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How influencer marketing doesn’t just stop at Instagram

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Influencer Marketing|How influencer marketing doesn’t just stop at InstagramInfluencer marketing is an industry that has taken over all social media platforms, as well as being one of the main advertising exports for the majority of companies. What would convince you to try something new? A random advert on TV or a recommendation from a public figure that you trust?

There are many good reasons why influencer marketing is reshaping the way that marketing works in 2020. Millennials in particular are heavily influenced by their peers when it comes to purchasing decisions. In fact, 70% of them turn to their peers for advice when they’re thinking about a product or service. But Millennials aren’t alone — in general, influencer marketing gets a return on investment that’s 11 times greater than traditional marketing!

Social media influencers need to become your brand ambassadors in their sphere of influence — whether they’re mega-influencers or micro-influencers. You need to find and foster your influencers as if they’re an extension of your own marketing team. But first, you need to know which social media channels people are turning to for advice.

Yes, Instagram should go without saying, but where else?

YouTube

YouTube is only second to Instagram when it comes to influencer marketing reach, even though many would argue it was first to the party — and it may be more powerful among certain demographics.
The platform does seem to have more sway among males. It affects the purchasing habits of 22.8% of men vs. only 13.9% of women. In addition to this, teenagers feel 7 times the emotional attachment to their favourite YouTube stars than they do to other celebrities.

Moreover, YouTube has strong influencers in a broad array of niches, including cars, alcohol, beauty, and toys (just to name a few). Consumers enjoy the funny, sometimes-irreverent familiarity of their favourite YouTubers and really take their recommendations to heart.

Influencer marketing agency Socially Powerful can help businesses tap into the benefits that YouTube influencers can have on brand awareness and sales figures, making it an even greater market for your company to explore.

Pinterest

Pinterest is one of the ‘new kids on the block’ when it comes to social channels, but it already has over 150 million users — and 85% of those are women. However, Pinterest doesn’t think of itself as a social media channel so much as it does a “visual discovery tool.”

Despite that, Pinterest is a channel full of consumers — 87% have purchased something because of Pinterest. If you’re a visually driven brand, Pinterest can be useful. Look for influencers with well-organised boards, easy-to-find keywords, and lots of follower engagement to make it work.

Snapchat

People on Snapchat only tend to follow other people that they know. Because of that, Snapchat influencers tend to be highly effective in inspiring trust.

The downside to Snapchat is that ‘snaps’ don’t have much longevity. Yes, they vanish after just 24 hours which could limit just how effective an influencer can really be. Influencers, even if they’re paid, will lose their authenticity if they’re constantly repeating snaps on the same product or service.

However, that hasn’t stopped a few companies from incorporating Snapchat into their social campaigns. Companies like VaynerMedia and AKQA have found ways to mix Snapchat into their cross-platform social campaigns for MasterCard and the Call of Duty games.

“Wellth” is the New Wealth

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals ArticleWealth has historically been viewed as financial success in business that translates to success in life. Money, real estate, investments, and “stuff” like cars and expensive vacations – if you’ve got these things, you’re doing well for yourself… right?

Perhaps it’s time we recognized that the wealth game is changing. While money does matter, it’s no longer the foremost defining attribute of personal or professional achievement. Instead, a new focus on happiness and purpose is driving the common consciousness. This shift is due in part to the influence of millennials, whose priorities about work and life are reshaping everything from world economies to the business landscape as a whole.

The millennial mind looks at something like the price of real estate – the financial Everest they would need to climb to achieve some conventional form of “wealth” – and realizes that maybe there are more important things within their reach. Indeed, 53 percent of millennials say they value health more than any other priority besides family. Additionally, nine in 10 say they pursue health in order to be successful in other areas of life. It’s clear that, rather than wealth, this next generation of leaders prioritizes what I like to call “wellth.”

What is wellth? Wellth is the combination of physical, mental, and financial wellbeing that provides a foundation for each of us to strive toward success by living our best lives. Wellth redefines what it means to “arrive” by focusing instead on the journey; it’s about not being a slave to the daily grind; it’s making a conscious decision to live well. And while wellth may seem like some kind of New Age idealism, it’s not limited to vegan yoga students, boot camp evangelists, or spin bike enthusiasts queuing up to find inner strength at studios all over the world. In fact, there is a definite growing awareness among middle-aged professionals and corporate leaders that seeking wellness will help to accomplish larger goals.

Here are three trends that showcase how millennial-minded workers and businesses are switching their focus from wealth to wellth.

Fueling an Appetite for Ambition

It’s true: green is the new black. Just take a look at the many healthy eating gurus who are dominating Instagram feeds and building entrepreneurial empires on the foundation of wellness. Beyond the trendiness, though, this new focus on eating right underscores an emerging understanding and appreciation of how food affects all aspects of our lives.

The healthy food/happy employees connection has not gone unrecognized by most forward-thinking businesses. Research shows that employees with unhealthy diets are 66 percent more likely to experience a loss in productivity than those who regularly eat whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. This is something most people realize from personal experience without even needing the science to back it up. There are foods that increase focus, concentration, and alertness, just as there are foods that make you feel sluggish, uninterested, and tired—it’s the reason we all silently chide ourselves for reaching for that bag of chips when we’re stressed.

Not surprisingly, Google has spared no expense to ensure their cafeteria nurtures employees from the inside out. That’s because they realize that there’s an integral correlation between health, employee happiness, and the combined effect of both on business success. They value wellth!

Finding Focus in Action

Increasing your heart rate and physically pushing your body isn’t only good for your muscles and bones, it’s also great for your brain. This relationship is why many of the world’s most successful business leaders turn to fitness to help them stay centered. In fact, Sir Richard Branson cites daily exercise as his number one secret to staying healthy and productive.

But it’s not only physical action that makes a difference. In addition to building fitness and wellness programs into their cultures,top companies are also recognizing the impact of purpose on the emotional wellbeing of their employees (and, ultimately, their bottom line). Those that prioritize action in the form of corporate social responsibility and embrace the power of giving back are finding success, both in terms of profitability and in terms of employee motivation, retention, and engagement.

Taking Mindfulness to Work

Balance in life is necessary, and burnout at work can often tip the scales in the wrong direction. Burnout manifests as a lack of interest or motivation, depression, or even physical illness – and 69 percent of employees cite burnout as a key contributing factor to poor productivity.

Along with eating right and staying fit, being mindful of burnout is essential for keeping your wellth account full. This can be as simple as scheduling time to unplug or learn new skills. Even technology – the supposed enemy of peace and quiet – can help. For example, apps like Headspace can act as a personal trainer for your mind and help you achieve your daily 10 minutes of mindfulness.

Businesses that want to help their employees avoid burnout can provide unique experiences, such as sponsoring a company cycling team or organizing regular outdoor retreats. Oftentimes, just getting outside is enough to reset the balance, as research shows that time spent in nature can increase happiness and attentiveness.

Journeying Toward Wellth

These three trends represent the tip of the iceberg for the wellth movement. As the millennial mindset continues to shift wellness from a mere fad into the mainstream, traditional constructs of personal/professional achievement are actively being replaced with a new appreciation of life goals (and how we reach them). The basic tenets of wellth may focus on diet, fitness, and mindfulness, but this movement is about more than just working out and eating berries and kale; it’s a conscious choice to live well.

As motivational philosopher (and friend) Jay Shetty notes, “We are human beings but act more like human doings. Instead of a ‘to do’ list we need a ‘to be’ list. Rather than thinking what we should we do in situations we should think about who we want to be in situations.” Wellth is how many of us are bringing the act of being back into everything we do. It provides a holistic vision of what it takes for each of us to reach higher and go farther, which empowers us to build a solid foundation for attaining success in all aspects of life—including work.

So, how wellthy are you?


About the Author

Nick Goode is the Vice President Product Management — Cloud & Sage One, Sage’s cloud accounting and payroll solution for start-ups and small businesses. Goode is accountable for the commercial, channel, product and marketing strategy for Sage One worldwide. Goode is previously Head of Sage One for Sage UK, and prior to that, Head of Marketing for the Accountants Division at Sage. His LinkedIn can be viewed at https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickgoodeuk and his Twitter handle is @nickgoode.

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2

StrategyDriven Podcasts focus on the tools and techniques executives and managers can use to improve their organization’s alignment and accountability to ultimately achieve superior results. These podcasts elaborate on the best practice and warning flag articles on the StrategyDriven website.

Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves. During our discussion, Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace and co-Founders and Partners of BridgeWorks, shares with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

  • why Millennials appear to have a sense of entitlement and how it is different than that of other generations
  • how managers should handle Millennial parents who want to be involved in every aspect of their children’s workplace activities
  • what managers can do to harness the tech savviness and speed of Millennials to their business’s benefit
  • how to deal with Traditionals, Boomers, and Gen Xers who feel they are forfeiting their value to the organization and job security when tasked with sharing hard earned knowledge with Millennials
  • actions Millennials should take to better integrate with their organization

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Lynne and David share in The M-Factor and this special edition podcast are the resources accessible from their website, www.Generations.com.   Their book, The M-Factor, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider rating us on iTunes by clicking here. Rating the StrategyDriven Podcast and providing your comments online improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community.

Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!


About the Author

Lynne Lancaster is one of today’s foremost cultural translators. An expert on the generations, she is co-founder of BridgeWorks, a company that advises leaders, managers, and employees on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work and in the marketplace. Her keynote speeches and workshops have enlightened and entertained high level audiences from many of America’s best companies, including 3M, American Express, Best Buy, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo, as well as from numerous public sector and nonprofit organizations. To read Lynne’s full biography, click here.

David Stillman is co-founder of BridgeWorks and one of the youngest keynote speakers to hit the national circuit. He co-authored the best selling business book, When Generations Collide, with Lynne in 2002. David has appeared nationally on CNN, CNBC, and the Today show and has been featured in such prestigious publications as TIME magazine, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and USA Today. To read David’s full biography, click here.

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 30a – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2

StrategyDriven Podcasts focus on the tools and techniques executives and managers can use to improve their organization’s alignment and accountability to ultimately achieve superior results. These podcasts elaborate on the best practice and warning flag articles on the StrategyDriven website.

Special Edition 30a – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2 examines how to successfully integrate Millennials into the workforce from the perspectives of the Traditionalists, Boomers, and Gen Xers already there and the incoming Millennials themselves. During our discussion, Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor: How the Millennial Generation Is Rocking the Workplace and co-Founders and Partners of BridgeWorks, shares with us their insights and illustrative examples regarding:

  • who Millennials are and their shared characteristics and traits
  • significant environmental factors, world events, and technologies that shape Millennial values, behaviors, and beliefs
  • seven trends associated with Millennials and the impact of each on the business environment

Additional Information

In addition to the incredible insights Lynne and David share in The M-Factor and this special edition podcast are the resources accessible from their website, www.Generations.com.   Their book, The M-Factor, can be purchased by clicking here.

Final Request…

The strength of our community grows with the additional insights brought by our expanding member base. Please consider rating us on iTunes by clicking here. Rating the StrategyDriven Podcast and providing your comments online improves our ranking and helps us attract new listeners which, in turn, helps us grow our community.

Thank you again for listening to the StrategyDriven Podcast!


About the Author

Lynne Lancaster is one of today’s foremost cultural translators. An expert on the generations, she is co-founder of BridgeWorks, a company that advises leaders, managers, and employees on how to conduct business more successfully by bridging generation gaps at work and in the marketplace. Her keynote speeches and workshops have enlightened and entertained high level audiences from many of America’s best companies, including 3M, American Express, Best Buy, Citigroup, Coca-Cola, Lockheed Martin, and Wells Fargo, as well as from numerous public sector and nonprofit organizations. To read Lynne’s full biography, click here.

David Stillman is co-founder of BridgeWorks and one of the youngest keynote speakers to hit the national circuit. He co-authored the best selling business book, When Generations Collide, with Lynne in 2002. David has appeared nationally on CNN, CNBC, and the Today show and has been featured in such prestigious publications as TIME magazine, Entrepreneur, The New York Times, and USA Today. To read David’s full biography, click here.