Inclusive Influencer Campaigns: How Brands are Connecting With Diverse Audiences

With sponsored content expected to hit more than $9.29 billion in the U.S. alone by 2025, according to eMarketer, t’s safe to say that influencer marketing isn’t going away anytime soon. Influencer campaigns have enabled brands to forge connections with diverse audiences that might have been otherwise out of reach. As the industry evolves, the importance of inclusive influencer campaigns continues to grow. This post explores the strategies brands are using to engage and connect with a wide array of audiences.

Why diversity matters

Initiatives seeking to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have recently been under fire by conservative politicians. These critics claim that inclusive policies favor women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people over “better qualified” candidates in the workforce and higher education. The reality, however, is that the opposite is true. In fact, research shows that not only does representation matter to consumers, but also diversity and inclusion are essential to business success.

When it comes to influencer marketing, the inclusion of people from various ethnicities, abilities, cultures, ages, genders, body types, hair types, and backgrounds isn’t just about making consumers feel “seen,” although 40% of internet users do want brands to feature diverse representation of individuals in ads, according to Integral Ad Science. It’s also about creating campaigns and choosing content creators who are authentic, relatable, and aligned with the values of your brand and its diverse audiences.

Incorporating diversity into your influencer marketing efforts can increase trust and brand loyalty, strengthen your brand’s reputation, broaden your reach, and grow your company with a broader swatch of perspectives and experiences. 

Whether you’re addressing historical underrepresentation in the media, educating your audiences on different cultural traditions, or showcasing collaborative storytelling in other languages, focus on authenticity and let your influencers take the lead based on their lived experience.

Examples of inclusive influencer campaigns

Check out these inclusive influencer campaigns that helped brands connect with diverse audiences, build their fan base, and improve their ROI:

Airbnb’s partnership with Paralympians to offer accessible accommodations during the Games featured the athletes as influencers on their own social media channels. Here’s a paid partnership video with Matt Stutzman, who goes by the handle “ArmlessArcher” on Instagram, promoting the brand while he enjoys a Parisian croissant. 

Sustainably and ethically sourced outdoor toy company TPTops gifted a build-it-yourself playhouse to Doug and Sanjay, a.k.a. “The Traveling Gays,” who have three young children. The happily married influencers captured the creation process in this video for their 345K Instagram followers.

Natural hair influencer Sudani, who goes by the handle @TheeSudani for her 2 million TikTok followers, shared this video of multiple hairstyles she was able to create using My Black is Beautiful Products. From twists and Afro puffs to Bantu knots, Sudani showcased the range of applications that the sponsored product could be used for with creativity, skill, and knowledge.

Choosing influencers

For your campaigns to truly resonate with consumers, you need to see your influencers as more than one-dimensional mouthpieces to promote your products or services. Simply seeking out marginalized voices to be the face of your brand because they’re gay, Asian, or have a disability, for example, is nothing more than performative marketing. 

Instead, look for content creators who work to amplify the voices of their communities, align with your brand values, and engage with the diverse audiences with whom you seek to connect. Consumers who trust the opinions of influencers they follow are more likely to engage with a brand they recommend and if there’s representation from their community in the content itself, even better.

 Where can you find influencers to connect you with diverse audiences? One way is to look at your brand advocates or followers and do some social listening to find fans who already “talk up” your products online. You can also search for hashtags—such as #LatinaInfluencer or #GayTravel—on your preferred platforms to find creators who might fit the bill.

You may also want to consider using an influencer database to find and hire influencers who meet your specific criteria. IZEA.com, for example, allows you to search for content creators based on a variety of criteria, including follower count, location, demographics, price, platform, and more. Brands can also create a casting call to have creators pitch themselves through a direct relationship with no transaction fees.

For full-service influencer campaign management, reach out to our team to connect with creators who can help you reach diverse communities.