Forrester Research confirms that senior communications professionals in the United States are approaching the 105 million millennials the wrong way. A $200 billion market, which they are still serving with the same media methodologies as 30 years ago.
'Mastercard' moments
PR agencies are having a hard time. Where journalists used to buy free publicity like candy, this trade is now increasingly subject to erosion. Research that 'independently' shows that Brand X's product is spot on is no longer allowed by the media. The number of columns in magazines and newspapers has decreased and bloggers send their rate card almost immediately.
Reach and content have become more difficult. On social media you can build your own presence as a brand, but it is even better to also use so-called influentials who give you a 'Mastercard' moment. A priceless experience of your product or service, which therefore hits the target via the followers of these influencers.
Three tips for marketing and PR professionals to reach that seemingly unreachable target group in a new way.
1. Create special moments (events) for influencers
When the musical ' Hij Gelooft In Mij ' premiered, tickets were quickly sold out. The media attention was immense, with ingredients such as Joop van den Ende, Hazes and famous actors. The musical was different from others, with a serious undertone, cast and actors. But how do you reach the people who are put off by musicals?
We came up with a trick for that. We invited influencers with a huge qualitative following on Twitter. The hashtag was provided and the guests were given photo opportunities that do well on Instagram. Ultimately, the eight influencers present reached no less than 356,000 Twitter users, the photos were viewed thousands of times and even non-present Twitter users joined in the discussion in a positive way. In a positive tone, through a small campaign, an important and otherwise quite inaccessible target group was reached. In their own way, separate from the showbiz, entertainment and musical media.
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A next step would be a long-term relationship with these influencers, which you build just like PR people do with journalists today.
2. Go for a long-term relationship
According to George Haynes, Digital & Social Media Manager at KIA in the United States, TV is like rain . You don't know what TV channel the consumer is watching. And isn't he more busy with his 'second screen', such as laptop or phone, while watching TV? Kia has therefore decided to change course and focus on social influencers to let them act as brand ambassadors. Especially because according to research, 92% of consumers trust 'earned' media, such as endorsements by influencers, more than all other forms of advertising.
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With the KIA social club, KIA ensures that the influencers know the models, can take a road trip in one of their cars and that special blog parties are held. By deploying 198 advocates, 24,000 social endorsements were delivered, reaching more than 30 million people in total. You create ambassadors for life, who continue to promote your brand. You take longer to earn back this investment, but it is more measurable and sustainable than a one-off event.
3. Think about the hashtag
You can't ask the influencers you invite to tweet very actively, post photos on Instagram and south africa mobile phone number list status updates on Facebook. You do that by subtly pointing out the hashtag, in the case of KIA for example #kiasocialclub . This stimulates the influencers to think about how they are going to use their social channels.
If you forget to mention the hashtag, you run the risk that they won't use it or won't coordinate the hashtags. This will cause you to miss out on social media posts, there will be less interaction between attendees and you will also have a harder time measuring the results. Because the event is already 'social' before it has even started, it is useful to mention the hashtag in advance in the invitation and, as a PR professional, to seek interaction with the influencers in the run-up to the event.
You would almost think that traditional PR campaigns on old media no longer hit the mark. Of course, millennials still watch a lot of TV and read a magazine every now and then. For PR consultants and marketers, it is essential to add new components such as influencer PR to their existing mix in order to effectively reach generations Y and Z. This is done by replacing the 'public' in PR with 'social influencers', approaching them personally and using them as individuals, not just as recipients. The potential of the (social) internet is also used for PR and the effect of PR is also optimal for this group.