Transforming Music Into Influence (Original Publish Date September 9, 2020)
- Erin Davis
- Aug 4, 2022
- 6 min read
Before participating in the Influencer Marketing hub, here are all the fundamental questions to consider.
It has been a while since I dropped some marketing gems on here, and I apologize for the absence of pushing our hip-hop culture forward! I will go into depth about my eventful life and summer struggles later.
For now, my music friends, I want to address the beauties of influencer marketing and how to integrate this into your plans for getting more music exposure.
Question: What is an influencer?
Answer: Influences have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of their
followers. Their impact exhibits authority, knowledge, position, or relationship with their audience. Influencers provide a following in a distinct niche with whom they actively engage. The following size depends on the size of the topic of the place.
Remember: Influencers are not merely marketing tools but a social relationship asset with which brands can collaborate to achieve their marketing objectives.
Question: What are the different types of influencers?
Answer: Here are a few achievable influences you can tackle while pursuing your music.
Vloggers and Bloggers
Vloggers: I have extensively researched how YouTubers make their money. If you play it right, Youtube is a gold mine because it is all about how many ads you can expose during your video. The more ad exposure, the more you get paid, essentially. However, making this happen can be trivial as viewers must stay engaged for a certain number of seconds into your video for the ad to put a coin in your account. This can be as simple as showing snippets of your daily life to extreme travel videos. A newer trend I found was #storytime. Storytime is a segment where vloggers tell a story about something that happened in their life. While telling their story, they are sure to be comical and deliver learning lessons your audience could take away from your rant.
Here is an example of the rap star Saweetie and how she has transformed the idea of vlogging, making this her tv show.
Bloggers: This is more of what I am doing now as a DJ. However, for this to be successful, people have to want to engage in your posts and give you the stamp of providing trusted sources of information. People look to your content for recommendations, compelling them to try the same. As a music artist, becoming a vlogger and blogger is a highly effective way of renewing your content strategy. It is also an effective way to boost brand awareness and generate leads for your business. Take your music outside the music industry, allowing it to bring influence to other industries such as travel, marketing, fashion, and lifestyle.
Social Media Sensations
This is the second most recognized way to draw your niche. However, I believe this is the only answer to getting your content out there for some. This has influenced many people to buy fake followers and things of that nature, knowing the consequences are more detrimental than we notice. Being a social media star is more than just having a large number of followers; it is about the number of people engaging in your content. Suppose you have 10k followers and only 100 likes. In that case, I, along with any other brand looking for an influencer, will notice, causing them to steer away from possibly making a money deal with you.
Real social media stars do not rely on blogs or video content to keep their audience engaged. Instead, they share glimpses of their regular lives and forge a strong rapport with their followers. Some people have garnered popularity solely based on their social media presence.
Social media stars have the power to influence purchase decisions. This is because influencers often have more personal connections with their followers. They are perceived as real-life consumers instead of high-profile celebrities. SM stars are often highly engaged and have faith in their recommendations. As an artist, you will quickly see residual income with a large social media following. However, gaining that following has to be as organic as possible to see the numbers you want.
Here is an example of Travis Scott and his music push with McDonald's with the new Cactus Jack Meal. This is huge for a rap artist to get this kind of opportunity, allowing his music to penetrate every American home that consumes Mickey D's.
Micro-influencers: This kind of Influencer usually has a few hundred thousand or even a smaller number of followers. Either way, they have incredibly engaged fan communities about a highly specified niche. Therefore, they can motivate their followers to take the desired action due to their influence. This enables them to drive their audience towards a particular brand without seeming overly promotional.
Nano-influencers: A rising demand for influencers has forced businesses to look for new and unique types of social media influencers. This has created the rise of nano-influencers.
Like micro-influencers, they are characterized by a small yet engaged social media following. Nano-influencers usually have a few thousand followers (sometimes less than that).
What truly sets them apart is that they are usually devoted fans of a particular brand or product. They are likely to be vocal about this on their social media profiles. The right incentive can encourage them to become loyal advocates of your brand and recommend it in their networks. Their followers will also perceive this information as an authentic testimonial instead of a branded endorsement.
From my experience as a DJ, I have gotten offers and continue to get some with just my 1.3K followers. However, the most exciting was my partnership with The Real Nightfood. Nightfood was a sleep & nourishing formulated ice cream that is sleep-friendly and a safe choice for pregnant women. They emailed me an offer to send me free ice cream and, in exchange, posted about the product on my social media page.
Due to my engagement, they offered me a position as a brand ambassador, allowing me to get paid for each ice cream I sell. So, the possibilities are endless, and you do not need a million followers to do so!
Here is an example of my nano-influence at work.
Activists: Social media activists are usually driven by a political or social cause. Their vision is to introduce some positive change by influencing others. They often have radical views on current issues and use social media as their primary platform to voice their opinions. For example, suppose you are a musician making music influenced by today's social climate. In that case, adding this to your mission is fantastic, allowing you to expand on other issues such as sustainability, ethical fashion, and body positivity.
Here is an example of how Lil Baby uses his platform to showcase the hardships of police brutality.
Question: How is an Influencer Different from a Brand Ambassador?
Answer: As I mentioned earlier, I was offered a position as a brand ambassador for The Real Nightfood, a step up from being just an influencer. Moreover, you may be wondering, Kitty, what is the difference between the two? Although influencers and brand ambassadors partner with your brand to promote it, brand ambassador partnerships tend to be longer. Influencer marketing campaigns can be short-term ones and maybe one-off campaigns too. However, brand ambassadors are more integrated into the brand's marketing strategy, and they might even become the face of the brand.
While influencers may be paid a fixed fee for a particular campaign, brand ambassadors might get paid on a retainer basis. In addition, many pay brand ambassadors a specific commission for every sale they drive.
Questions: What factors should I know when wanting to be selected as a company's Influencer?
Answer: Here are the five most important things a company wants from you for them to consider business.
Engagement Rate is the most critical metric businesses consider when selecting an influencer. Suppose the social media influencer has a massive number of followers but has a meager engagement rate. In that case, it may not benefit your brand.
Reach: Companies also look at an influencer's reach. This shows them the number of unique people you can potentially reach. This is essentially the number of followers that the social media influencer has. The higher the number, the better it is for your brand.
Quality of Engagement: Companies that look at the Influencer's average social media engagement rate matter; you must also check the quality of their engagement. Most companies will choose to review comments on your social posts. They will check to see if they are of any value and can drive the conversation.
Influencer values: When companies decide to partner with an influencer, they want to make sure that this individual is a good representation of their brand. Additionally, suppose the Influencer shares the same values. In that case, the partnership between the two will be filled with passion, motivation, and a drive to grow your brand.
Target Audience Demographic: Companies will consider another important factor when considering their findings: their target audience. The target audience of the social Influencer must match the target market.
Voice: When companies partner with an influencer, companies find it essential to check their voice. Your agent must be similar to that of the company's brand. The Influencer is viewed as an extension of the company's brand. The Influencer's voice reflects their personality, so it is crucial to check it.
Final Thoughts
I highly recommend joining the influencer marketing hub for any independent artist looking to expand their market, helping to spread awareness and grow your wallet. However, make sure that you accept an influencer gig to work in favor of the company's brand image.
Are you a current independent artist working with brands right now? Tell us about your experience in the comments below!
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