Influencer Marketing Strategies for Music Businesses, written for MIA members by Thea Paraskevaides of ARTISTS&
Why use Influencer Marketing, and why is it such a dirty word?
MI businesses of all sizes, from small independent retailers to large brands and distributors, are starting to use influencer marketing more and more. It can often be seen as intimidating, and influencer can sometimes sound like a dirty word, but when you find the right one – which is often with a niche following – they can have a big influence on the attitudes and purchase behaviours of their audiences (your customers).
You can use influencer marketing to accomplish your marketing objectives and create enduring relationships with your target audiences by carefully identifying the right influencers and selecting the best campaign types. We will talk through different ways to get started in the space, including campaigns and content, platforms, example pricing, and what you need to think about when setting up agreements.
Campaign Types
The type of campaign you use depends ultimately on your budget and goals.
In a Contra campaign, the influencer generates content for a product that is provided to them for free. There is a low barrier to entry for brands here, and is often used where the focus is brand awareness. Unless it’s a particularly high value product, Contra campaigns can be a little tricky to implement as influencers rightly value their audience sizes and niches. There is a balance to be struck, but you can still access a focussed, albeit smaller, audience.
If your priority is direct sales, Affiliate relationships can work best. The influencer receives a commission on sales they bring in, usually trackable via discount code or link, which incentivises those conversions. Contra and Affiliate do come with some complications and limitations that we can’t go into here, but they can be a good place to start.
Sponsored posts are self-explanatory; a brand/retailer can pay an influencer a fixed amount (or based on views), to produce content that specifically promotes a product or brand. Where budget allows this is a great way to have instant impact on a large audience and though we always advocate for genuine and authentic content, you can have far more of a say in the content itself (product features etc.) Ambassadors are essentially long-term relationships with influencers. They are ongoing partnerships where the influencer consistently promotes the brand over time, helping to build sustained brand loyalty and recognition.
Content
There are two important distinctions when it comes to content; Dedicated vs Mentions, and Long-form vs Short-form (also known as vertical), and they all attract different fees.
Mentions offer a more understated and organic approach by integrating the brand within larger content, whereas Dedicated content gives a deep dive, almost like a product review or demonstration.
Long-form content such as YouTube videos or blog posts is when an influencer goes really in-depth into a product or brand, which allows for more detailed storytelling. However, Short-form content has the potential to become viral and is best suited to quick powerful messages, such as Instagram Stories, Reels, TikToks and YouTube Shorts.
The type of content is influenced by the budget of course, but also the product itself and the influencer. A piece of printed music wouldn’t necessarily lend itself to a 15 minute YouTube review, and a recording console might not achieve the best results on a 30s reel.
So then there are the platforms…
Social media platforms and average prices
Content opportunities vary across platforms, and each has its own cost structure:
TikTok predominantly engages a Gen Z audience with its focus on Short-form content, making it popular for trends, challenges, and entertainment.
Instagram too attracts a younger audience, but with a focus on visual lifestyle content, such as photos and short videos.
Facebook has a broad and diverse user base, but is particularly popular among older demographics for social networking, news, and community engagement.
YouTube is known for its vast and varied content library, attracting users of all ages who seek everything from tutorials and educational content to entertainment and music. It’s the go-to platform for long-form video consumption and influencers can demand the highest fees.
The platform(s) used in the campaign strategy depends on your target audience, your ultimate goal, the type of content and the influencers involved.
Influencer selection is another crucial factor in the strategy and though we can’t go into all of the detail here, things to consider include size (nano, micro, macro, hero), engagement rate, fees, aesthetics, audience demographics and brand alignment. It’s easy to be blinded by large follower numbers, but the most important consideration is who those followers are – are they music makers, or music fans? Analysis of the audience is key.
Contracting and regulations, #sponsored
Influencer marketing is still a relatively unregulated industry leading to lack of advertising declarations. But openness is crucial, disclosures must be clear and conspicuous and it is the responsibility of the brand to monitor and guide the influencer and we recommend doing this via contracting.
Other essential contracting points include:
Usage rights give the brand/business permission to use the influencer’s content in specific ways, such as reposting on their own social media platforms, using the content in advertising materials, or boosting directly from the influencers account (Whitelisting).
It should be agreed that Insights should be made available by the influencer. These include reporting on KPI’s such as impressions, engagement, conversions and clicks. This information is essential for evaluating the campaign’s effectiveness.
In summary, Influencers have highly engaged, highly targeted audiences that can be presented with your brand messages in an instant. And whether you’re looking to expand brand awareness or sell a product, there’s an influencer and a strategy that can work for you.
If you’d like to get in touch with Thea, please email thea@artists-and.com
This article was written for MIA members by Thea Paraskevaides of ARTISTS&, a media agency for music businesses offering influencer marketing, social media management, bespoke paid ad campaigns and more. ARTISTS& have worked with brands in music and beyond, from Yamaha and Sony through to Turkish Airlines and the Waldorf Astoria. This content is an expansion of our presentation at the NAMM Idea Centre in 2023.
