Marketing using influencers has proven to be a popular and effective way for brands to reach target audiences. Today, the worldwide influencer marketing industry is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $21 billion, with more growth expected to occur over the next several years. At the same time, live streaming — whether on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, or other streaming platform — has taken off, profoundly changing content consumption habits and giving influencers new opportunities to entertain and engage their audiences.
Uplify is a tech company whose software allows online content creators and influencers to easily incorporate non-intrusive advertising into their content streams, and I was delighted to chat with Pasha Medvedev, the company’s Co-Founder, and Ilana Abrahams Nolte, who advises the company, about how the system works and touch on influencer marketing best practices generally.
We cover many topics germane to influencer marketing, including:
- How content creators are emerging as a powerful media channel.
- How brands can benefit by developing relationships with a diversified portfolio of online influencers.
- The importance of balancing control and reach in influencer marketing.
- The need to align influencer marketing with business objectives.
- The importance of personalization and authenticity in influencer marketing.
- Whether mid-tier influencers provide better value to brands due to harder work and engagement.
- How influencer marketing is shifting towards programmatic buying and branded content platforms.
- How Uplify uses AI to help brands target authentic creators with aligned values.
- How Uplify ensures authentic branded content placement within creators’ organic posts.
- How Uplify is endeavoring to build a sustainable ecosystem that benefits brands, creators and consumers alike.