Nowadays, influencer marketing takes place in the context of algorithms, instant trends, and tons of content that seldom few have the time to consume. This new context is full of opportunities to grow, but it also presents its own challenges.
How can influencers reach their target audiences when there is so much noise going around? Well, NIL creators have mastered the art of stepping up in a crowd by using one of the most innovative resources in the market: AI tools.
NIL creators and AI-powered influencing
Influencers have been around for a while and their dynamics are constantly changing. Needless to say, influencers and influencer marketing existed even before social media, no matter how impossible that could seem to be. Back in the 18th century the well-known English potter and entrepreneur Josiah Westwood created a unique tea set for the queen. Proud of his work and aware of its potential to help him reach new customers, he started a promotional campaign based on his role as “Potter of her Majesty”, creating what can be considered the first use of an influence-based marketing strategy.
A lot has happened between that innovative marketing effort and our current era. In today’s world words like influencer, content and social media are common terms that businesses tend to use sooner or later. The marketing space is huge and being part of it seems to be as easy as turning on a camera, opening an Instagram account or even being an avid consumer of a brand. However, even when the influencer world is well-known and offers a lot of possibilities to grow, it also requires a strategic approach in order to achieve a successful outcome.
But, how can AI help influencers?
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the ability of a machine to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence like making decisions or solving problems. AI tools are taking a huge space in our lives, even when some people are still afraid of the concept. With a constant growth that goes from business automation to mobile features that any user can take advantage of, AI can be found all over the place. But, what is the role that they play in the content creation game?
Creating content and building strong communities require not only time, but also:
- New and updated ideas
- Quality content based on trends
- Deep research work to know your audience
- Strategic content distribution to make the most out of every piece
Using automation to streamline processes makes a huge difference between a well-executed successful strategy and a promising plan that offers little to no results.
NIL creators are mastering AI resources
The top NIL creators understand social media algorithms better than age-old influencers.
While big creators have verified accounts and impressive numbers of followers, NIL creators have found a way to turn their smaller but growing communities into a valuable brand asset.
Now that they have the room to create and monetize their content, college athletes are taking their own space on the digital world and making it stand out. Our top creators, for example, are reaching impressive rates of engagement and having the chance to create substantial revenue with it. Our top 20 NIL creators have engagement rates that average around 18.4% which is a notable difference if we compare that with the 1.22% average engagement rate of micro-influencers. They are also profiting from these practices, and reaching earnings that go up to $89,000 per video post.
Based on a clear passion and a genuine approach that brings us back to the first concept of influencer, these creators have a lot of value to offer and find that AI tools can help them do so in the most efficient way.
But, how is AI helping these small creators improve their marketing game?
AI and content research
If an influencer wants to attack an audience that is engaging and passionate, they need to know who to target with their content. AI tools are a great way to approach an easy but efficient content research strategy and improve the content creation process from the very beginning. Tools like AnswerThePublic are optimized for this need.
AI and performance
Once they put content out there, creators need to track their successful practices to make the most out of them. Tools like SEMrush gives them the chance to understand what their audience is really appreciating and what is worth their time.
AI and engaging communities
There was a time where influencers thought that buying followers was the best path to achieve a credible online presence, but those days are far away from where we stand now. Nowadays, AI tools are a great resource to grow audiences with a meaningful approach by allowing creators dedicate more time to their community engagement. Tools like TrusySocial assist with engaging with your followers during times you can’t.
The ability to connect with customers in a truly personal way is what sets NIL creators apart from other influencers, and they have found a way to use AI to take that connection to the next level. Are these passionate small communities created by professional athletes the future of influencer marketing? According to the numbers, this won’t come as a surprise.
