Being data-driven is in our DNA at Cure Media. But, it hasn’t always been that way. As pioneers in the influencer marketing industry, we have seen the improvements in technology and data collection first hand and want to share what we have learned so all brands can capitalise on the benefits of a data-driven approach.
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to influencer marketing platforms. Depending on a myriad of factors–such as your influencer marketing goals or the types of influencers you would like to work with–there are a few different things to consider when choosing the right platform.
The dark ages of influencer marketing are over
During the influencer marketing industry’s infancy, most brands and agencies made do with the low-tech options available to them: excel sheets and email. This manual way of working took a lot of time and had very little payoff. Not only was it difficult to manage campaigns and influencer relationships with this method, but it was also impossible to track how campaigns performed and whether the influencers were a good fit for the brand.
There’s a reason very few brands and agencies still work this way. Unless your brand only collaborates with a few celebrity influencers, excel and email are simply not comprehensive enough to manage influencer marketing activities. Without a dedicated influencer marketing platform, you cannot scale your activities, work with micro-influencers, or track the progress of your campaigns.
This raises the question: What should brands look for when choosing an influencer marketing platform to work with?
Influencer marketing platforms: The basics
An influencer marketing platform is a software solution that makes it easier for brands to run influencer marketing campaigns and activities. Unlike an influencer database–which only helps you find influencers– an influencer marketing platform organises and streamlines every step of the influencer marketing process. However, not all platforms are made equal. In the next section, we’ll dive into the details of influencer marketing platforms and what you should look for when deciding which platform to work with.
Prefer to listen? Tune in to hear Babak Faramarzian, Co-founder and Head of Product at Cure Media sort out what brands need in an influencer marketing platform.
What to look for in an influencer marketing platform
Many brands face the same challenges when it comes to influencer marketing: it takes too much time, it’s complicated to measure, and it’s tricky to find the right influencers to work with. A good tech platform solves these problems by taking out the guesswork and backing up all decisions with data.
1. Data-driven influencer selection
The authenticity and humanistic approach of influencer marketing is what makes it so successful. But if your brand doesn’t wor