People these days are more visual. That’s why people love social media with all the graphics and visual art that people share. Just what does it take to get a brand out there? Influencers seem to be doing it so easily. If you think you are getting nowhere with your efforts in promoting your brand, you should consider what influencers are doing apart from employing a third party company like Getfans.io to get you the subscribers you need.
Charity Campaigns
Who wouldn’t be inspired by an influencer who uses their reach to do something positive? You can find many influencers on social media today who are committed to volunteer and charitable causes. They proudly disclose their beliefs and use their influence to support organizations that live up to their values. In return, they receive a lot of public recognition and a lot of support from their community.
A prime example of this is the influencer Carmen Kroll from Cologne, Germany. With more than 851,000 followers, she is not only an Instagram star, but also a great help for the children of Malawi. She and her husband started a project to build Carmushka Elementary School in Malawi. To finance this, she donated 10,000 euros herself and asked her fans (whom she affectionately calls Carmushkis) for a donation. In just a few hours, she managed to raise over 60,000 euros. Last December, she announced on her account that the goal was no longer an elementary school, but an entire school center. To do this, she needed 120,000 euros, which she was able to raise in just two days. As a result of her charity campaign, she gained more followers and recognition from many organizations. She even made it into some German newspapers and online articles. And just like influencers, brands can also benefit from donations to charities.
Drop Collaborations
Another way to increase the following of your social media account is to work with other influencers – so-called “piggybacking”. Vlogfund is a platform that focuses on exactly that. Your fans can e.g. suggest which other influencers to work with or submit campaigns yourself. Your community can also make recommendations on collaboration. If the campaign idea receives enough votes and donations, the collaboration videos will be “dropped” exclusively on the platform. Through this collaboration, you will not only reach a new audience, but also get creative ideas for your next posting or video.
Loop Giveaways
Loop giveaways are one of the hottest trends in influencer marketing that more and more brands are discovering for themselves. It is a kind of Instagram contest, in which many users (brands and influencers) come together and raffle an attractive price in exchange for followers. The method is particularly advantageous for new or emerging brands and influencers. Loop giveaways increase the number of followers without violating the Instagram guidelines (such as buying followers).
The process is simple: a well-known influencer advertises the competition in a post and mentions another Instagram account. To participate, users must follow all followers of the account mentioned. After the specified deadline, the prizes will be raffled among the participants. The original giveaway postings are then edited or deleted. This is to prevent Instagram users from continuing to participate in the raffle and from following accounts when the competition has already ended. A famous example of a loop giveaway was hosted by Kylie Jenner last year. The users had to follow 70 accounts to win luxury bags and a cash prize of $ 20,000.
PR Stunts
PR stunts or publicity stunts are planned events that draw the public’s attention to a thing or a product. They make a massive difference in a very short time. Depending on the goals of the campaign, the PR stunt can be something fun or formal. It can be organized professionally or carried out by amateurs.
Kinsey Wolanski held her “one minute of fame” during the 2019 Champions League Final. The influencer known as the model snuck onto the lawn during the game and sprinted into the middle of the field. She was only dressed in a skimpy swimsuit to advertise the Uncensored website. Kinsey was captured by the guards in less than a minute. However, the effects of their actions remained. Her video has been viewed more than 4.5 million times on Instagram, 840,000 times on Twitter and 350,000 times on Facebook. The number of her Instagram followers rose from 316,000 to 2.7 million immediately after the game.
Reality Shows
Reality shows are another way for influencers to expand their social media accounts. Although mostly exaggerated and over-staged, shows like the Bachelor can have a strong impact on the reach of influencers. Be warned though, this type of advertising can backfire. One wrong appearance in front of the camera and you get a violent shit storm. In addition, it is not unlikely that the influencer will be forgotten after the season. For example, Evanthia Benatatou had over 60,000 followers when she appeared in a bachelor’s degree in March 2019. At the end of the season, the number of their followers steadily decreased. She currently has only 47.5k followers on Instagram.