Frankly, nothing can supplant an actual personal relationship. – Scott Monty
Scott Monty is a man that needs little introduction in the marketing world. But just in case you haven’t heard of small global brands like Ford, allow us to introduce him to you.
Currently the principal of Scott Monty Strategies, he counsels brands and agencies on strategy, executive communications, influencer management, the customer experience, and digital initiatives.
Prior to that, Scott spent six years at Ford Motor Company, as a strategic advisor on crisis communications, influencer relations, digital customer customer service, innovative product launches and more. He also has a decade of experience in communications and marketing agencies, where he had clients that included IBM Healthcare and Life Sciences, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, T-Mobile, GE Software and more.
We asked Scott to weigh-in on whether he thinks influencer marketing will play an important role in 2016 strategies, and here’s what he had to say.
Influencer marketing has become almost commonplace at this point. But often times, it’s done in an almost aimless way. Not haphazardly, but perhaps without as much scrutiny and direction as possible — as if someone is checking a box on a campaign effort.
We’ve been a rise in programmatic and a surge in interest in adtech, which are advancing our technological capabilities more than ever. Even Facebook’s solutions like Custom Audiences allow us to be smarter with how we reach people by using algorithms and behavioral targeting. Automation takes mass marketing and approximates a personal experience.
But frankly, nothing can supplant an actual personal relationship. If you’re doing influencer management well, it means knowing more than just the stats and affiliations of the influencers you’re trying to reach; ideally, you should be engaging with them on a regular basis and getting involved with them in more than a superficial way. When you start replying to their posts or liking their content only around the time you’re preparing to ask them something, it’s fairly obvious what you’re up to.
Influencer marketing is like building a relationship. It takes effort and it takes a personal commitment. Are you ready to make a commitment to your influencers?
Want more from Scott? He writes about the changing landscape of business, technology, communications, marketing and leadership at ScottMonty.com, where he distributes the widely acclaimed Week in Digital newsletter. Check it out!