Innovative Approaches to Influencer Collaboration

Influencer marketing is known as one of the biggest ever-evolving industries, and with that comes the need for innovation. While traditional strategies for campaigns continue to be successful, the need for new approaches is beginning to become important. The exciting thing about influencer marketing is that the possibilities are endless for new strategies because it is a highly collaborative and creative field. As technology grows and becomes more accessible, new tools will be increasingly useful for campaign strategies. Brands will have the ability to implement augmented reality, virtual reality, AI, and more into their strategies.

Augmented Reality Experiences: A New Avenue for Co-Creation

I’m sure you’ve heard of the term augmented reality, but what does it actually mean? Augmented reality (AR) brings together the digital and the physical worlds to create interactive experiences. AR gained its popularity through the gaming and entertainment industries, but it is quickly gaining traction in other fields including marketing because it provides real-time interactive experiences. Since this technology creates accurate 3D objects in real and artificial environments, marketers can use this technology to host virtual product releases. Audiences can try on clothes through AR, see how furniture will look in their spaces through the combination of virtual and physical spaces, or experience more interaction with brands through QR codes. As the technology continues to grow, it is becoming more accessible for brands to use as the cost has consistently decreased over time. For example, Snapchat has released Lens Studio which allows creators to build their own AR experiences. This allows for influencers and content creators to create unique experiences for their audiences, boosting follower engagement. Influencity reports that AR can lead to increased brand awareness and engagement, as well as the ability to reach wider audiences. 

AR technology enables brands to have highly collaborative campaigns with their influencers through co-creation. Designing experiences for brand immersion with products or services, allows audiences to interact directly with the brand and the representative influencer. For health and wellness brands, this could include live product endorsements or practicing techniques together in an immersive space. 

According to Three Kit, only 1% of retailers are using AR for their strategy but 61% of consumers report that they prefer to work with brands that implement AR. Audiences are excited about this new technology and if you want to be at the forefront of innovative collaboration with your campaigns, AR is an avenue to explore in experiential marketing.

AI Will Continue to Grow in Content Creation

Continuing off of growing technology, AI has come a long way in entering not only influencer marketing strategies, but daily life. AI has already revolutionized influencer marketing through tools like Chat GPT for building briefs and programs that search for the right influencers for your campaign, but analysts predict this is only the beginning. According to Digital Defynd, by 2030, AI-powered influencer marketing platforms will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 35%. This is because AI can help brands identify the right influencer for their campaign, predict campaign results, and help optimize content for engagement. While many companies are already using AI for influencer selection, it is still anticipated that AI use will grow significantly in the next few years. 

With worries about AI replacing creative processes, it has been found that AI can assist in content creation without taking over the creative side of influencer marketing. Using the tool to find specific videos that would normally take hours to find, helps campaign cost-effectiveness while also finding the best imagery to represent the brand. Influencers won’t have to spend so much time in the editing or researching stages because of AI tools that help streamline the process. Brands can also use AI to help predict how the content will perform before the campaign goes live, allowing them to provide immediate feedback to the influencer to ensure the best outcome. This allows for a thorough and highly collaborative process but with less time and effort. Consider using an AI tool in your next campaign to hop on the latest trend within influencer marketing.

Co-Create Content: Collaborate Directly with Your Influencers

While it can be scary to put creative control into influencers, allowing creative freedom in campaigns can result in some of the best content. Letting go of all creative control and giving some to the influencers is called co-creation and it is one of the most popular forms of collaboration in the industry right now. This strategy helps the content to feel natural and engaging because the influencer can voice what they think their audience will connect to the most with the product or service. In a survey by Bulbshare, 86% of consumers felt that brands who co-create with their influencers were more trustworthy. 

When influencers are given creator freedom, it shows to consumers that the brand doesn’t feel like they have to shape the narrative of their product or service because it is just that good. If a brand is too heavily involved in the representation of its product through influencer marketing, audiences can feel skeptical about the quality of the product. Genuine endorsements and collaborations are where follower trust is built. As you build out your next influencer marketing campaign, consider bringing your influencer into the creative process for a more authentic experience.

At the center of innovative influencer collaboration is authenticity, so whether you decide to explore AR, AI, or co-creation, keeping genuine content creation at the core is what will help your brand stand out. Here at CEG, we only work with authentic brands with a mission-driven purpose. Reach out today to learn innovative ways to continue authenticity in your influencer marketing campaigns.