Jason Pampell was initially inspired to start the influencer marketing agency HireInfluence after attending a media convention in 2010. At the convention, he was inspired by another company’s business model, which focused on measuring people’s involvement in social media. 

HireInfluence originally focused strictly on influencer marketing before expanding into a full-service marketing agency offering a 360-degree marketing approach. 

Jason shares, “Our first 360 marketing campaign was a huge milestone for us because it allowed us to expand our capabilities and serve our clients in a totally new way. We’re grateful for the team of experts that consistently comes together to provide white-glove service to our Fortune 500 clients. Their dedication and out-of-the-box thinking results in regular repeat clients. Once we have the chance to show a brand how powerful our marketing campaigns are, there is a 60% renewal rate.” 

One of the ways that HireInfluence maintains a high renewal rate and pristine reputation with clients is that the team never outsources work related to structuring influencer campaigns. 

Unlike many agencies, third-party tools are not the primary source never used to find influencers, automate reporting, or manage campaigns, demonstrating the importance of the human touch even with AI’s rising popularity.

Jason states, “Our mission has always been to be the best influencer marketing agency on the market, but as we continue to build our team and client roster, we are starting to broaden our mission to being the best full-service marketing agency. Our goal is to be able to serve all our clients’ needs in-house so they don’t need to hire multiple agencies to manage various marketing campaigns.”

The Future of Influencer Marketing

Jason and his team expect influencer marketing to continue growing in the coming years. 

This growth may be partly due to increasing interest in individuals of all niches creating content online and brands finding influencer marketing an effective, profitable way to reach their target audiences. 

Jason states, “Another growing trend is an increase in authenticity and transparency. Consumers are becoming way more discerning with who they trust and expect authenticity from influencers.”

For influencers, staying true to themselves and maintaining their audiences’ trust will become increasingly important. 

He adds, “ We also expect an increase in the use of micro-influencers due to the increased focus on authenticity. Micro-influencers have a highly engaged audience that provides the opportunity for well-aligned and authentic influencer campaigns.” 

Jason also predicts that brands will seek out more long-term partnerships. 

He says, “We expect there to be an increase in long-term partnerships rather than working with influencers for one-off campaigns to allow for deeper brand integration, consistent messaging, and the potential to create more impactful and authentic content.” 

The Biggest Challenges and Opportunities for Influencers Today

Unsurprisingly, influencers face growing competition in today’s market. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for creators to stand out as niches become more saturated. 

Jason shares that building a loyal following can be challenging in today’s market. 

Another challenge for influencers that he sees is “content fatigue. It is truly a full-time job keeping up the demand for fresh, engaging, and high-quality content, and influencers often face pressure to produce consistently while maintaining creativity and originality.” 

On the other hand, there are more opportunities for influencers as more brands are looking to expand or start utilizing influencer marketing to promote their products and services. 

Jason says, “There are various avenues for influencers to monetize their content through brand collaborations, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing, merchandise sales, digital products, and even launching their own brands. Being an influencer also allows individuals to establish themselves as experts in their specific niches. This can open the door to speaking opportunities and consultancy services, which create promising career opportunities.” 

Influencer Marketing Campaign: Grammarly

For this campaign, HireInfluence and Grammarly teamed up for a six-month influencer marketing campaign to position Grammarly as a must-have tool for professionals and students. 

HireInfluence recruited over 130 lifestyle influencers across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, including vlog, education, sport, science & technology, and lifestyle niches. 

For the campaign, the creators demonstrated how they used Grammarly in their everyday life as students or professionals. 

This campaign performed exceptionally well, with over 214 million impressions, 33.1 million video views, and an Earned Media Value (EMV) of $15,944,034.

While this campaign’s success came down to many things, the authentic, high-quality, and relatable content is undoubtedly one of the top contributors to its success. 

The timing of the campaign was also precise, with the campaign launching when many students were in or approaching mid-terms and finals. 

Advice for Brands New to Influencer Marketing

Influencer marketing can be intimidating for many brands to break into. 

Jason advises, “Start by setting specific and measurable goals. The key to a successful campaign is to understand the fundamentals of influencer marketing and create brand resonance. Your selection of influencers can make or break your campaign, so be sure to do thorough research before bringing on an influencer to promote your brand.” 

The Impact of New Social Media Platforms on Influencer Marketing Strategies

New social media platforms are constantly emerging, allowing new opportunities for content diversification and new influencers to emerge. 

However, these new platforms also increase competition and bring new algorithms to the mix, which puts increased pressure on creators to learn another algorithm. 

Jason says, “Influencers must stay agile and understand when it’s time to try out a new platform or feature on social media platforms they are already on. In terms of how this has impacted influencer marketing strategies, new platforms provide new channels to utilize in campaigns.”

One of the ways HireInfluence has adapted to the constantly changing social media landscape is by dedicating an entire division to creating influencer campaign strategies around the current landscape. 

Gathering as much data and research as possible, along with direct access to major social media platforms through HireInfluence’s agency partnerships, helps the HireInfluence team stay on top of every change. 

Whether you’re an influencer or an agency, this same strategy can be applied to yourself, even if you don’t have a team to stay on top of changes. 

Subscribing to helpful resources and taking note of platform trends can help you stay abreast of new changes. 

Future Plans for HireInfluence

A significant area of influencer marketing that the HireInfluence team continues to prioritize is using creator content outside of social media platforms, such as in email marketing or on brand websites. 

In the future, they plan on continuing to prioritize and explore this avenue.
Jason shares, “We have found creative ways to re-leverage this content for website assets, email marketing, and, in some cases, even out-of-home advertising. We expect this trend to continue, and we have a few very exciting projects in the future that encompass this new way of thinking about influencer and creator content.”