Influencer marketing is an important element of the marketing mix. Spending in the U.S. is predicted to hit nearly $6 billion this year, and almost 83% of marketers will use influencer marketing. Other well-shared studies predict the creator economy will be valued at more than $70 billion in 2024.
However, there is a missed opportunity for marketing leaders who only consider influencers and creators for one-off activations: They should be considered for full-time roles.
Influencer and Creator Transferable Skills
Creators and influencers are self-starters and industrious, with attention to detail and an ability to execute. Marketing leaders can hire creators and influencers in a variety of roles—content creation within the creative department, social media community managers, public relations and even on their own influencer marketing team. They might also be a fit for adjacent roles in sales and customer success.
Ensure Success When Hiring an Influencer or Creator
There are three considerations to ensure success when an influencer or creator joins the team full-time.
- Creators and influencers should not be reserved for figurehead positions. Those are often the subject of internet memes when someone without the proper credentials receives a role within an organization, such as the internet jokes when a mega influencer is named “creative director” or something similar.
- The next consideration is to be clear about expectations. Establish upfront if, how, and when their role at the company can be discussed and the times they might need to be away (for example: a fashion influencer attending fashion week).
- Finally, discuss how an influencer or creator will maintain their community. Marketing leaders can work with the individual to ensure clarity around content related to the company, but the person must continue to have the freedom to manage their creator career alongside that of the organization.
Attracting Gen Z and Gen Alpha talent
Repeated studies show more than half of Gen Z see ‘content creator’ as a viable and reputable career. As they enter the workforce, they will likely have an active online presence and employers of choice will give them the freedom to maintain it.
It is not just the younger generation that sees influencing as a career path, however. Not long ago, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled, “Forget Retirement. Become a Social Media Star Instead.” Creating content continues to be a source of primary and secondary income for many people—and that will only continue to accelerate.
How We Make it Work at Later
Later recently hired Kwame Appiah, influencer and former “Love Is Blind” contestant, as head of influencer and creator engagement. While Kwame saw an increase in followers after his season aired, which led to an increase in influence, he was hired to the role because of his experience as a long-time content creator (previously with a focus on photography) and prior roles in business development at several technology companies.
His new role requires him to leverage skills from all those—sales, development, technology acumen, and audience building and monetization—to help the company bring more influencers and creators to our platform and connect them to brands.
Kwame was hired with the understanding there would be times he has other commitments, such as when new episodes of the show air. Additionally, his community remains his own. While we has a review process for formal news that is shared about the company, the rest of Kwame’s content is his to manage without interference.
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Leaders with the foresight and flexibility to hire influencers and creators have an opportunity to bring new talent and perspectives into their organizations and stand out among competitors, while connecting their brand to an engaged community.
Scott Sutton is CEO of social media management platform Later.
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