An increasing number of followers (or subscribers) and big engagement rates confirm that a well thought out influencer marketing campaign with matched influencers not only builds a better brand image, but can also increase sales of particular products.
In some industries, influencer marketing is now an essential element of a marketing strategy (e.g. beauty or fashion brands). The Polish market is very specific. Not every influencer marketing activity that works in other countries is likely to be successful here. How do you make a good influencer marketing campaign in Poland?
Create a coherent idea for the campaign and determine your goals
The first, and most important, steps in influencer marketing, in general are: specifying what the brand wants to achieve from the campaign (e.g. increase brand awareness, increase sales, develop a bond with the customer, generate leads etc.); and what size the budget is, are the key. If the budget is small, it is worth considering cooperating with micro-influencers (in Poland – people with anywhere between 1,000 and 10,000 social media followers). As a matter of fact, 2018 has been the year of very successful collaborations with micro-influencers in Poland. The most significant advantage of micro-influencers is the fact that they often have a specific niche audience and have a deep connection with their fans. Great engagement is really more important than the number of followers. A good example of this practice was a Raiffeisen Polbank campaign with small influencers related to “urban” activities (such as drifting, jogging, skating etc.). Their sponsored Instagram posts were treated as natural content and engaged fans.
Find appropriate influencers
Finding the right influencers to partnership with your brand should be the most important step in planning a successful campaign. Not only must they fit the industry and subject of a campaign, their audience must be of equal importance. Some Polish influencers (even big ones) still receive negative feedback from their audience when they produce sponsored content. In Poland this factor is particularly important when it comes to influencers with strongly attached communities. An example of a bad influencer choice was the campaign promoting Orange Cloud in collaboration with Maffashion (big Polish beauty influencer).
She said that she lost her phone and now she can see all the photos made by a thief on her Orange Cloud profile. Her audience (mostly young girls and women) not only believed in her story, but turned out to be really scared. When the ad was shown, both the brand and influencer received very negative feedback.
Trust influencers with content they create
Many brands tend to impose their own ideas at the beginning of negotiations. This is a big mistake. Influencers have their own style and they know their audience. Poles are very suspicious when it comes to sponsored videos or posts. When something seems unnatural, even the most dedicated fans sometimes feel betrayed, and they show their disappointment in the comment section. Brands should let the creators make content that matches their image and that is similar to what they do on a daily basis.
Most Polish influencers really care about their audience and make sure they get good content, not just intrusive advertising. Polish YouTuber from Sprawdzam Jak channel does a lot of creative collaborations with brands (e.g. UPC, Portal Funduszy Europejskich, Aisko) and still gets a very good response from his audience. The content he creates in partnerships is closely related to his original, non-sponsored videos.
Discuss the details and sign the agreement
It would seem obvious that determining how the sponsored content will be designed is completely up to the brand. Naturally, the brand is the sponsor, and as such is not required to sign for a campaign with “sponsored content” for public viewing. Unfortunately for them, most Polish influencers tend to avoid these kinds of collaborations.
They choose to be honest with their audience and clearly indicate which video or posts were prepared in cooperation with brands. They look for partnerships that allow them to say (or write): “Yes, this is sponsored content. The brand paid me, but I still recommend their product or service.” Actually, this can be the most important factor that determines whether a Polish influencer will accept or reject a proposition.
If you are looking for a Polish marketing agency that will help you plan good influencer marketing campaigns with Polish influencers, contact us. Let us help you expand your business, and build a recognizable brand with a successful campaign.