This week, we invited our network of brand marketers behind closed doors for a breakfast panel event all about the power of YouTube as a platform to drive results in Influencer Marketing campaigns.
Our CEO, Jenny Quigley-Jones hosted the panel, and having previously held the role of Partner Manager at YouTube before founding our agency, led the conversation with great knowledge and passion for the topic.
Khalid Al-Mashgari - Creative Business Partner at Google, Rohan Kana - Senior Marketing Executive at Pearson, Lucrèce Sicat - Head of Creator Marketing at Amazon Europe, and legacy YouTube Creator Lucy Moon joined Jenny to speak to our audience of industry-leading brands about why we shouldn’t be sleeping on the original creator platform, YouTube.
No topics were off limits, and for those who couldn’t attend, we’re here to share some of the highlights.
Khalid highlighted how YouTube, as the original creator platform, caters to everything from low-production content to broadcast-level quality videos. According to him, the recent game-changer for the platform is Connected TV, offering co-viewing opportunities that have become one of the most popular ways to watch content.
His advice for brands: plan your creative strategy based on your goals. Khalid believes the real opportunity lies with native creator content in paid advertising. After all, Lucrèce told us that consumers need to see a brand on average 5-7 times to eventually convert.
To ensure your content is successful, you must keep the YouTube ad guidelines named the “ABCD's” in mind.
A: Attract - make sure the audience is invested.
B: Brand - the brand the creator is promoting must be shown clearly.
C: Connection - build that all-important trust with the audience.
D: Direct - CTAs must be clear if you want your influencer content to lead to conversions.
As a creator who has shared content on YouTube for 13 years, Lucy's perspective focuses on the personal nature of Influencer Marketing. Unlike other platforms, YouTube allows audiences to leave in-depth comments without character limits, meaning deep connections can be built between creators and their audience.
When speaking about brand partnerships on the platform, she highlighted the effectiveness of providing creators with a custom landing page that they can link in the video description, where products featured in videos are linked for easy conversions. It was interesting to learn from Lucy that despite not relying on affiliate links for her sole income, using them (as well as custom landing pages) means that she can build a bank of valuable performance data to inform her future branded content, and to set her own fees.
Heading up the creator marketing program for the world's largest online retailer, Lucrèce is clued up on e-commerce performance. To maximize conversions, she suggests working with influencers to educate the audience on how to shop and focus on briefing creators to share the shopping process - rather than focusing the brief on the video's creative aspects - creators are the experts there. Lucrèce agrees with Lucy and said that for effective results, brands should always provide creators with a link to a creator-led landing page rather than a single product, and ensure a seamless customer journey.
Top tip from Lucrèce: Using influencers in conjunction with deals and discounts can be powerful for conversions. Even the smallest savings can make a difference!
Our client Pearson produces revision guides for students and targets Gen Z with Influencer Marketing. We have worked with Pearson on campaigns across multiple channels to encourage students to choose Pearson Revise.
We have worked with Pearson to create influencer integrations on YouTube, and Rohan highlighted how this approach has been successful in driving conversions. Pearson recognizes the value of long-form content for relatability, with a particular focus on Gen Z demographics. For Pearson, integrated branded segments within YouTube content drive higher conversion rates than any paid media ads, and by embarking on long-term partnerships with creators, trust in the collaboration has led to content achieving 99% positive sentiment.
So while the cost of a brand deal on YouTube may be higher than on other platforms, the long-form content and the opportunity to build a loyal community means that working with creators on the platform can drive unmatched performance for your brand!
Interested in attending a Behind Closed Doors event in the future? Reach out to our Business Development Manager Olivia Farr who will chat with you about how your brand can grow thanks to the power of Influencer Marketing.
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