How AI will change the game

Influencer marketing arrived on the digital scene in the early 2010s. Fast forward to 2024 and it is now a multi-billion dollar industry. But even with all this money floating around, brands still need help finding the right influencers and building successful campaigns.

The possibilities are huge. Companies that understand this realize an incredible return on investment of $5.78 for every dollar spent, or 478%. Unsurprisingly, many brands are ready to jump on this bandwagon and spend big on influencers.

The following chart uses numbers from Influencer Marketing Hub's State of Influencer Marketing 2024 Benchmark Report to show how much budget brands are planning to spend.

However, influencer marketing is not a panacea.

This article introduces the challenges you may face with this strategy and how new AI tools can help. We will also share some best practices that you can follow to launch better campaigns and get real results.

Influencer marketing challenges

Let's say your brand is launching a vegan skincare line aimed at young people interested in eco-friendly beauty. You're a brand manager excited to reach her eco-conscious Gen Z shoppers. But can you find the right beauty influencer? The hunt begins. We're not just looking for big numbers. You need influencers who truly believe in clean beauty and resonate with their audience.

Sifting through Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok can be a headache. There are so many profiles. How do you find valuable talent: creators who have lived their own lives, have a loyal following, and have an authentic vibe for your brand? Then check engagement rates, past collaborations, and more should, and the list goes on.

Finally, narrow down your list and send your first message. Now comes the exciting part. It's about creating authentic content that communicates your brand's goals. But will influencers participate? How much creative control do you give them? Can you strike the perfect balance and get content that truly resonates?

And then, how do you prove that your campaign is working? Sure, website traffic and leads are essential, but what are the hard numbers that mean success for your clean beauty line? Which one? Unfortunately, fancy influencer platforms don't help much here either.

Traditional influencer platforms: help or hinder?

Just like stressed-out brand managers, many marketers are turning to influencer platforms in hopes of finding their perfect match. While these tools certainly have their benefits, they are often not enough.

please think about it. Databases are packed with dozens, even hundreds, or even thousands of profiles, and you need to sort them using basic filters. This can be a lot of work, and even if you know what you want, those filters can completely miss out on influencers that would be great for your brand. You show up looking for a vegan beauty advocate with a knack for creative reels, but the platform only lets you search by number of followers and location. get annoyed.

To make matters worse, many platforms place a premium on having a large number of followers. But a million followers doesn't guarantee engagement, much less sales. A focus on numbers often results in collaborations that look flashy but don't bring in the new customers your skin care line needs.

Gut-based decisions about who will resonate with environmentally conscious Gen Z customers are a waste of time and budget. Traditional platforms often don’t dig deep into their audience’s demographics and interests. How do you know if an influencer's followers are actually interested in clean beauty or just for the freebies?

And forget about knowing whether your planned content ideas will come to fruition. This is a guessing game and not exactly what you want when launching a new line. Wouldn’t it be great if you could analyze an influencer’s followers, track how similar audiences have responded in the past, and estimate campaign results? AI tools are starting to make it possible.

The potential of AI in influencer marketing

AI will revolutionize influencer marketing. AI tools that use machine learning and natural language processing can help streamline the process and pinpoint the best campaign partners.

Instead of endless searches and scrolling, imagine if AI could quickly identify influencers that perfectly align with your brand values, audience, and campaign goals. Laser-focused analysis like this can save you countless hours, giving you more time to build real relationships and develop winning strategies.

AI can also provide deeper insight into an influencer’s performance by analyzing their historical data, engagement rates, and audience demographics. This data-driven approach helps you make informed and confident decisions about who to partner with, increasing your campaign's chances of success.

AI can also act as a digital safeguard. By monitoring content and audience sentiment, AI algorithms can help you identify potential red flags (such as an influencer who may conflict with your values) before committing to a collaboration. .

AI-powered tools: Streamline processes for brands

AI-powered tools are now on the market to solve big challenges in influencer marketing. Brands use technologies like Traackr, Meltwater, and BuzzSumo to provide integrated AI capabilities for activities such as:

• Identifying influencers
• Influencer content creation
• Performance tracking
• Campaign optimization

These powerful tools can help you overcome the tedious aspects of finding influencers, the limitations of relying on vanity metrics, and the risk of wasting time and resources on ineffective campaigns.

One powerful example of this transformation is Aria, an AI-powered influencer marketing tool developed by Socially Powerful.

This tool simplifies the influencer discovery process and addresses common complaints with existing platforms. “Over the past seven years, we have licensed every influencer marketing technology and have always been disappointed,” says James Hacking, founder of Socially Powerful. “The endless filtering using preset criteria was particularly disappointing.”

According to Hacking, Aria solves this problem with advanced natural language search capabilities. Forget about basic filters. Instead, you can describe your ideal influencer in easy-to-understand terms, such as “a female influencer with curly blonde hair who posted a photo wearing a red dress,” and Aria's girlfriend AI will do the heavy lifting for you. Masu. Pinpoint keywords, interests, and even visual elements to achieve targeted results.

To further streamline your campaign planning process, the tool also offers the following features:

• Image Recognition – Visually search for influencers based on elements in a photo.
• Performance predictions – Predict impressions, engagement, and even website visits.
• Creative Preview – Visualize how your content will look on an influencer's feed.

And the best part is that Aria is free for brands to use, making advanced influencer marketing features available to everyone. “Influencer marketing platforms alone can’t solve critical marketing problems. The real value lies in the strategy and creative behind the campaign. That’s why we encourage brands to explore influencers and unlock the potential. We give people the freedom to envision,” said Majid Bahi, CEO of Socially Powerful. We are creative because we know they will continue to need our expertise in strategy and execution. ”

AI-powered tools like Aria take the boring parts out of influencer marketing and allow you to focus on what matters most: building powerful campaigns based on strategy, creativity, and authentic connections.

Quality and quantity: the key to success

Let's be honest, finding the right influencer is essential, but the real magic happens when you prioritize quality and authenticity. Experts say:

Bridie Castiel, Head of Digital Communications at monday.com, believes in the power of authentic connections. “One of our core beliefs is that it's important to invest in quality rather than quantity of campaigns,” she says. “Rather than providing a ton of content to a bunch of influencers who don’t know much about us, she would rather find one true advocate, a thought leader she can trust.”

Blaine Doherty, brand and influencer marketing manager at Fiverr, agrees that authenticity takes effort. “For us, being authentic may mean investing several months in the influencer onboarding process, especially if they are not already a raving fan customer,” he says. Masu. “But the fact that the content is live means it's a real endorsement.”

The lesson here? AI tools like Aria are great at identifying potential partners, but building real relationships requires strategy and effort. Make it a priority to find influencers who truly resonate with your brand and create long-term collaborations that will yield the best results.

Best Practices: Influencer Marketing Strategies

Consider these best practices as a roadmap to influencer marketing success. Even with the best AI tools, a strategic approach is key.

• concrete goals: What do you want to achieve with your campaign? Aim for a specific goal, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or increasing sales. With clearly defined goals, you can focus your influencer selection and content strategy.
• audience match: You're trying to find your tribe, so don't get hung up on having a lot of followers. Look for influencers whose audiences truly align with your target customers. Prioritize engagement, content quality, and expertise.
• multiple layers (like a cake): As Hack says, layering your campaign adds dimension. Consider working with nano or micro influencers to deepen your connections, balance your goals, and use paid media to expand your reach.
• genuine relationship: Authenticity is the secret sauce. Find influencers who truly believe in your brand. Empower them with resources and creative freedom, and their voices matter.
• Collaboration, not dictation: Partner with influencers to co-create content your audience will love and accomplish your goals. Give them direction, but don't forget that their authentic voice is their superpower.
• Paid advertising as a campaign booster: Strategically enhance your organic reach with paid social media promotions to deliver the power your influencer campaigns deserve.
• Data as a compass: Track those metrics. Analyze your website traffic, leads, conversions, and ROI to see what's working and what needs tweaking.

The future is bright: Influencer marketing powered by AI

Influencer marketing is rapidly evolving. AI is transforming the way we find influencers, design campaigns, and measure success. But even with all this progress, the best campaigns always rely on the human element: authentic connections, engaging content, and strategic thinking.

AI tools take the guesswork out of influencer marketing and provide data and insights to streamline the process. But killer campaigns still require both technological smarts and creative expertise. As Bahi says, “AI gives you the tools, but it's up to you to master the strategy.”

Do you accept the revolution? With the right tools and strategic approach, you can build campaigns that resonate with your audience, drive engagement, and achieve your business goals. The future of influencer marketing is in your hands. Harness AI innovation while keeping the power of trust, relevance, and collaboration at the forefront.