BAM Agency Illustration of four charming local businesses with colorful striped awnings in red, pink, blue, and green. Set against a city skyline backdrop with buildings, trees, and a streetlight, its an inviting scene that appeals to target students exploring their new neighborhood. BAM Agency

Why should local businesses target students?

Educated, tech-savvy and information hungry are a few ways of describing the most powerful generation. Who am I referring too? Millennials of course. This ambitious group of people essentially hold the key to the student market and once unlocked they could forever be a lifetime consumer of yours.

Millennials spend around 23 Billion per year, with this spending power, they cannot be ignored. Spending most of their money on accommodation, socialising and food, local businesses fit well within their bubble of life. If you can influence students to buy into your brand, you will reap the benefits as a result. Students will want to feel part of their local community and whether it’s discounts, rewards or incentives, students will feel more encouraged to repeat purchase from you and also organically spread positivity towards your brand throughout the student population about how well you meet their daily needs and requirements.

So, why should local business target this audience? If you can connect with this diverse group of individuals early on in their student life, you will have a chance at continuing to connect with them as they graduate, start careers, begin families of their own and progress towards retirement. Students make up a huge percentage of the marketplace and with more than 2.5 million students at university this is a massive market that cannot be overlooked. Finding out what matters to millennials is one of the key ways to earn their loyalty. If you can get a student to buy into your brand early this can only benefit your business!

Here are some tips on how to advertise your local business to students:

Have a student discount offer

Student discount offers are a pivotal method to draw students to your brand, anything with a reward, offer or discount code attached will immediately attract their attention. 80% of students agree that an offer/discount would influence them to buy from a brand.

Get social!

With millennials being so tech-savvy you can only imagine how much time is spent on social media channels. 40% of students prefer to be contacted by social media and with so many different channels and platforms available, there is sure to be one that works for you. It’s worth also keeping in mind that 81% of students use Facebook as their main social media channel of choice.

Interact with pinnacle events

Two words – Fresher’s Fair. Introducing your brand to this event is the best decision a local business can make. Our recent survey showed us that 24% of students hadn’t heard of some of the brands at the fair and out of these students, 54% of them stated they would buy from brands after interacting with them during the freshers events. I cannot express how essential it is to bring freebies, offers and some fun and excitement to your stand; 67% of students attend the Fair because of the freebies. Local brands need to come to these events prepared. If you can nail the engagement, over half of the students that did not know you before would buy from you going forward.

Students are finding their feet at university, so if they can turn to your brand during their student journey then you’re sure to build a long lasting relationship with them, and gain a lifelong customer.

Written by: Emma Lawrence, Account Sales Executive, BAM Agency Ltd

BAM Agency Illustration of three students using laptops, sitting on a large tablet surrounded by icons like shopping bags, social media messages, and clouds on a blue background. BAM Agency

Get students to listen to you on social media

Modern day students are extremely savvy when it comes to brands and their marketing campaigns. They can tell fake-ness or when they’re being talked down to from a mile off, so perfecting your campaign and your tone-of-voice is seriously important. You don’t want to appear like the uncool relative trying to be ‘down with the kids’ at the family party, instead you need to evoke familiarity and affinity with those that you’re targeting. The rule we always stick with is, if you aren’t sure about your idea, don’t use it, re-think it, rework it and go ahead when you’re confident it’s the right approach for your target audience. Here are four key considerations when planning your marketing campaign:

Approach

Approaching your campaign and brand identity with your audience in mind is integral to a successful brand. When targeting students, as we mentioned above, familiarity is a big part of creating an important connection with your audience. It’s also well known that there is a strong link between familiarity and trust as it creates a feeling of ease that allows your audience to be more open.

To decide on your brand tone-of-voice you need to focus on your audience firstly, and your brand’s core principles in the secondary – yes, when it comes to communications, your audience is paramount. Think in terms of what your audience would want to see and hear. Ask questions such as, would they like to know in-depth information or a more informal approach? What are their other interests online? You could even go as far to include a focus group in your research.

Students want authenticity

Students won’t connect with brands if they feel they underestimate their intelligence or savviness. There can often be a voice in your head that will tell you to oversimplify things for a younger audience, but this is exactly what the modern generation of students doesn’t want or respond well to. The current generation of students want an authentic voice; they want to see and hear someone or something they can trust. They want to connect with brands that think about the environment around them, what their needs and wants are, and consider their impact on the wider world.

Think about these ideas and include them in your messaging and even in your brand ethos to ensure consistency across all the sectors of your business.

A great way of building an air of authenticity in your brand is by getting students involved; your audience is seeing their peer’s engaging with your brand, and we know just how powerful word of mouth is when encouraging decisions or behaviours. Get students involved with a fun activation on social media; the current generation of students love to show off their creative flair, so whether it’s a caption this funny image, or asking them to create a fun short video clip there’s lots of ways to encourage student content which can be shared to their peers (and slyly promotes your brand).

Tone of Voice

We’re not going to tell you the exact tone-of-voice that you need to use to market to students because there is no one-size-fits-all! Your brand’s tone-of-voice completely depends on what sort of product or service you are selling as well as your specific audience – students encompass their own mini-demographics so it’s important to consider these nuances. The age-old examples of brands getting it right are Innocent and Paddy Power. Innocent who thrive on wit, humour and friendly banter and Paddy Power who are a bit more risqué, not afraid to be controversial and talk to you like your mates down the pub, have got it spot on. A good place to start if you are unsure the route your brand should take is by looking at brands you like, brands students like and competitors to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

Different mediums

Finally, be sure to keep in mind the platform you are using when putting together your content plans, as different channels require different strategies. For example, the way you talk to your Facebook audience will be drastically different to how you would talk to your Snapchat audience. Snapchat’s is known for attracting a younger demographic for its fun and flash features. You can be really creative and grasp attention quickly as there is a ‘fear of missing out’ as the content disappears after 24 hours. However, on Facebook, the demographic tends to be broader, so there are more mini-demographics to consider – again there is no one-size-fits-all here.

Another key consideration is each platform’s unique algorithms – Facebook currently values video greatly as it expands its proposition, so it allows brands to tap into higher rankings and more frequent organic placement through sharing more native video content.

So, our top advice for talking to students is to always consider your specific audience, ask questions to figure out what they would like to see from your brand, be authentic in your messaging and finally, don’t be afraid to have a bit of fun!

BAM Agency Amid a vibrant blur of colors, a person sporting safety goggles carefully drops yellow and blue balls into a clear vertical tube. This dynamic scene could easily be part of a captivating 2017 youth marketing strategy. BAM Agency

The YMS 2017 blew us away!

Just when we thought the Youth Marketing Strategy (YMS) couldn’t get any better, they simply knocked it out of the park again this year.

Held in the quirky industrial Old Truman Brewery, London, delegates were spoilt with over 200 speakers, 65 exhibitors, 5 alternative content streams, 7 creative masterclass’, 2 chill out zones, a live entertainment stage and wonderful cuisines on offer to delight the taste buds. With some of the biggest brands and names in the industry sharing knowledge and insight there was so much on offer making this event a must for experienced and budding marketers alike.

BAM were proud to be Key Sponsors of such a renowned event and we had a pretty jammed packed schedule ourselves, here are some of our highlights:

Wham BAM Whirlwind creates balls of fun

After the success of last years fruit machine installation, this year BAM decided to cause a storm with a new competition – The Wham BAM Whirlwind. Delegates were challenged to take on our cyclone to try and grab as many of our blue balls as possible for the chance to top our leader board. Sounds simple doesn’t it but trust us when we say it as not as easy as it looks (of course we had to try it out for quality control purposes). Check out some of our favourite clips:

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The champion of the balls was Natalie Turner from Student Beans grabbing an impressive 31 blue balls. Congratulations Natalie!

At BAM we are experts at bringing campaigns to life through gamification, gaining increased interaction and engagement from the audience, but don’t just take our word for it, check out what the delegates of this years YMS had to say:

Are Students all the Same? Tim Bodenham reveals all

Taking centre stage Tim Bodenham, Managing Director wanted to pose the question are students all the same? To a brand, are they different to other millennials and new to the field, Generation Z’s?

Earlier in the year BAM explored concept, conducting in depth research into the student market to understand to gain further understanding of student behaviour and what they expect from a brand. Surveying over 3000 students across the UK, here are some key insights Tim shared:

In terms of social media, Facebook is still leading the way with 81% of students using this platform on a daily basis. Although Snapchat and Instagram are perceived as the much more popular in the current age, Facebook is a necessity, somewhere students can check in on all their family and friend networks

There is a common misconception that students rarely check their University email accounts. BAM has always been advocates of the power of University email sends as an effective channel to market to students. This was endorsed in our latest findings that 76% of students check their University emails daily and when combined with those that check a few times a week this is almost the entire student populace with 96%. With average open rates of 30% and click through rates of up to 10% email marketing should be a serious consideration in any student marketing strategy.

In light of the above findings it’s no surprise that the preferred method to receive brand promotions and offers was through email with 47%. Why? Well an email from a brand is not perceived as an intrusive. Students take the time to specifically look through their emails, they have made this decision, whereas with app notifications and text messages (trailing with 8% in our survey) can be seen as intrusive because they are made to look the message when the brand decides, not the student which can mean they are much less receptive to your message.

Offers and discounts remain the front runner in terms of what influences students to buy from a brand with 90% of students surveyed selecting this option. It is almost an expectation of students that they should get a discount or a special offer for just being a student, something only students can get. Brands should not underestimate the power of bonding with students through making them feel special, simply for being a student.

In answer to the initial questions are students all the same? In short no, of course they are not. Our psychometric profiling has always brought up different student types, yet when you drill down to these types interaction with brands, the metrics are all the same, bar one. The way they want to be spoken too, not the means. Tim advised brands to remember that students want brands to talk to them as an individual, not at them as a group, in a way that they can relate to, showing that they understand them and know what it is they want.

The final note from Tim was to emphasize the value of the student market and why brands should take the time to invest, Why students are the primary target audience for brands that have youth as a key customer segmentation. Brands were advised to remember the 4 value pillars of student marketing outlining that students are early adopters, they live in a community environment, they have access to expendable cash and they are brand loyal making students a key and lucrative demographic for brands look to target the youth market. There will be a more detailed review of the 4 value pillars of student marketing in a forthcoming blog by Tim.

How do you run an awesome student marketing campaign? BAM joins a panel of experts and professionals to shed some light

The Guardian held a discussion to find out what it takes to run an awesome student marketing campaign. They invited 6 experts in this field from Missguided, Deliveroo, NUS, Seed Marketing, HP and most importantly, BAM.

The panel spoke about who in the market was getting it right and also who was just getting it wrong. When planning a student marketing campaign we advised brands that students are much more savvy than they have ever been so it you are paying to attend Freshers Fairs, make sure you invest the time to do it properly.

The power of executing an awesome campaign was further supported by Xavier from Deliveroo, when reflecting on their recent campaign initiatives that have found that students are extremely valuable customers but they are also valuable promoters of your brand so it is imperative to get students to engage with your brand to create life long advocates.

Our key message was the importance of understanding your objectives and what you want to achieve. At BAM we work closely with our clients to understand their objectives to formulate effective strategies to ensure a successful campaign.

Sweet Tweets

Everyone loves a sugary treat and on the second day of the YMS we gave all delegates a little pick me up with some yummy sweets. Not only did we please the sweet-toothed delegates we also gave them the exciting opportunity to win tickets to an Escape Room activity in London with yours truly. Now whilst we wanted to give the delegates the chance to win an awesome prize, in reality, team BAM are probably going to need all the help they can get to Escape one of these rooms!

We were inundated with entries to the competition with delegates tweeting a picture of the sweets with the hashtag #YMS17 and tagging @bamuk, here are some of our favourite entries:

Drawn at random we had 6 lucky winners:

Megan Timble, Louise Jones, Amy Cooke, Sarah Wallbridge, Victoria Prime and Lisa Benton. All winners have been announced on our twitter page @bamuk.

We look forward to escaping a room… or not as the case may be with these guys later in the year.

Here’s to YMS 2018

We had high hopes for YMS 2017 and it didn’t let us down. A fantastic event with so much advice, insight, knowledge, experience and not to mention a whole load of fun. Check out our video capturing the highlights:

Now we look to next year and wonder what YMS 2018 will have in store and what colour jacket Simon Eder will don on the stage? All we can say is watch this space! If you would to find out more about our insight at the YMS or indeed to talk to us about the youth market, please get in touch.

BAM Agency A group of seven women are sitting at a rectangular table, engrossed in a research project with a laptop and drinks. Light brown and gray walls create a warm backdrop as they discuss insights, some with coffee cups before them, contributing to the lively exchange on the youth market. BAM Agency

BAM Agency Four people sit on a bridge railing, overlooking a river and cityscape. One holds a phone, possibly checking insights from their BAM Account Management app, while others engage in conversation. The background features buildings and warm lighting, suggesting a sunset or late afternoon. BAM Agency

Insight into BAM Account Management

One of the most enjoyable things about working as an Account Manager at BAM is being able to work closely with clients and share their journey with them. I have been very fortunate to work alongside a travel company StudentUniverse for just over 3 years and I have seen them grow and develop from when they first entered into the UK space into a hugely successful brand.

When I first met with StudentUniverse they were set up in a small office in central London running the UK division almost single handed. Since then the business has expanded massively and now StudentUniverse have a lively office, sales figures are through the roof, the brand is now loved by students right across the UK and StudentUniverse are now part of the multi-billion pound Flight Centre group – it has definitely been an exciting few years!!

At the end of 2016 StudentUniverse approached BAM alongside another travel company called Topdeck who are a bus touring company that design trips for 18-30 year olds. They had a brief where they wanted to target students across the UK to raise the awareness of both brands and what they had to offer.

Over a number of planning meetings we devised an engaging and exciting campaign to roll out across six university locations over a six week duration. Each day we would run a number of activities where students could compete to win a T-Shirt and an invite to the end of week finale – they can do this through unlocking mysterious cases, taking on our cyclone machine or winning our paper aeroplane challenge. At the end of the week finale for all of the winners throughout the week to come on back to take part in an Australian themed quiz, the last student standing will win a trip of a lifetime to Australia.

Behind the scenes there is still lots to do, we have to think about all sorts of logistical aspects such as recruitment for brand ambassadors at 6 locations across the UK, as well as hiring the right event manager for the whole duration of the campaign. This process is highly important and takes some time to ensure we have recruited the right people for the campaign and what it entails.

Alongside this we undertake various site recces, although we are very familiar with the University itself, sometimes it’s easier to be on-site and chat face to face with our University contact to ensure we provide our clients with the best possible location to suit their set-up. As a result of doing so we figured at one location there wouldn’t be access to electricity therefore we had to arrange the hire of a generator.

During the planning process we actually changed the concept of the campaign just a few weeks prior the live date. We felt that something was missing therefore we all got together and filled the gaps that weren’t quite right. Planning an experiential campaign can be a bit of a journey and I think it’s really important to be flexible and adaptable. In this case we were able to reshape a model that wasn’t quite where we wanted it to be and created something bigger and better within the same budget.

Once the plans were in place for such an exciting experiential campaign the challenge of actually delivering it begins! In our case study you can see what happened when it came to executing the campaign and how it went down with the students. Stay tuned!

BAM Agency A group of people celebrating, wearing hats and sunglasses, with colorful confetti in the air. The image promotes YMS LDN, Europes largest festival of youth marketing, on March 21-22 at The Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane. BAM Agency

Europe’s largest festival of youth marketing

It’s that time of the year again which we all know too well if you work in youth marketing – YMS 2017, also known as the Youth Marketing Strategy Conference! Now, we’re often regulars at YMS as this is a key calendar date for team BAM, but this year we’ve taken it an exciting step further. We’ve joined forces with Voxburner to become the official agency partner for the event that’s set to take place at the quirky Old Truman Brewery in London on the 21st and 22nd March.
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This year at the London-based event, there will be 200 speakers, 65 exhibitors, 5 alternative content streams, 7 creative masterclasses, 2 chill out zones and 1 live entertainment stage; we think it’ll be near impossible to feel bored! Plus, there’s the pretty awesome news that we’ll be taking our cyclone machine giving you the chance to win some awesome prizes (think the final round of the Crystal Maze – a-mazing!!!).

Obviously, there are tonnes of other reasons why you should visit YMS this year (and no, it’s not just because we’re going to be there!). Gather amazing insights and top tips from brands such as Instagram, Primark, Cancer Research and Chiquitos. Listen to inspiring keynote speeches from industry pioneers like Colin Gottlieb (CEO, Omnicom Media Group) and attend seminars that will equip you with the latest marketing techniques along with ideas that you can take straight back to the office.

During the course of the event you can expect to gain insight into young people of today, as well as trends and future tech that shape youth culture, through seminars, panel talks and real-time feedback from 16-24s at live youth panels and debates. There will also be a huge focus on influencer marketing and creativity that will help you refresh your marketing strategy, with big brands leading the discussion through case studies and campaign examples.

Alongside all the juicy action, YMS 17 will play host to the Youth 100 Awards, celebrating the successes of top brands in youth marketing. And let’s not forget the most important bit, your stomach! There will be an amazing street food festival taking place, together with some first-class live entertainment. Talk about a multisensory experience!

Now back to BAM – our very own Tim Bodenham (MD) will be holding a session offering attendees insight into the student market gathered from BAM’s vast 18 years experience and why now more than ever marketers should be targeting more than just millennials.

We will also be taking part in a panel discussion where BAM will be sat alongside some big brands giving top advice on how to run an awesome student marketing campaign – one not to miss!

We will also be hosting a BAM masterclass, ‘Ask The Expert’, in which you can ask the team all your burning questions about the student market.

Last but not least, we’ve got a treat for you – if all the above hasn’t persuaded you to go ahead and buy a ticket, we can help make that decision a little easier. We’re pleased to offer you a special discount which will give you 40% off your tickets. Just simply use the code BAM40 when you book – http://ymsldn.voxburner.com/

See you there, make sure you come and say hi!

BAM Agency A long line of people eagerly awaits on the sidewalk outside a large, historic white building, hinting at an exciting event. Metal barricades divide the street, and behind them, a columned structure peeks through the trees like something out of a dead-or-alive mystery. BAM Agency

Freshers Fairs – Is the event dead or alive?

For many years now, brands have always asked us the question – are Freshers Fairs worth attending? Here at BAM, we find that some of the large brands dip in and out of fairs but when they dip out, they really do see a negative effect. But why do they dip out? I think this is due to the fact there are many myths that face to face marketing is dead because millennials spend all of their time online, but they are wrong!

Yes, brands are turning to digital marketing but our recent survey showed us that only 40% of students would prefer to receive offers from brands via social media which includes video. Is this a real substitute for face to face marketing?

Freshers Fairs are very much alive and kicking with hundreds of thousands of students descending on fairs throughout September / October every year. BAM attended over 90 Fairs in 2016 from Edinburgh to Dublin to Exeter and everything in between. Whilst we were there we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to survey students, finding out what they truly think of the fairs and why then attend.

The ‘Freshers Fair’ is an event designed to target students in their first year arriving at University but only 56% of students who attended the fairs were actually first year students. Is this a good or bad thing for brands? Surely this can only encourage brand engagement providing another opportunity to build your brand with second and third year students? With this in mind brands should think about returning students as well as newbies when considering their brand message.

Out of the students that we surveyed, a whopping 67% attended the fair for freebies followed closely by student life at 48%. If you are planning on attending a fair this year, make sure you have plenty of cool freebies to hand out and students will flock to your stall. Amazingly, over 90% of students said they would return next year, proving for sure that Freshers Fairs are not dead.

We found that 24% of students are not familiar with key student brands, therefore promotion at the beginning of the student journey is paramount. This is further supported when 54% stated they would buy from these brands after interacting with them during the freshers events. Don’t make the easy mistake of thinking that all students are the same and know your brand.. Students are a huge cross section of society and come from all corners of the world so bare this in mind when planning your student marketing.

In my opinion, Freshers Fairs are very much alive and a fantastic marketing opportunity to capture students who first arrive at University. After all, they are making purchasing choices for the first time and could become a lifeline customer of yours.

With an estimated 2.4 million students studying Higher Education in the UK with a spending power of over £15 billion, this is a demographic not to be ignored.

Our advice – don’t delay, book your Freshers Fairs today!

7 tips to run a Brand Ambassador campaign

In an age where there are so many options and choices available to students making the right decision can be a hard one. So what do we rely on? A source stated that a staggering 92% of consumers would trust their peers over advertising when it comes to purchasing decisions, meaning word of mouth and peer to peer marketing is an essential element of any marketing plan.

Student Brand Ambassadors act as advocates for your brand, they amplify the message you are trying to deliver to students through a medium in which they are much more receptive. Fast becoming one of the most effective marketing channels, here are 7 Essential tips to help you set up your Brand Ambassador Campaign and ensure its success.

1. Find your perfect fit
Employing the right students is imperative. Remember they will be representing your brand to your future customers, so it is important they emulate everything that is important to your brand and message. Draw up what your brand would look like if it was a person, what character would they have, what image would they have. Once you have determined what you are looking for you can start to recruit.

Ensure the students your recruit not only are the right fit for your brand but are also influential on campus. Are they part of any societies? Do they have large social networks? The bigger the networks they have and the more influential they are, the more avenues they have to promote your brand and the better effect it will have.

2. Get to know them
This sounds simple but it’s very crucial. Once you have recruited your Brand Ambassadors, if you have not met them already invite them to your office, make them feel part of the team and give them insight into your brand and company. Put a face to a name, integrate them into the team, feeling part of the team will only increase their buy-in to the brand and message.

3. Invest in training
Representing your brand out in the field makes it essential that your Brand Ambassadors know what they are talking about. Set up a training day for your Brand Ambassadors, teach them all there is to know about your brand’s history, future, values and goals. Make sure the training is fun, interactive and encompasses all the knowledge they need to succeed in their role.

It is also a great opportunity for your Brand Ambassadors to meet each other, form relationships, meeting people they can use for support, inspiration and guidance in their new role. Take the time to invest in your Brand Ambassadors and reap the rewards.

4. Provide the right tools
A workman is only as good as his tools! And this goes for Brand Ambassadors too. Make sure they are equipped with everything they need to succeed in the role. Ensure they have support for any questions, queries or concerns they may have. Make sure communication channels are set up where you can keep your Brand Ambassadors engaged and motivated on a regular basis.

5. Set Mission’s
Set missions to keep the role interesting, challenging and fun for your Brand Ambassadors. Don’t let them get complacent, keep them on their toes. Through setting mission’s you will be able to track performance much easier, praising successes or providing further support if needed. Ask for photo’s from your Brand Ambassadors of them in action. Not only will you have evidence for your records but you will be able to share the images on social media and digital channels amplifying awareness and interaction.

6. Listen
Your Brand Ambassadors are your ears on the ground, your soldiers in the field. Listen to them, ask for their feedback and take on board their suggestions. Students know their University and fellow students better than anyone. Encourage your Brand Ambassadors to share ideas of new advertising channels you may not have thought of, feedback on the effectiveness of current messages, what is or isn’t working etc. Not only will you make your Campaign much more successful but you will also make your Brand Ambassadors feel important and valued.

7. Incentivise
Competition is healthy, having a goal to work towards is important and having extra perks and bonuses is a great way to improve performance. If you have multiple Brand Ambassadors set up a challenge to see who can top the leader board based on the missions you have set. Reward Brand Ambassadors who hit a certain goal within a certain time period. Be imaginative with your prizes and challenges, bring out the competitive side in your Brand Ambassadors and keep them incentivised and engaged.

They say you reap what you sow, the more time you invest in a student Brand Ambassador Campaign the greater the rewards. Using bespoke systems to manage missions and campaigns, BAM Student Marketing work closely with brands to build the foundations for a successful Brand Ambassador Campaign that delivers more than just results it delivers powerful brand advocates within the heart of the student community. Contact our talented team to find out more.

BAM Agency Comic-style image capturing a womans partially visible face with striking yellow and black hair. A speech bubble asks, Influencer Marketing, The New BIG DEAL for Millennials? against a peach background. BAM Agency

Tips on influencer marketing to millennial’s

As you probably already know, word-of-mouth is one of the most valuable, and respectable forms of marketing. According to Nielsen, It’s proven that 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family. After all, potential customers are much more likely to trust their friends and family, rather than a corporate advertising message.

In the new era of digital communications, WOM is now used to communicate to consumers through social media, which is a great to platform to connect with the millennial market. The Deloitte report found that 47% of millennials are influenced in their purchases by social media. Millennials are a huge deal. Not only are they the largest generation since the Baby Boom, but they’re also about to enter their prime purchasing years.

Companies have stepped into the world of influencer marketing. An influencer is a digital savvy who posts, snaps or tweets to their thousands of followers — who then rush out and buy the products. In fact, research from Twitter shows that 49% of consumers seek purchase guidance from social media influencers, and 20% said that a Tweet from an influencer inspired them to share their own product recommendation. Influencers are a great marketing communication to connect with the millennial market, as they trust them. In fact, 60% of Millennials have said that they would try a product suggested by a YouTuber. Here are some tips on how to create a successful influencer campaign:

Choose your influence wisely

Firstly, you need to identify who would be the right influencers to use, and what type of audience they have. This will ensure that there isn’t a mismatch with the influencer & company.

Be relevant

There is nothing more cringe-worthy than when companies try to act ‘too cool’. Identify what you’re good at, and shout about it.

Let your influencers get creative

Influences are a success due to who they are. Their loyal followers will be sure to spot when an advertisement isn’t their style. Let them have control of how they want to send out the message, as they know what their audience likes and dislikes.

Track, Monitor and analyse your campaign

You need to know if influencer marketing is working for you or not. It’s incredibly difficult to track a digital campaign. But keep an eye on sales, likes, comments and shares to create an idea on how the campaign has gone.

Influencer marketing is one of the hottest, and effective, ways to get your company in front of a targeted audience. With these tips under your belt, you should be able to connect with the millennial market with the right influencer. Just remember to be yourself, and shout about it!

Written by: Emily Mullis, Media Partnership Account Sales Executive, BAM Agency Ltd