We looked forward to DMEXCO 2018 in Cologne, Germany, with special excitement. Not only does Europe’s largest marketing conference take place in our own backyard, but we also had a shiny new product – the recently launched free influencer marketing search engine influencerdb.com – and a shiny new logo to show off.

As if that wasn’t enough, we also were thrilled to host two influencer marketing themed sessions for a conference that boasts over 40,000 attendees.

5 Things We’ve Learned from Our Influencer Marketing Sessions

This year, we not only welcomed our clients and visitors at our booth we also hosted two influencer marketing themed sessions in cooperation with our partners from Global Savings Group, HelloFresh, ASICS, and Melou.

Here are our five main takeaways from our session ‘Influencer Marketing Success Stories for Every Stage in the Marketing Funnel.’

Make Conversion More Than a Dream Goal

Influencer marketing can truly be used for every marketing funnel stage. Our experts encouraged all marketers not to shy away from placing conversion as a KPI on top of their priority list for their influencer marketing campaigns.

“Influencer marketing can convert but a few important points need to come together: It needs to be the right influencer fit, the right campaign fit, the right product fit, the right timing and also good content,” said Anna Ivaniuk, Global Savings Group.

Also Read: Connected TV for CTV: Fresh Insights from DMEXCO 2018  

Take Your Customer out on a Date

The awareness stage enables marketers to make the most use of the influencers’ creativity and their individual content creation.

Choose Approachable Influencers over Icons, When the Content Calls for It

Be aware of the distinct benefits that influencers from different ranges can offer for your brand but also keep in mind the pitfalls that can come along with them. Make sure your selected influencer is still at eye-level with their followers and remains relatable for the community. Smaller influencers might be the right choice for giving your brand a more approachable touch if that is your goal. Anna Ivaniuk from Global Savings Group discussed a high profile fitness campaign that needed influencers who potential customers could identify with.

“Especially when you’re aiming for high reach with your influencer campaign, there’s always a danger that a big influencer will be perceived as an icon, someone who has already achieved everything and does not have that underdog image anymore,” Anna said.

Think Long-Term

Influencer relations will continue to grow in 2019 and brands will invest in mid to long-term relationships with regular brand supporters. Qualitative relations will become even more valuable for both parties.

“We don’t call our collaboration partners influencers, we call them brand ambassadors. We grow with them, they grow with us. This is an important part of what makes these collaborations so successful. They are authentic and credible and they are not attached to a certain campaign. Instead, we use them more holistically across our marketing efforts,” said Jan Erik Kruse, ASICS

Also Read: Top 5 Mobile Ad Tech Trends at DMEXCO 2018

Aim for More Than Being Just a Brand

In the end, influencer marketing is about the people behind the social media channels. Only when brands partly let go of their control, the influencers will truly be able to unfold their full potential and create the creative, personal content their community admires them for.

In fact, a highly enthusiastic and brand-loving couple even got married in ASICS running shoes!

We are looking forward to seeing equally appealing and captivating influencer marketing campaigns and long-term influencer-brand-collaborations in the upcoming year. Until then, discover our free resources to keep up with the fast-paced influencer marketing industry. See you at DMEXCO 2019!

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