It has been seven years of managing some of the audacious influencer marketing campaigns for some of the top three commercial banks in Nigeria. Here are seven lessons learnt overtime from these successful marketing activities.

1. Strong understanding of target audience 

Successful influencer marketing campaigns are premised on thorough understanding of the target audience. Based on the products being rolled out, it is not uncommon for banks to target new moms seeking to save the monetary gifts received on behalf of their babies, or young adults opening their first accounts.Having an this knowledge helps in carefully sifting through all available options and picking the right influencer the target audience resonates with.

   2. Content formats vary

It is not a one cut fits all pattern when working with influencers. While it is very okay for Influencer A to excel in video content production, same may not be said for Influencer B. Videos, blogposts, tweets and other social media updates have been utilised to connect with the target audience at diverse media touchpoints. It is crucial that banks find the specific content format that best connect with their target audience.

     3. Don’t burn bridges

Maintaining lasting relationships with influencers has proven more beneficial than one-off engagement. Maintaining consistent relationship with the bank can help reinforce the bank’s brand messaging and help establish strong connections with the audience.

4. Regulatory compliance

The financial services industry is one of the most regulated in the world. To avoid legal issues, it is important to have up-to-date information regarding regulations within the industry when collaborating with influencers. Ensuring that these regulations are strictly adhere to can make huge success in the course of your influencer marketing campaign.

 5.  Pick a brand fit based on credibility and trust

The need to work with influencers who are brand fit cannot be overemphasised. Engaging influencers with track records of credible achievements can hugely enhance a bank by associating their personal brand with the bank.

 6. Tell a beautiful story

It is no news that people generally connect with stories. Hacking successful influencer marketing campaigns starts with identifying influencers who can bring their own personal experiences and anecdotes to the fore. These experiences would make the campaign more relatable and engaging.

 7. Data! data!! data!!!

Influencer marketing campaigns should be data driven, just like you have in any other marketing strategy. Analysing campaign metrics such as reach, engagement, conversions etc can give insights into campaign performance and help refine future influencer marketing campaigns.