How Can an Influencer-Led Content Production Engine transform your Social Media Marketing Strategy to be more effective & efficient?

Exploring how establishing a creator-led approach to content production can save on time and costs, whilst simultaneously driving more effective, agile and reactive social marketing activities

1. Traditional content production is resource-intensive

Traditional studio shoot content is often expensive, time-consuming to produce and slow to go live, offering brands limited flexibility and agility when producing assets, not only for social, but digital, website, OOH and more. This lack of flexibility also makes it difficult to be reactive to cultural moments and trends.

In the modern age of marketing audiences aren’t looking for overproduced, studio-shot content. Consumers engage with and make purchase decisions based on content that feels authentic to their needs and identity. 

2. It’s time to transition from traditional shoots to leveraging influencers & content creators

One common practice that many brands are implementing to improve the efficiency of their content production is transitioning from traditional shoots to leveraging influencers as the source of all branded content. 

However, influencers are no longer being used in the traditional sense. Whereas before they were leveraged for their following and large reach, brands are now seeking micro-influencers (c.20k followers) based on their ability to create high-quality, social-first content and contracting them on a retained basis to produce branded assets. This signifies a pivotal new role for influencers, in the form of content creators.

By collaborating with this type of creator, brands can generate content at a fraction of the cost of traditional shoots, requiring significantly less planning time. This approach allows for greater agility and responsiveness in content creation strategies.

By combining creator content production with a constantly listening trend and insight function that identifies cultural, social and shopping trends, brands can unlock and implement a reactive response to trends, support UGC Identification and inform the product selection for paid social campaigns.

3. Why does creator produced content drive better results? 

The great thing about creator content is it proves both efficient and effective in delivering results across all your objectives and content requirements. 

Benefits of creator produced content include, but are not limited to the following…

3.1 Authentic & Relatable

The rise of influencer marketing is inseparably linked to the ability of creators to engage consumers through genuine experiences and opinions on products and services. By leveraging a creator led content production engine brands are able to tap into this authenticity across all marketing activities by leveraging the creators TOV. 

“90% of consumers would consider a brand/product if promoted by their favorite influencer” – Adweek

3.2 Social Optimized

 Consumers don’t want to see product focused content that feels overly advertorial. By featuring content creators in social media assets brands can instantly optimize their content for audiences who are more likely to engage with content that features a human face within the first 3 seconds. 

“30% better performance from influencer first content on social for paid media vs traditional formats” – Meta

3.3 Relevant & Reactive 

Creator content is demonstrably quicker to produce when compared to traditional production formats. Brands can leverage this content source to react to social media and cultural trends when these topics are still hot – maximizing the relevancy of their content strategy to reap the benefits of trending products, creative formats and messages. Something many brands struggle to do, often joining the conversation late due to an inability to create content quickly enough. 

3.4 Year Round Turnkey Content

Leveraging creator produced content empowers you to have access to an always-on content engine that can produce assets for year-round use, campaign activities or just specific trending moments. For example a piece of summer focused content featuring a yearly relevant product (i.e. ice cream) that can be rolled out on a yearly basis when the temperature is high. 

3.5 Scalability

Creator-led content production allows brands to quickly scale their content production based on demand or campaign objectives due to the agility afforded through this approach. This flexibility is especially valuable in today’s fast-paced digital landscape where agility is key to staying relevant.

3.6 Diverse Perspectives

Utilizing content creators allows brands to tap into a diverse range of perspectives and voices. Not only that, creators have specialist knowledge, experience and understanding of what the audience want, which brands can benefit from through the production of highly relevant content. 

3.7 Supports all content requirements

Creator produced content can be leveraged to support any and all of your content requirements, from always-on reactive content in line with trends, to turnkey content used multiple times throughout the year, all the way to supporting wider brand campaigns in and outside social. 

3.8 Algorithm Optimized 

Social media algorithms specifically TikTok & Meta are prioritizing paid spend behind creator produced assets as these are the most aligned to what consumers are engaging with. Meaning your content is more likely to be viewed organically by consumers on their feeds, boosting reach, engagement and overall performance of social marketing activities. 

In summary, creator-produced content stands out as a potent force for achieving superior social media marketing results. Its effectiveness lies in several key advantages:

• Authenticity and relatability foster genuine connections with consumers, enhancing brand trust.
• Social optimization ensures immediate engagement by avoiding overly advertorial content.
• Swift response to trends maximizes relevance and impact.
• Year-round availability of content supports a consistent brand presence.
• Scalability enables quick adaptation to changing demands and increased output of social marketing activities.
• Diverse perspectives expand reach to and engagement with niche audiences.
• Supportive of all your content requirements.
• Algorithmic optimization enhances visibility and engagement on social platforms.

In essence, creator-produced content offers authenticity, agility, and effectiveness, reshaping marketing strategies for deeper connections and sustainable growth in the digital era.

4. Optimizing your content production engine across full funnel objectives 

While influencer-led content creation serves as a versatile vertical for content generation, brands can fine-tune their strategies to align with specific objectives and requirements. There are two main areas where brands can customize their approach:

4.1 Optimizing the Creator Portfolio 

The creator portfolio should be under constant surveillance, you should be looking to identify new potential content creators as well as measuring the performance of your current partners to identify areas for refinement and optimization. 

• Criteria-Based Selection: Defining specific criteria such as content quality, audience demographics and brand alignment to ensure influencers are a suitable fit for the brand’s image and objectives. For example, looking for influencers who create high-quality content. 
• Performance Monitoring: When influencers post to their own channels, regular evaluation of creator performance allows brands to identify underperforming creators and adjust partnerships accordingly, ensuring sustained quality output. For example, creators who are driving above average cost per clicks versus benchmarked figures from all your partnerships. 
• Relationship Building: Nurturing relationships with high performing partners who consistently output high quality content that drives results inline with key performance objectives to foster an advocatory relationship between creators and brands. For example inviting them to exclusive events or giving them access to paid influencer campaigns

4.2 Creating assets in-line with content requirements 

Creator produced content has a multitude of uses, by customizing how you leverage content creators organizations can unlock scalable and agile content creation that supports all of their content requirements. Content can be created to support activities including, but not limited to the following:

• Supporting Brand Campaigns: Leveraging your creators to support larger brand campaigns by producing reactive content inline with the wider campaign messaging. Cascading your 360 marketing campaigns on social media supports a more consistent brand presence and increased reach at a lower cost than traditional formats (TV, Print, etc.). 
• Reacting to Trends: Reacting to social, cultural and shopping trends by using content creators to turn around relevant content with agility to join the conversation as it happens and increase conversion by selecting trending products for your campaigns. 
• Jumping on Virality: Maximizing the viral potential of content by using creator partners to jump on viral creative trends
• Increasing Discoverability: Creating content in line with relevant search terms and shopping data to tap into the power of social as a search engine and boost discoverability inline with consumer interests
• Supporting High Value Events: Fueling the paid social engine around high value events such as Black Friday or Back to School with creator produced assets focused around relevant products, deals and discounts. 
• Producing Evergreen/Always-on Content: Supporting always on, organic and paid activities across the year by building a bank of creator produced, social first assets that can be pulled into the content roadmap at any point throughout the year. 

In essence, by refining both creator selection and content type, brands can maximize their content production engine’s effectiveness in line with specific objectives and content requirements.

5. Guiding principles every creator-led content engine needs for success

If this article has had its intended effect then you will be seriously considering the value of building your own creator-led content production engine. Luckily for you we have put together a topline guide detailing everything you will need to get things started. 

5.1 5-layered Content Creator Architecture

As mentioned above a creator-led content engine leverages content creators (surprising I know), but it doesn’t end here. To maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of your content creation process we recommend deploying 5 layers of content acquisition.

1. Content Creators: Micro influencers who create high quality content onboarded through long-term contracts and an SLA to quickly turn around content at a low cost
2. Paid Influencers: leveraging their organic reach to create content for brand campaigns, creating content and posting on their official social handle.
3. User Generated Content: Tap into already existing assets created by brand advocates by acquiring paid and organic rights to user generated content – especially helpful when there is no budget to produce new assets.
4. Internal Brand Champions: Identify team members within your organization that can support internal content creation – these people know the brand. . 
5. Agency Support: Leverage the content specialists and social native team members within your agency partners to create reactive content for organic channels maximizing the value of these partnerships.  

5.2 Creator Casting Criteria 

Establishing a clear criteria for what makes a content creator for your brand, looking at the type of content they create and things they talk about. Picking the right partners will be crucial to maximizing the relevance of content in line with your objectives and building long-term, successful partnerships. 

5.3 Standardized Creator Onboarding & Management

When working with content creators it is crucial to establish clear ways of working with buy-in across teams within your organization. This supports a consistent and efficient approach to content creation activities as well risk mitigation and quality control surrounding content outputs. This can sit across everything from how you outreach influencers to how you brief and contract them for content creation.

5.4 Long-term Contracting & SLA’s

When onboarding your creator partners it is crucial to tie them down to long-term contracts, creating a win-win situation where your business can build rapport with influencers over the long-term whilst giving them stability and a constant stream of work. 

By agreeing to an SLA, creators have a clear expectation of their requirements to turn around content with agility – supporting a nimble and reactive approach to content creation in line with your requirements.

5.5 Trend Monitoring and Social Listening Function 

Using a constantly listening trend function to anticipate and react to trends by informing the product selection and creative execution of creator produced content allows brands to be reactive commentators who participate in relevant topics as they are happening, not two weeks later. 

5.6 Dynamic Asset Management System 

Democratizing access to content through a Dynamic Asset Management system allows you to tag and itemize creator produced assets. Whereas before, creator content would be held by the team who commissioned it, making it difficult for other parts of the business to tap into existing assets. Through a DAM System influenced content can be tapped into and leveraged by the entire business as and when relevant to maximize ROI. 

5.7 Set a Clear Benchmark for Success 

Establishing a criteria for success will support an efficient and focused approach to content creator activities – without a clear indication of what success looks like teams can struggle to align their approach to the wider business objectives. 

5.8 Continuous Improvement Process

Establish a continuous improvement process with regular check points to refine and optimize your creator-led content production engine over time. Solicit feedback from creators, monitor industry trends, and stay updated on emerging best practices to ensure that your content production engine remains effective and efficient. A few services that use this approach are:

• Influencer marketing agencies USA
• Influencer marketing agencies UK
• Instagram marketing agencies
• Facebook marketing agencies
• Youtube marketing agencies

6. Transform your content production approach to be more agile & effective  with PrimeInfluence

In conclusion, transitioning to a creator-led content production engine offers brands a transformative opportunity for enhancing social media marketing strategies. Creator-produced content offers authenticity, agility, and effectiveness, resonating better with modern audiences compared to traditional approaches.

Through PrimeInfluence, our solution for influencer marketing, we help enterprise businesses develop influencer-led content engines. Using a suite of guidance, frameworks and proprietary digital tools to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of influencer marketing.

7. Empower your brand’s transformation journey with PrimeInfluence from Socially Powerful, a full service influencer marketing solution.

PrimeInfluence is Socially Powerful’s solution & service to help enterprises transform influencer marketing to be more efficient and effective.

These white papers offer some initial guidance on how to start your influencer marketing transformation journey.

Leveraging a suite of guidance, frameworks and proprietary digital tools built through Socially Powerful’s vast experience & expertise in influencer marketing.

Empower your influencer marketing transformation journey today, with Prime Influence by Socially Powerful. 

Access expert guidance across: 

• Organizational Models for Influencer Marketing 
• Influencer Marketing Centre of Excellence
• Influencer Marketing Centralization for Efficiency and Cost Transparency 
• Influencer Marketing End to End Large Scale Programmes
• Influencer Led Content Production
• Influencer Marketing Dynamic Creative Optimization

As part of the Prime Influence Solution we build integrated influencer marketing functions for our enterprise partners led by category leaders to support individual brand pods. 

We establish dedicated influencer marketing functions within the Socially Powerful for our enterprise partners, such as Amazon & L’Oreal. 

These micro-agencies deliver bespoke influencer marketing strategies through category leads that connect the team to each division within the business.

Ensuring each brand has access to the collective power of the agency but benefits from a bespoke touch through their category lead and brand pod.

Our influencer marketing agency and social agency are located worldwide, with our agency network based in the USA, UK, UAE and China.

If you want to find industry insights, visit our influencer marketing and social media blogs.

@sociallypowerful