YouTube has been increasingly promoting its homegrown talent to advertisers. YouTube vlogger Michelle Phan partnered with Lancome, Bethany Mota partnered with Aeropostale, and the Fine Brothers partnered with Friskies.
Brands have been partnering with social media influencers for years. It can be an effective way for a brand to combine content creation with audience reach. But it’s tempting for brands to chase viral to the exclusion of everything else. Marketers shouldn’t forget the importance of brand fit.
This is especially interesting to watch as brands newly try to appeal to Millennial audiences, sometimes in awkward ways.
Fortunately, channels like YouTube feature infinite niches. There are potential content partnerships for every imaginable brand. But brands need to take the time to find the right fit.
Marketers can struggle with social media because their historical bias is to create commercials. Content creators can struggle with how to incorporate a commercial message into their work. The ideal is when there’s a genuine connection between the two and the freedom to collaborate creatively.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how best to partner with social media influencers.
(Marketoonist Tuesday: I’m giving away a signed cartoon print. Just share an insightful comment to this week’s post by 5:00 PST on Tuesday. Thanks!)
