Gaining notoriety through influencer marketing

In a world where every brand seeks to capture attention, brand awareness is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Yet gaining a place in consumers' minds no longer relies on simple advertising campaigns. Today, it's the voices of trust that make the difference.

Influencer marketing has established itself as a powerful lever, capable of transforming a brand into a benchmark thanks to content creators who know how to federate and engage their community. It's no longer just about visibility. It's also about credibility, buy-in and long-term impact.

In this article, 18h08, influencer agency and influencer marketing expert, shows you how to harness the power of influence to boost your brand's profile and anchor it in the minds of your audience.

1. Why is influencer marketing such an effective way to raise brand awareness?

Influencer marketing is based on partnerships with influencers who have a loyal and engaged audience. These content creators are much more than mere ambassadors: they embody brand values and create an emotional connection with their community.

The major advantages of influencer marketing

1. Extended reach
   Through their followers, influencers give you direct exposure to thousands, even millions of people. This organic reach, combined with an authentic message, makes influencer marketing a formidable tool for increasing your visibility.
2. A sincere and authentic influence
   Subscribers trust influencers' recommendations, because they perceive their opinion as disinterested and credible. This trust helps build a lasting relationship between your brand and the target audience.
3. Diversified content
   Influencers know how to adapt to different content formats: videos, carousels, stories or even blog posts. This allows you to explore multiple ways of presenting your products or services.

Case in point:
We collaborated with Domyos to promote their new collections. Micro-influencers specializing in fitness put forward their workout routines, unboxing videos, and so on. The aim was to offer a variety of content to help them gain visibility. To find out more, go right here.

2. Define strategic objectives to optimize your brand awareness

Before launching an influencer campaign, it's essential to clearly define your objectives. Influencer marketing is an important lever, but it must be used in a targeted way to generate measurable impact.

Examples of specific objectives :

• Strengthen or boost awareness of a new brand or product Collaborate with influencers who have an audience in tune with your target.
• Improve your brand image Work with content creators who share your values to inspire trust and authenticity. If you'd like to know more, read our article.
• Capture a niche audience For example, use local influencers to reach a specific geographic clientele.

Strategic tip:
Link your objectives to precise KPIs (key performance indicators). If you're aiming for brand awareness, monitor mentions of your brand, the evolution of Google searches and the rate of engagement on publications linked to your campaign.

3. Identify the perfect influencers for your campaign

Not all influencers are created equal, and their mere popularity is no guarantee of a successful campaign. You need to select creators who embody your brand's DNA and whose audience matches your target audience.

How to choose the right influencers:

1. Analyze their audience
   Check that their subscribers share the same interests, age groups and values as your target audience.
2. Evaluate their credibility
   Choose influencers who interact sincerely with their community and don't collaborate for commercial reasons alone.
3. Take their creativity into account
   An influencer capable of coming up with original concepts will add real value to your campaign. The goal is to make a lasting impression.

Strategic example:
To promote an eco-responsible travel service, a brand can team up with influencers specialized in sustainable destinations. These collaborations enable the brand to reach consumers who are sensitive to environmental issues.

4. Create a strong storytelling around your brand

Simple product placement is no longer enough to stand out from the crowd. Storytelling is at the heart of a successful influencer campaign. It's about building a story that resonates with your brand's values and your audience's aspirations.

How to integrate storytelling into influencer marketing :

• Highlight real-life experiences : Ask your influencers to tell an authentic story about your product.
• Inspire an emotion Emotion is a powerful memory driver. Campaigns that evoke joy, nostalgia or enthusiasm have a long-term impact.
• Create a collaborative narrative Involve your influencers in the design of the message, so that they make it their own, and work together.

Example:
A hair care brand invited influencers to share their "path to self-confidence", highlighting the benefits of the product on their daily routine. This approach generated a much higher-than-average rate of engagement.

5. Multiply contact points with an omnichannel strategy

To stack the odds in your favor, don't limit your campaign to a single platform. A omnichannel approach allows you to multiply your interactions with your audience and reinforce your presence in their minds.

Channels to exploit :

• Instagram : Perfect for inspiring visuals and interactive stories.
• TikTok Ideal for short, viral videos, especially for younger audiences.
• YouTube Suitable for in-depth content such as vlogs or tutorials.
• Blogs and articles Influencers with websites can boost your SEO by integrating your brand into in-depth articles.

Tip:
Adapt the format of your content to the specificities of each platform. For example, a clothing brand might publish a lookbook on Instagram while sharing fashion tips on YouTube.

6. Measure and adjust your strategy on an ongoing basis

The success of an influencer campaign isn't just measured in the short term. An in-depth analysis of the results enables you to adjust your next campaigns for even greater impact.

Indicators to watch :

• Conversion rate Measure the number of leads or purchases generated by your collaborations.
• Engagement Analyze likes, comments and shares to assess the impact of your content.
• Reach and impressions Identify the number of people exposed to your messages.

Example:
A technology brand tracked the promotional codes used by its influencers and saw a 30% increase in online sales thanks to these partnerships.

7. Avoid mistakes that could damage your reputation

Certain mistakes can limit the impact of your campaign and damage your image. Here's how to avoid them:

• Not verifying the influencer's authenticity
  Having a large number of subscribers is no guarantee of having an engaged audience. Working with an influencer with purchased subscribers or low interaction can reduce your return on investment (ROI). Use analysis tools like HypeAuditor or Upfluence to check the quality of your influencer's audience.
• An overly promotional message
  Overly commercial content risks losing the audience's attention. Give preference to authentic storytelling, and let the influencer take ownership of the message to make it more natural and engaging.
• Lack of transparency
  Consumers expect clear and honest collaboration. Explicitly mention partnerships to comply with regulations and reinforce public trust.

By avoiding these pitfalls, you can optimize the effectiveness and credibility of your influence strategy.

Conclusion

Influencer marketing is more than just a passing fad. It's a true brand awareness gas pedal, capable of creating a strong and lasting relationship between your brand and your audience. By building strategic collaborations, leveraging creators aligned with your values and telling an authentic story, you can turn every campaign into a lever for engagement and conversion.

Ready to take action? At 18h08, we design customized influencer strategies to help you achieve your goals. Burger King, Booking, Oysho and Décathlon have already put their trust in us. So why shouldn't you?

Let's discuss your project and create THE campaign that will make the difference. Contact us today!

See you soon to perfect your influencer marketing strategy!