This document discusses how to strategically work with social media influencers. It defines influencers as social media users who have established credibility in a specific industry and can shift perceptions and get people to take action. It explains that influencers are seen as normal people despite their large followings. It notes that today's consumers spend a lot of time online and trust peer recommendations over advertisements. As such, working with influencers can help engage consumers and drive business goals like increased traffic, followers, and awareness. The document outlines how to find, work with, and measure the effectiveness of influencers to tell a company's story.

1. Influence
A strategic approach to working with social media influencers

2. What is an influencer?
An influencer is a social media
user who has established
credibility in a specific industry.
They have the power to shift
perceptions, connect with
others and get people to do
something, such as check out a
new apartment building or visit a
mixed-use destination.

3. Influencers have reach
credibility compelling content.

4. Influencers are still
perceived as normal,
down-to-earth people.
Unlike most celebrities,
social media influencers are
relatable despite having a
large internet following.

5. Examples:

6. Why now?
Today’s consumers are
well-informed and
discerning, and they are
increasingly spending their
time online.
According to a Nielsen report, the average
person in the U.S. devotes 10+ hours
each day to screen time.

7. Consumers are also
looking to establish
meaningful
connections with the
brands they care
about.
Whether it’s a
retailer, an apartment
community or a hotel,
consumers want an
engaging brand
experience that
includes peer
recommendations.

8. A recent Nielsen survey showed only 33% of
consumers trust advertisements, while 90% put
their faith in peer recommendations.

9. For example, when a local tourism
board claims it’s the most desirable
destination, that breeds skepticism.
When other influential millennials
make the claim, that holds weight.
The millennial generation
is especially known for
trusting peers, including
these influential social
media “stars,” more so than
brand or celebrity
endorsements.

10. As social media use increases across all
demographics, influencers are becoming
even more, well, influential.
That’s why NOW is the time for
Wilbert: Influence.

11. How do we find
influencers?
We use sophisticated
software, as well as
tried-and-true “social media
stalking,” to find the right
influencers to tell our clients’
stories.
For instance, we identified stylish
Baby Boomer influencers in
metro Atlanta with huge followings
for a client developing homes for
the hip empty nester crowd.

12. Unlike most celebrities, social
media influencers are relatable
despite having a large internet
following. Influencers are still
perceived as normal,
down-to-earth people.
What makes a good influencer?
Influencers need to have a lot of followers who are engaged.
Those followers should be liking, commenting and sharing the
influencer’s content. And the followers need to match up with
our client’s target audience.

13. How do we work with
influencers?
We negotiate a package
with each influencer.
Compensation may
include:
products VIP experiences money
In exchange, influencers will commit to a certain
number of blogs, Instagram posts, stories, etc.

14. We make sure
influencers have what
they need to create
compelling content.
That means creating a special
experience or finding a perfect
background for Instagram
photos. It also means arming
them with brand messaging,
hashtags and other important
information.
For the content to be great, we
know the influencer needs to feel
an authentic connection with
the brand and have a good
experience, so we make that
happen.

15. We measure,
measure, measure.
Are the influencers’
followers engaging with
the content about our
client?
Is our client getting new
Facebook or Instagram
followers via the influencer?
Do the influencer campaigns
drive more traffic to the
website?
How do we know if it’s working?

16. We invited 25 top Atlanta food influencers to a VIP dinner at
Ramen Tanaka, a new restaurant in Brookhaven. The influencers had a
total reach of over 500K people, most of whom are highly
interested in Atlanta’s food scene. The event increased Ramen
Tanaka’s profile visits by 54% and impressions by 72%.
Case Study
1

17. Case Study
2
We deployed a lifestyle influencer program for Novel Stonewall
Station in Charlotte to increase awareness of the apartment
community’s unique art murals. The program resulted in over 80K
impressions and a 57.2% increase in followers.

18. We set up an in-store jewelry building workshop at Kendra Scott for
a blogger, her mother and her mother-in-law in celebration of
Mother’s Day. The experience resulted in 1,179 quality impressions.
Case Study
3

19. Why Wilbert?
We are telling our clients’ stories
consistently in the marketplace through a
myriad of traditional and new media channels.
We know how to identify the right
influencers, curate customized experiences,
generate compelling content and measure
the results.

20. Like what you see?
Drop us a comment or visit our website to
learn more about Wilbert: Influence.