What Role Does Influencer Marketing Play in Public Relations Strategies?

What Role Does Influencer Marketing Play in Public Relations Strategies?

In the evolving landscape of public relations, incorporating influencer marketing is key, as revealed by a public relations specialist and marketing managers. From leveraging authentic influencer connections to collaborating with value-aligned organizations, discover the six transformative insights these professionals have shared.

• Leverage Authentic Influencer Connections
• Grow Brand With Expert Content
• Combine PR Strategy With Influencer Revenue
• Authentic Engagement With Micro-Influencers
• Align Influencers With Brand Values
• Collaborate With Value-Aligned Organizations

Leverage Authentic Influencer Connections

In a past collaboration with BLVD Content, we assisted with the "Where I'm From" campaign for the Grand Wagoneer. We leveraged influencer marketing by partnering with Jalen Rose. His deep Detroit roots resonated perfectly with the campaign's message of celebrating hometown pride. A key takeaway was the power of authenticity. Jalen's genuine connection to Detroit in his content truly resonated with the audience, making the campaign feel relatable and impactful.

Grow Brand With Expert Content

Our team has worked to become thought leaders in our space. We post short-form videos and blog content full of helpful information for our target audience. By using the expertise of our internal team, we're able to grow our brand through the production of written and video content that others will want to link back to.

Combine PR Strategy With Influencer Revenue

Having worked on both sides, as a brand social strategist and an influencer's publicist, we have found that influencer marketing combined with PR is extremely successful.

For example, we took a traditional Forbes feature for our client and used it as leverage to pitch a paid partnership, resulting in a $10K contract for our influencer. Another example on the influencer side is tweaking her social strategy to include pitching angles, using those posts to pitch and land features in The Daily Mirror and other publications. We then took those features and created bite-size value posts with a call to action leading to newsletter sign-ups and service bookings.

The bottom line is that a PR content strategy is a must on the influencer side to add another revenue stream. On the brand side, choose influencers who can provide every piece of data possible to calculate mutual ROI.

Authentic Engagement With Micro-Influencers

I remember working with a sustainable home decor brand that was looking to expand their reach and connect with a younger audience. Recognizing the power of influencer marketing, we decided to incorporate it into our PR strategy. We carefully identified micro-influencers whose values aligned with the brand's mission and who had a genuine interest in eco-friendly living.

Instead of simply sending out product samples, we invited these influencers to a curated workshop where they learned about the brand's sustainable practices, met the artisans behind the products, and even got to create their own DIY home decor pieces using the brand's materials. This hands-on experience not only created engaging content for the influencers to share with their followers, but it also fostered a genuine connection with the brand.

A key takeaway from this experience was the importance of authenticity and alignment. By partnering with influencers who were genuinely passionate about our brand's values, we were able to create content that felt organic and resonated with their audience. The influencers became true advocates for the brand, sharing their personal experiences and enthusiasm in a way that no press release or advertisement could replicate. This authentic engagement led to increased brand awareness, website traffic, and ultimately, sales.

Align Influencers With Brand Values

At Stratosphere, we effectively integrated influencer marketing into the public relations strategy of one of our insurance clients—an agency looking to expand its reach and credibility. Recognizing that 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, we partnered with industry-specific influencers to authentically promote their insurance products and services. This collaboration significantly increased the agency's brand visibility and trust among potential customers.

One key takeaway from this initiative was the importance of aligning influencers with our client's brand values and target audience. By choosing influencers whose followers matched the demographic profile of the agency's target market, we achieved a 60% higher engagement rate compared to traditional advertising methods. This strategic approach not only enhanced the agency's brand perception but also led to a measurable increase in lead generation and customer acquisition.

Collaborate With Value-Aligned Organizations

I believe in the power of collaboration with organizations that share our values. We cross-promote each other on all our platforms to amplify our work and reach diverse audiences. At my media company, Olán Media, we partner with fact-checking organizations to continue fighting misinformation and disinformation prevalent in our Spanish-speaking communities. We do this for two reasons: to continue serving our audience and to elevate our brand awareness efforts.

Being intentional with our work has opened many doors, including being part of the Fundación Gabo and Google News Initiative's latest major study on the leading native digital media in the U.S. and Latin America. This is an example of what you can accomplish when you leverage the power of the relationships you build.