Home and Away — Appealing to a Global Market

A global appeal, like meeting that bottom line, is something all brands dream of achieving. Developing an international presence means a wider audience to tell your brand story to, and a greater potential for generating qualified leads. But how does a brand achieve global outreach and appeal? 

A growing trend is via the use of influencers. 

Social media has no real borders. It has grown to become one of the most popular avenues available for a brand to engage with a global audience, particularly via the use of influencers. However, there are some vital considerations a brand has to make before collaborating with social media influencers. 

More than just a celebrity 

Influencers with a strong core audience and active engagement are ideal suitors for brand collaborations. A countless number of micro and macro influencers exist today, and choosing the right match for your brand can be overwhelming. The core driving force behind your decision should be choosing the influencer with the right reach into the right market you’re looking for. Another important consideration is that the influencer your brand collaborates with shares the same brand values. Choosing the right influencer/brand collaboration with builds brand credibility and customer loyalty. Conversely, choosing the wrong one can have the opposite effect. 

Influencers, true to their name, influence their audience. While celebrities have their fair share of clout to throw around, an influencer’s individual brand and income are defined by their audience’s trust and loyalty. Celebrities tend to get slaps on the wrist when partnering with questionable brands, whereas influencers could take a hit to their livelihood. This represents the marked difference between the two. 

Influencers tend to take their values seriously. Finding the one to match your brand’s values leads to customer trust. In turn, said trust translates into leads or sales when embarking on a partnership. 

A global reach = global credibility 

Celebrity influencers, for example, have a reach that spans beyond a singular segment of audiences. Due to the combination of their offline and online fame, many of them carry their own personal brands across their social media. Crossing social media platforms can be a tricky feat for brands, but with the right influencer to collaborate with, it can be a breeze. Some clear examples can be seen between the ever-growing community of YouTubers and the brand Audible.com. 

Audible is an online platform that creates and compiles spoken audio entertainment. In other words, a purveyor of audiobooks. Within the last five years, Audible has invested a substantial amount of focus on sponsoring YouTubers with some of the highest engagement and audiences. From the likes of YouTube let’s player PewDiePie to names like Rhett and Link from Good Mythical Morning, Grace Helbig from itsgrace, and The Game Theorists, Audible took no chances with broadening their reach across a vast range of audiences. 

Establishing a win-win relationship 

Influencers have become this generation’s reliable source of information. Establishing a relationship with the right influencer can prove beneficial for both parties. They are just as invested in their brand trust as you are. Better known as Grav3yardgirl on YouTube and “Swamp Queen” by her fans, Bunny Meyer has made a name for herself with her quirky assortment of YouTube videos. The range includes makeup tutorials, ghost stories, and a series of her testing products called ‘Does This Thing Really Work?’.  

Bunny’s YouTube channel amassed over a billion views collectively. Talk about reach. 

When developing a marketing campaign and partnership, focus on ones that boost both your business’ and the influencer’s engagement and lead qualifications. From there, customer loyalty should follow, and in turn, you will both get the results you desire. 

Bunny, for example, collaborated with cosmetic brand Tarte to release a collection of palettes called Swamp Queen. It released in Sephora, and fans flocked to their nearest branches to purchase it. The line rapidly sold out, but Tarte’s credibility with its newfound audience did not. 

Get the right message across 

No matter which celebrity or influencer your brand partners with, the vital part is getting the right message across. Being aligned with your campaign message and the target audience you’re aiming at decides the success or failure of the campaign and collaboration as a whole. An influencer endorsement can get the ball rolling, but it’s your brand’s responsibility to keep the conversation going.