Ali Kirby
Director of Community Growth and Business Development, Collective Bias

We recently covered how Influencer Marketing is the Fastest-Growing Online Customer Acquisition Strategy in which we featured Collective Bias’ findings that the apt spot for reach and engagement is between 35k and 65k followers on Social Media. Collective Bias and their partner Curalate help their customers drive revenue through increased shopping with the help of influencer content.

We caught up with Ali Kirby, Director of Community Growth & Business Development at Collective Bias to hear more on influencer marketing strategies and using Instagram to drive the effort.

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MTS: What are some of the benefits for influencers to use Instagram livestreaming?

Ali Kirby: I personally LOVE using IG Live because it really gives people a true behind the scenes look at your real life. When you’re on Instagram live, there is no editing, no fluff – just the real you. I love how you can use this to share your personality, connect with followers and have a lot of fun!”
• Marquis Clarke

#ad I don’t know about you, but my morning tends to set the tone for the rest of my day. Have you gotten in a morning routine yet for back to school? Check out the blog for my 3 top tips for a great morning back to school routine! @walmart #StockUpMakeSmiles • • • • • #simplyclarke #blogger #lbloggers #theblogissue #thatsdarling #darlingmovement #darlingweekend #ABMlifeissweet #ABMHappyLife #thehappynow #pursuepretty #livethelittlethings #prettylittlething #petitejoys #instagood #flashesofdelight #photosinbetween #liveauthentic #instalike #howyouglow #lifestyleblogger #instablogger #instalike #happy #houstonblogger #morningslikethese

A post shared by Simply Clarke (@marquis_clarke) on Aug 22, 2017 at 6:21am PDT

• “It’s a fun way to connect with your followers in an authentic, non-scripted way. Followers can leave comments or ask questions in real time and it’s a great way to connect with your audience in a “real” way: it really just feels like you are talking to a bunch of friends!”
– Rebecca Grafton

Fri-yayyyyy Friyay! Up early for 5:30am spin/barre class then back home for a snickerdoodle protein angel food cake for breakfast (recipe on my blog) I used @pescience snickerdoodle protein powder in it and spread some of this @delightedbydesserthummus snickerdoodle hummus on top along with PB2. This whole thing was only 265 calories 19c/4f/40p! ??? (PS: what else do you guys put this dessert hummus on?! I need ideas!) I have a half day of work today because we have an agency picnic this afternoon ? (I’m playing in the corn hole tournament, wish me luck I have no skills at lawn games ??) and thennnn like my tank says, barre now wine later ??? meeting some friends out for drinks later! Sounds like a Good Friday to me ?? #barrenowwinelater #friyay #tgif #mygirlishwhimsfood #delightedbydesserthummus #toesox #spreadyourtoes

A post shared by Rebecca Grafton (@mygirlishwhims) on Sep 8, 2017 at 5:50am PDT

MTS: In what ways can Instagram Livestreaming help grow an influencer’s presence?

Ali Kirby: Currently only two people can be featured in one livestream. But, one way influencers can potentially grow is through increasing followers. For example, if two influencers are on a live stream, followers of one of the influencers may then begin to follow the other. This is a great way for the influencers to “share the love” and begin to engage with each other’s audience in a way that is supported by the entire community

In addition to increasing followers, an influencer can increase their own credibility with the brand working with the other influencer on the livestream. Leveraging another influencer’s network to expand partnerships is a great business benefit of this service.

MTS: How does Instagram compare to other social platforms for influencer campaigns?

Ali Kirby: Instagram is definitely the preferred social platform among influencers. We recently polled our community and Instagram came out on top as the platform that is most important for their personal brands (30%). Instagram Stories and Carousel Albums are the most used feature on the platform, and we expect to see more influencers incorporate Instagram Livestreaming into their campaigns. When we asked our community which platform will be the most important to influencers over the next 5 years, Instagram was the clear leader (43%). This indicates that influencers are excited about platform innovation and are not planning to favor others in the future.

MTS: Instagram Livestreaming has positive opportunities for the influencers, but what about for the brands associated with the campaigns?

Ali Kirby: In the end, the brand will typically determine a campaign’s success based on sales, ROI, etc. Instagram Livestreaming allows the consumers to interact with target audiences in an authentic, real-world style that can drive sales in a way that the print or online media cannot. For example, a livestream of an influencer using a product and broadcasting un-edited commentary can be more authentic for audiences, and could translate into sales. The direct interaction with authoritative figures and the ability to ask questions can go a long way, when consumers make purchasing decisions.

MTS: Does influencer engagement truly have an impact on ROI?

Ali Kirby: Yes, and defining clear KPIs that can be measured allows a brand to determine the success of a campaign. For example, we recently compared a traditional marketing campaign to a campaign that involved influencer marketing and found campaigns that include influencers perform better. During a recent test of 8 – 12 influencer campaigns, one consumer brand saw a $400,000 incremental sales lift and a mobile brand saw a 1.88x return on ad spend. While engagement is definitely a piece of the campaign, without the influencer’s participation, the brands would not have seen as high of a monetary return.

MTS: Thanks for chatting with us, Ali.
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