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People scrolling through Instagram pause at and like sponsored posts from influencers they follow. When watching unwrapping videos from their favorite YouTube Channel, they become interested in the items featured and feel the urge to buy.
Behind such content, a professional team works tirelessly to ensure social media influencers attract their target audience. This is where business process outsourcing (BPO) enters the spotlight.
This article explores BPO’s role in influencer marketing and the benefits of outsourcing this strategy. Continue reading to learn more.
Why Is the Social Media Influencer Market Booming?
Influencers offer a breath of fresh air in an age where customers are skeptical of traditional advertising. Their authentic voice, relatable content, and genuine engagement establish trust and uniqueness that conventional marketing campaigns often struggle to attain.
No matter how big or small the follower base is, it resonates deeper when a social media influencer suggests a product or service based on a personal experience. They attract potential buyers and encourage existing consumers to remain loyal to a brand.
Below are some examples of companies that have benefited from this practice:
- Banza was a small, innovative food business that first relied on influencers to promote chickpea-based pasta. Its founder and CEO, Brian Rudolph, emailed prominent social media figures to try the product and endorse it to their followers. Now, grocery stores nationwide sell Banza pasta.
- Glossier has built itself into one of the top skincare brands in the U.S. through influencer marketing. It sent new products to loyal fans who became its “ambassadors” due to their high engagement with the brand. These nontraditional influencers spread skincare and cosmetic products online via word of mouth.
- Leesa maximized using YouTube vloggers to urge customers to buy its mattress products. Influencers on this platform made unboxing and demonstration videos. This advertising technique helped the brand gain over $80 million in revenue in 2016.
- MVMT proved that influencer marketing helps increase brand awareness. In 2013, the company introduced its stylish but affordable products by paying popular Instagram influencers and sharing customer-generated posts with the hashtag ‘jointhemvmt.’ The brand now sells other accessories and has over 1 million Instagram followers.
According to Linqia’s recent report, consumers want to see raw and authentic creator content on brands’ social media pages. So, 74% of surveyed marketers hired micro-influencers in 2023 for their niche following. Some also hire macro-influencers and celebrities.
Influencer marketing campaigns include diverse and compelling content across various social media platforms. Influencers adapt to different formats, from Instagram reels and YouTube vlogs to TikTok challenges and X threads. They ensure a steady stream of engaging content amid the fast-paced digital landscape.
As a result, the sector reached $21.1 billion in revenue in 2023, per Statista’s latest data. The research organization expects businesses to continue investing in influencer marketing strategies after proving that internet stars can boost brand visibility.
How BPO Boosts Influencer Marketing Initiatives
Influencer marketing is effective in increasing brand awareness due to its ability to build organic customer relationships. At the same time, outsourcing excels at forging strategic international or local partnerships and streamlining related routine tasks at competitive pricing.
So, imagine what happens when these two strategies unite. The combination enables a broader market reach while cutting operating costs. However, is that what BPO’s only contribution to the influencer marketing industry is?
The following sections explore its benefits in depth.
Enhance Campaign Planning and Content Creation
Campaign planning and content creation act as the backbone of successful influencer marketing. BPO providers help enhance these influencer marketing approaches by optimizing their scalable human and technology resources.
Service providers excel at drafting goal-oriented and customer-centric campaigns. They research and comprehend a brand’s objectives, target consumers, and business offerings. When their research is complete, they plan and develop a results-driven campaign in these ways:
- Specifying achievable goals for influencer marketing campaigns
- Identifying and categorizing customers based on product and service preferences
- Listing social media sites where the campaign will run for a certain period
- Brainstorming content themes and templates to establish brand awareness
- Setting key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure campaign milestones
Simultaneously, BPO teams use similar resources to improve strategic and creative content development for influencer marketing. They collaborate with influencers to craft compelling narratives and create captivating visuals.
Furthermore, BPO companies help drive audience engagement and brand loyalty by producing innovative and authentic content in these digital formats:
- Social media posts
- Instagram stories and reels
- YouTube videos
- Blogs and feature articles
- Podcasts and audio content
- Livestreams and webinars
- Digital knowledge bases
- Email newsletters
Streamline Campaign Execution
After mapping out all the campaign details, BPO companies work closely with their influencer marketing clients to streamline project execution. They perform the enumerated practices to implement online promotions quickly and effectively:
- Identify suitable influencers for brand collaborations. BPO companies use their expertise and network to simplify influencer selection. From outreach and negotiation to contract management, they align partnerships with brand values, customer demographics, and campaign goals.
- Guide the development of content that matches brand messaging. Third-party teams help social media influencers create and optimize content tailored to specific platforms and audience preferences.
- Manage the seamless execution of influencer marketing campaigns. BPO agents work with influencers and brands to ensure timely content delivery, especially during a product launch. They prepare campaign guidelines and promotional timelines.
- Track campaign performance using analytics and monitoring tools. Providers use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions to quickly measure KPIs and evaluate content effectiveness. These technologies provide brands with actionable insights and recommendations for optimization.
- Serve as the central point of contact between brands and influencers. BPO workers facilitate consistent and seamless communication throughout the campaign lifecycle. They handle feedback, address concerns, and ensure all stakeholders are aligned and engaged in the campaign process.
Personalize Social Media Engagement
Twilio Segment reported that customers want to feel like VIPs when engaging with businesses. More than half confirmed they would purchase from a brand again after a personalized experience. The company further reveals that 62% of executives said personalization enhances consumer retention.
Third-party vendors recognize this advantage, optimizing their resources to deliver an unmatched customer-centric experience. BPO companies in the influencer marketing sector execute the listed ways to personalize social media interactions:
- Use data analytics tools to segment the target audience. These resources help BPO teams categorize customers based on demographics, interests, and preferences. The collected insights guide them in drafting social media engagement strategies that best meet consumers’ demands.
- Collaborate with influencers to create personalized content. They develop unique themes, messages, and visuals that cater to the target audience’s interests, preferences, and aspirations.
- Facilitate engagement on social media platforms. BPO units encourage influencers to initiate discussions, respond to comments, and engage with followers in real time. This interaction lets followers feel valued and connected to the brand and influencer community.
Accelerate Data Analysis and Reporting
Another use case of AI and automation in the BPO industry is expediting data analysis and influencer marketing reporting. Providers use ML algorithms to collect, process, and interpret influencer marketing data quickly and accurately.
BPO firms also build customized reporting frameworks and interactive dashboards to provide real-time visibility into influencer marketing performance. These tools help human agents produce comprehensive reports, visualizations, and metrics to monitor an influencer’s performance and the brand’s online presence.
The insights gathered inform personalization, content development, and campaign optimization strategies. They help ensure that your influencer marketing efforts align with evolving market trends, customer needs, and industry standards.
Why Outsource Influencers and Social Media Management?
According to HubSpot’s surveyed marketers, creating engaging content and maintaining followers hinder them from boosting their social media presence. Their challenges also include:
- Reaching the target audience
- Generating leads
- Gaining new followers
- Keeping pace with trends
- Exploring ideas for new content
- Measuring returns on investment (ROI)
BPO companies help address such issues by providing well-trained professionals with specialized skills, knowledge, and experience. In addition to the advantages discussed in the previous section, outsourcing removes the need to spend on hiring, training, and compensation.
Providers only require brands to pay an hourly or monthly flat fee for a turnkey campaign. Although BPO pricing varies from agency to agency, it usually covers a full-service package for the client company. However, consider these factors when outsourcing:
- The experience and type of influencer
- The kind and quantity of relevant content
- The scope of work
- The provider’s credibility and industry standing
- The provider’s relationship management capability
- The service location and market reach
Aside from saving money and providing expertise, BPO companies give access to high-quality tools for social media and influencer relationship management. They develop and execute exceptional influencer marketing campaigns using the following technologies:
- Influencer discovery and management tools (e.g., Traackr, AspireIQ, and Upfluence)
- Social media management platforms (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social)
- Content creation and collaboration tools (e.g., Canva and Adobe Creative Cloud)
- Analytics and reporting systems (e.g., Google Analytics, Socialbakers, and Sprinklr)
- Project management applications (e.g., Trello, Slack, and Asana)
- Influencer marketing campaign trackers (e.g., SocialBee and Klear)
- Paid social advertising platforms (e.g., Facebook Ads Manager)
- Customer relationship management tools (e.g., Salesforce and HubSpot)
The Bottom Line
The rise of influencers has changed the trajectory of online marketing campaigns. As customers demand a more engaging, sentimental, and personalized experience, businesses must enhance their social media management efforts without overspending.
Hence, companies tap into BPO resources to boost their influencer marketing initiatives. They trust third-party teams to streamline promotional campaigns and expand customer bases. Outsourcing also helps cost-efficiently manage influencers and maintain a unique brand identity.
Let’s connect if your enterprise requires social media management and influencer marketing support. Unity Communications offers well-rounded professionals and robust solutions to hit your ad targets.
