Event Recap: 7 Things We Learned

The annual Influencer Marketing Show (IMS) took NYC by storm and Mavrck was there along for the ride! This comprehensive conference is designed with brands and retailers in mind, packed with sessions that promote creativity, forward-thinking, best practices, industry debate, and so much more.

The best part? Not one, but two Mavrck leaders took to the stage to discuss all things influencer marketing IRL. Let’s dive in.

 

Creator First: Unlocking the Power of Authentic Storytelling to Drive Impact and ROI

Lyle Stevens (center) discusses measurement and ROI with Rachael Ryan (right) and Jenny Heinrich (left).

Lyle Stevens, CEO of Mavrck, and TikTok’s Rachael Ryan discussed how brands can adopt a “Creator First” strategy across all of their channels, especially on TikTok, to drive the best results possible.

Lyle explained how this approach can help brands build authentic relationships with creators to drive impact and ROI — particularly when combined with TikTok’s growing repertoire of brand-focused tools.

When it comes to effective influencer marketing, Lyle notes that building a measurement methodology is a vital component for brand success. 

“It all comes down to ROI and driving revenue,” he says. “But there’s also the savings component. ‘How do I get content at scale that is trustworthy and authentic in a cost-effective way that I can repurpose on other channels?’” 

This double-pronged approach is a game-changer when it comes to influencer marketing strategy and campaign measurement. 

“We’re thinking about the return and the savings, and then building your framework around both of them,” he added. “You have this holistic way of thinking about ROI that is really valuable.”

If you want to learn more about ROI measurement but don’t know where to start, we can help. Check out our guide.

 

Closing the Creative Gap for Optimal Influencer Marketing Success

Lindsey Gamble (second from right) explains the importance of brand/influencer collaboration.

Lindsey Gamble, Associate Director of Influencer Innovation at Mavrck, spoke alongside a panel of industry leaders — from Bimbo Bakeries, CIPIO.ai, and more — to talk about closing the creative gap to achieve optimal influencer marketing success. 

This wide-reaching conversation covered the existing creative gap, what brands can do, and how talent management plays a role in mending this divide.

During the session, Lindsey pointed out that collaborating with creators during the campaign ideation stage provides value right away. 

“There’s a reason we work with creators. They’re the experts,” he said. “One of the most interesting things I’ve been working on and paying attention to in the last few years is bringing creators in earlier in the process. That could be as simple as asking them for a concept or an idea … [working with them] on focus groups, or having one-on-one conversations … or even bringing them in as full-time employees or consultants.”

Thinking about working with influencers as strategic consultants? Learn more. 

 

Our Top 7 Takeaways

IMS is a valuable experience for any marketer. Here are our top seven takeaways from this year’s sessions:

    • Measuring campaign performance and ROI is still a hot topic within this space. Having the ability to measure campaign effectiveness has always been top of mind for brands — and this isn’t going away any time soon, especially as budgets and resources become tighter. 
    • Many brands are still running their influencer marketing programs manually — regardless of their program maturity. The time commitment to managing these campaigns is a major pain point, and brands are constantly looking for tools to help scale their programs.
    • Brands want an all-in-one solution to help them manage their influencer marketing campaigns from start to finish: from finding creators to nurturing those relationships to launching and tracking campaigns to capturing results — brands want a platform that can do it all. 
    • Brands are partnering with creators most often on Instagram, according to a live poll shared during one of Mavrck’s sessions at IMS. Out of 69 attendees, 59% of respondents said that Instagram was their primary channel for creator activations, whereas 33% said that TikTok was their go-to. 
    • Creators should be involved in brands’ creative processes as collaborative partners in order to support the creation of higher-quality, more authentic, and extra-relatable content. Doing so gives influencers space and opportunities to flex their creativity — all while keeping brand goals top of mind. 
    • De-influencing is a major opportunity for brands to listen and engage with creators — not fold under backlash. Getting feedback and input directly from influencers is a big win for brand reputation and product quality. Not to mention that creators will remember and prioritize partnerships with the brands that listen. 
    • AI growth has many implications for the future of influencer marketing, and these go beyond streamlining tedious tasks. From creative ideation to content production, virtual influencers to digital twins — AI is predicted to change everything. 


For brands looking for a comprehensive way to manage influencer marketing programs, Mavrck can do it all. From finding creators, to managing relationships, to running campaigns, to handling payments, to tracking and reporting, our all-in-one influencer marketing platform helps support brands through every step of the campaign process. 

In fact, we were just named by G2 as a Leading Influencer Marketing Platform For Enterprise Brands for the 15th quarter in a row. Let us show you why brands across industries trust Mavrck to empower them to achieve their influencer marketing goals. 

 

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