Influencer Marketing Technology Solution: What You Need Before You Choose

By 2025, an estimated 86% of marketers will work with influencers to promote their brand and product. Influencer marketing has quickly gained steam, jumping from 64% of marketers utilizing influencer marketing in 2020 to 82% in 2024, according to eMarketer.

As more marketers connect with creators and launch collaborations, the need for technological support in this arena has increased. Marketers and agencies now use influencer marketing technology solutions to find influencers faster, streamline campaigns, and enhance reporting. 

The importance of influencer marketing

Influencers provide authentic promotions that resonate with customers. Consumers are tired of sales pitches and incessant ads, but customers listen when an influencer touts a product or shares an experience. 

They see an influencer’s recommendations as those of a friend, not a company worried about its bottom line. Influencer marketing provides a level of authenticity that can’t be matched. 

Influencer marketing can also: 

• Introduce your product to a new audience
• Drive brand awareness and social engagement
• Increase sales
• Reduce dependence on costly digital ads

Is an influencer marketing solution right for your brand? 

An influencer marketing solution can help many brands, but it’s usually best for companies that commit to long-term influencer collaborations. Take a look at these common signs that an influencer platform is ideal for your organization:

Limited resources 

Today’s digital marketing teams juggle many tasks, and influencer marketing, while effective, takes time. From finding social media influencers and creating briefs to reviewing content and monitoring metrics, collaborations can tap already stressed resources. 

Influencer marketing technology solutions can help you find and vet creators, provide access to AI-generated briefs, and offer a robust dashboard to track your success. 

Trouble quantifying ROI

It’s not uncommon for marketers to struggle with quantifying ROI on influencer collaborations. While many set goals and identify KPIs to gauge success, it’s not the same as quantifying ROI. With an influencer marketing platform like IZEA Flex, which powers our Managed Services team’s efforts, you’ll get reporting on your campaign’s performance.

Piecemeal campaigns

How many different tools do you currently use to manage influencers? Some marketers tap into spreadsheets, legal sites to pull contracts, shared folders to collect content, payment platforms to compensate influencers — the list goes on. Rather than piecemeal campaigns, an influencer marketing platform keeps everything in one place. Campaigns are managed in one platform from concept to completion. Using Flex helps our team more efficiently manage our efforts.

Complex collaborations

Some brands are influencer marketing veterans who have developed complex campaigns. For example, more prominent brands might deploy a team of influencers across multiple countries, which means your team must coordinate content creation in different time zones and languages. 

Features to look for in influencer marketing technology solutions

You’ll have your pick of dozens of influencer marketing solutions, and each will differ in its features. As you begin your research, think about the features you want, which will likely include: 

Influencer discovery tools

You need the ability to search a vast database of influencers and narrow your search with advanced filters like location, follower count, and social platform. Beyond the initial search, you must evaluate creator profiles that provide collab examples, KPIs like engagement rates, and contact information. Our Managed Services clients, on the other hand, can let IZEA handle the influencer discovery, leaving them to focus on their other efforts.

Customizable contracts

Every influencer you work with should sign a contract before exchanging content. Your influencer marketing solution should have ready-made contracts that you can view, edit, sign, and store on the platform. 

Tracking links

An influencer platform should provide unique tracking links to bolster tracking. Ideally, you also have access to a link shortener and UTM parameters. 

Easy payments

You shouldn’t pay influencers through a hodgepodge of payment processors, paper checks, and free products. IZEA handles payments for Managed Service clients easily and efficiently.

How to choose the right influencer marketing solution

1. Understand your business needs. Consider how you currently utilize influencer marketing, how you plan to use it, and what goals you want to accomplish.
2. List your must-have features. Prioritize your list so you can make decisions faster. 
3. Allocate a budget. Compare costs and weigh the affordability of platforms like IZEA Flex compared to the features it offers. 
4. Collect feedback. Ask your team to weigh the pros and cons of each solution and make a united decision. 
5. Select a winner and implement it. Once selected, take the time to train your team on its uses and delegate responsibilities. 

Future trends in influencer marketing

As with many marketing tactics, influencer marketing evolves quickly. To better track online marketing trends, here are our predictions for trends to watch for:

AI assistants will provide more support

Expect AI in influencer marketing to grow, particularly AI assistants who can manage tasks for you and your team. IZEA recently introduced its AI assistant, IZZY. 

Long-term relationships will be favored

As brands incorporate influencer campaigns into their regular marketing routine, they’ll lean into long-term relationships over one-off collaborations. By doing so, brands will build a stronger connection with influencers and develop consistency through numerous campaigns. 

Influencer marketing solutions are available for marketing teams interested in streamlining campaigns. Reach out to us for a fully managed campaign solution that incorporates the power of a comprehensive influencer marketing platform.

Source

eMarketer. “US Marketers Who Use Influencer Marketing.” March 2024. eMarketer.

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