitions (CPAs).
Creators can play a crucial role in driving performance and can be used across the entire consumer journey. As you explore how creators can fit into your marketing strategy, these considerations can help you get your program off to the right start.
How Hybrid Shopping Is Shaping the 2022 Holiday Season
By Karin Tracy, Head of Industry, Retail, Fashion and Luxury , Meta
3 Reels Creators Share the Essentials of Short-Form Video
By Calvin Yu, Industry Manager, Entertainment, Meta
4 Ways Entertainment Brands Can Reach Gen Z
By Molly Austin, Client Insights Lead, Entertainment, Meta, Meta
For Travel Brands, Customer Loyalty Is Up for Grabs
By Colleen Coulter, Director, Travel Head of Industry, Meta
Make Your Business Resilient With First-Party Data
By Hailey Miller, Customer Growth Manager, Meta
Instagram Brings Together Creators and Creative Agencies to Empower Women-Owned Businesses With Reels
By Crystal Morrison-Graham, Agency Marketing Manager, Meta
Ad Innovation That Connects CPG Brands to Customers
By Meghan Kinslow, Director, Consumer Packaged Goods, Meta
Local Businesses Need to Optimize Their Digital Marketing, Too
By Todd Glavinskas, Director, Local Enterprise Solutions, Meta
Have You Taken Your First Step Toward the Metaverse?
By Stacy Malone, Director, North America Marketing, Meta
4 Ways to Reach New Audiences With Cross-Border Business
By Clément Schvartz, Head of Mid-Market Sales, Meta
Automotive Marketing Today Is All About Finding Opportunity in the Known Unknowns
By Kim Stonehouse, Head of Automotive, Meta
3 Ways to Build Brand Love by Elevating Small Businesses
By Jim Therkalsen, Creative Lead, Financial Services, Meta
3 Reasons Why Live Shopping Is Transforming Digital Commerce
By Kat Akbari, Industry Director for Ecommerce, Meta
Creator Karen X Shares Her Secret to Successful Brand Partnerships
By Guia Golden, Instagram Business Marketing Lead, North America, Meta
3 Marketing Tactics That Local Businesses Can Adopt to Drive Profitability
By Bob Lanham, Head of Automotive Retail, Meta
5 Mindset Shifts for a Privacy-Focused Marketing Era
By Zach Beatty, Customer Growth Marketing Lead, Meta
5 Reasons to Use Branded Content on Social Media to Connect With Customers
By Joe Pospisil, Industry Manager, Entertainment , Meta
What’s Holding the Industry Back From More Inclusive Advertising? A Conversation with Deloitte’s Nicole Patterson
By Katherine Shappley, VP Mid-Sized Business, Global Business Group North America, Meta
3 Ways a Growth Mindset Can Unlock Your Team’s Potential
By Stacy Malone, Director, North America Marketing, Meta
Why Digital Video and Influencers Are Shaking Up Travel Marketing
By Sanjay Bhatia, Industry Manager, Travel, Meta
Petco Reveals the Creative Video Tips That Helped It Achieve a Big Impact
By Alicia LeBeouf, Head of Industry, Retail, Superstores & Grocery, Meta
What’s Next for Media Measurement in an Evolving Advertising Ecosystem
By Brittany Swanson, Marketing Manager, Measurement Solutions, Meta
Launching Health Brands With Facebook
By Jenny Streets, Head of Industry, Health, Meta
Forward-Thinking Marketers Know That More Viewing Options Means Happier Movie Fans
By Alison Smith, Industry Manager, Entertainment, Meta
Are You Able to Accommodate the New Shopper Mindset?
By Mariel Poole, Industry Manager, Retail, Meta
How Can Brands and Retailers Prepare for the 2021 Holiday Season?
By Alicia LeBeouf, Head of Industry, Retail, Superstores & Grocery, Meta
Helping Protect Brands and People From Problematic Content Online
By Ram Ramanathan, Director, AI Product Management Team, Meta
Webex and GoDaddy CMOs Share How They Build Genuine Connections Through Emotional Storytelling
By Julie Cullinane, B2B Industry Manager, Meta
6 Tips to Help Women Break Into the Boardroom
By Michelle Klein, VP Global Customer Marketing , Meta
As People Turn to Digital Spaces to Connect, Video Viewership Rises and Brand Opportunities Increase
By Katrina Craigwell, Director of Brand Solutions Marketing, Meta
What Would Your Media Strategy Look Like If Your Company Was Founded Today?
By Brad Auerbach, Head of Industry, Insurance, Meta
A Digital-First Mindset Positioned Liberty Mutual as an Industry Leader for Customer Experience
By Brandon Guishard, Customer Growth Consulting Lead, Meta
10 Ways Your Brand Can Help Women Thrive By Driving Inclusive Representation
By Michelle Klein, VP Global Customer Marketing , Meta
How Instagram Brought Black Creatives and Small Businesses Together to Collaborate on Visual Storytelling
By Guia Golden, Instagram Business Marketing Lead, North America, Meta
Rebuilding the Economy With DEI at the Core: A Conversation With ADCOLOR’s Tiffany R. Warren
By Arielle Gross Samuels, Head of Global Business Strategy and Engagement, Meta
Lessons From the Entertainment Industry to Help Marketers Succeed in 2021
By Shannon Snow, Head of Industry for Entertainment , Meta
How Business Leaders Can Champion Equity and Inclusion: A Conversation With AT&T’s Anne Chow
By Crystal Worthem, Global Director of Client and Agency Marketing, Meta
What National Franchises Are Doing to Help Local SMBs Find Their Digital Advertising Footing
By Keith Watts, Head of Industry, Real Estate, Meta
3 Future-Proof Marketing Strategies to Help Cable and Internet Companies Thrive
By Megan Carnes Fazzari, Industry Manager, Mobile & Connectivity, Meta
4 Value-Based Marketing Lessons Inspired by a Delivery App
By Ian Simons, Head of Industry, Ecommerce, Meta
3 Ways CPGs Can Grow Market Share, Meet Customer Needs and Share Their Story
By Edlynne Laryea, Director, Head of Industry, Consumer Packaged Goods, Meta
Underrepresentation and Misrepresentation Have No Place in Advertising Today—Insights from the Geena Davis Institute’s CEO
By Fernanda Alcantara, Marketing Science Researcher—Creative Shop, Meta
It’s Time for Automotive Marketers to Accelerate Their Digital Transformations
By Kim Stonehouse, Head of Automotive, Meta
How Authenticity Can Help Brands Connect With Consumers This Holiday Season
By Anjali Martin, North America Business Marketing Lead, Meta
3 Tips to Help Pivot Your Marketing Strategy Right Now
By Amy Brooks, Director or Business Education, Global Business Marketing, Meta
Reinventing Restaurants With Digital Commerce
By Katie Stratton, Head of Industry for U.S. Restaurants, Meta
Building Strategic Partnerships for Today’s Marketing Challenges
By Nerissa MacDonald, Head of Partner Solutions, Meta
3 Ways Your Brand Can Stand Out This (Unusual) Holiday Season
By Thomas Shim, Creative Strategist—Creative Shop, Meta
Device Use Is Soaring, But Are You Removing Friction From Your Mobile Experiences?
By Brandon Guishard, Customer Growth Consulting Lead, Meta
4 Ways to Evolve Your Brand for the Ecommerce Boom
By Ian Simons, Head of Industry, Ecommerce, Meta
Small Businesses Are Struggling but Remain Hopeful, New Facebook Research Finds
By Laura McGorman, Policy Lead, Data for Good, Meta
3 Ways Small Business Can Band Together With Big Businesses to Lift Up Communities
By Rich Rao, VP, Small Business, Meta
The Way Forward for Telecoms
By Stephanie Latham, Director, Head of Industry for Technology, Mobile and Connectivity, Meta
The Streaming Marketer’s Roadmap to Profitability
By James Smith, Head of Industry for Entertainment, Meta
Covid-19 Has Created a Huge Opportunity in Video
By Jennifer Howard, VP of Entertainment, Technology and Connectivity, Meta
3 Ways Virtual Events Build Stronger Communities
By Stephanie Latham, Director, Head of Industry for Technology, Mobile and Connectivity, Meta
How Brands Will Need to Rethink Holiday Planning as They Navigate the New Abnormal
By Eva Press, VP, Consumer Packaged Goods, Retail, and Health Care, Meta
Building Relationships With Mobile—What Your Customers Need From You During Covid-19
By Katherine Shappley, VP Mid-Sized Business, Global Business Group North America, Meta
What Using Tech for Good—as One Community—Looks Like
By Stephanie Latham, Director, Head of Industry for Technology, Mobile and Connectivity, Meta
Adweek is the leading source of news and insight serving the brand marketing ecosystem.