Influencer events are everywhere you look on social media. Our own Experiential team has been quite busy with a few of their own lately, including events for The Crème Shop, Pomellato, and Trace Minerals. But why exactly do brands invest so much in these events? And how do creators get invited, anyway? We’re breaking down the why and how behind influencer events, plus a few tips on how to get more invites as a creator:
What is the purpose of an influencer event?
Branded influencer events are a fantastic way for brands to engage key content creators and tastemakers in real life and allow them to experience the brand and its products firsthand. They are a great means to build brand awareness, create new fans, connect with creators, and develop experiences that encourage social sharing to further extend the event’s reach.
Influencer events can take many forms: brunches, lunches, or dinners, classes, parties, trips, pop-ups, and so on. No matter what form they take, they’re tailored to immerse attendees in the world of the brand through interactive experiences. They are also an important way for brands and creators to build business relationships for future collaborations.
Last, influencer events provide great opportunities for social media sharing that extends beyond a simple product review or endorsement. With special attention paid to photo-worthy backdrops and engaging activations that drive content capturing, influencers who attend these events are encouraged to share the experience with their followers on social media. This social sharing not only extends the reach of the event beyond just the attendees to their online audiences, but also provides a way to promote the brand in an immersive way that centers experience over selling. Today’s consumers don’t gravitate towards products and hard pitches; they are drawn to brands with a strong identity and a community that the consumer yearns to be part of. Events are a perfect platform to share a brand’s community, voice, and ethos.
How do brands or agencies cast influencers for events?
We’ve established why brands host influencer events, but how do they decide who gets on the actual invite list? It’s a complex art!
First, there are the basic logistics of the event: what city is it being held in? What’s the capacity for the event space they’re using? Does the brand have budget to fly attendees in? Does the brand have budget for attendees or content posting? These basic factors will help the brand set parameters around who they will invite and how many creators they can extend an invitation to.
Next, brands will want to invite influencers who have strong social media presences and create engaging content that relates back to the brand. They want creators who make sense for the event; if an influencer only ever shares cooking content, it probably won’t make sense to invite them to a fashion brand’s event, for example. Brands may extend invites to previous influencer collaborators, or creators that they’ve come across talking about their brand organically. When curating the invite list, the brand will also consider both influencer and audience demographics to match up target customers with attendees and social media viewers.
Last, brands and agencies may consider the influencer’s attendance record and posting at previous events, if applicable, to decide if they’d like to extend an invitation or not. An influencer might seem like the perfect attendee, but if they have a habit of no-showing or not posting at the events they attend, that spot may go to another creator who is more likely to share the experience on their channels.
How can influencers increase their chances of getting invited to brand events?
Now that you know the how and why of influencer event invite lists, here are some of our tips on how to increase your chances of getting added to more influencer event invite lists:
1) Post about the brands and content categories you organically love
This may sound obvious, but the best way to increase your chances of getting invited to influencer events is to be a good influencer! That means posting consistently about the content categories you are passionate about, as well as sharing the brands and products you organically love. This is an amazing way to get on the radar of brand marketers. If you have a target list of brands you want to work with, make sure you are posting about them and the content verticals they belong to.
2) Make it easy to find your location and contact details
If there’s one takeaway from this article that you leave with as a creator, let it be this: make sure your location and email address are plainly visible on your social media bios. When building out influencer event invite lists, brand marketers may comb through hundreds of social media profiles in order to find ideal creators to add. If they cannot quickly verify you’re located in the general area where the event is being held, or if they cannot find your email address, they could easily skip over you for another creator who has that information clearly listed. Making this information as visible as possible helps us and will help you get more invitations!
3) Find databases, mailing lists, and creator networks you can join
Many brands, PR firms, and agencies have their own influencer databases that they build out to keep track of potential influencer partners for both event and campaign opportunities. Whenever possible, sign up for these networks and databases so that your profile is easily searchable for brand marketers.
The Digital Dept. even has its own Creator Network! You can sign up here to add your information to our database we use for brand events and campaign opportunities. You never know what we’ll be casting for!
4) Be a stellar event attendee
When you do get the chance to attend an influencer event, make sure you are showing up professionally. RSVP in a timely manner. If you can no longer attend, let the organizer know instead of ghosting. At the event, be sure to capture content and share it on your social channels, tagging the brand and recapping your experience. Social sharing is a major goal for influencer events, so it’s important to show your support by posting about the experience.
We also encourage you to use this in-person moment to get face time with brand representatives. A good conversation with key decision makers at the brand can go a long way in building out your future relationship with the brand.
If you are given products to take home, consider sharing content about the brand post-event as well. Think of influencer events like school: good attendance records and doing your homework will only benefit you as a creator!
@thedigitaldept Have you ever wondered how influencers get invited to brand events? Here are some of our tips to make sure you as a creator are on brand radars and how you can increase your chances of getting even invites! #influencerevent #influencermarketing #brandevent #thedigitaldept ♬ Retro Sounds – DreamyBeats
And there you have it! That’s our deep dive on what influencer events are, how marketers cast for them, and how you, as a creator, can increase your chances of getting invited to them. Remember, many factors impact how these invite lists are crafted, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t receive an invitation to every event you hear about. Now that you know what brands are looking for and can implement a strong strategy, we know the invites will start to flow in!
