The good news is that it's possible to recreate the feel of an influencer marketing campaign and generate similar results even on a shoestring budget. I’ve personally employed these marketing tactics without hiring actual influencers.
How does this work?
1. Hire an actor or actress (or use one of your current employees) to play the role of an influencer.
With the rising influencer market today, it can be hard to distinguish between those who have “made it” (i.e., those who are able to make a living and do it full time), and those who are still in their pre-sponsorship stages. The everyday consumer is not likely to know the difference between these two types of influencers from just seeing one of the influencer’s posts on their news feed. (Granted, I am not taking into consideration influencers who have reached the highest celebrity status, bring in six figures and are recognized even outside of their follower group.)
For those reasons, simply hiring an actor and emulating the behaviors of an influencer can often yield the same ROI. The most important factor to keep in mind when making these user-generated-content (UGC) styles of videos is relatability. I've tested hundreds of different models in thousands of different performance videos and have seen that the best-converting videos feature models that are relatable. They don't look like supermodels; they look like your next-door neighbor, a good friend or someone you would bump into on the street.
You can build credibility with consumers by making them believe other trusted consumers are happy with their product or purchase. In other words, influencer reliability builds credibility. It's even possible to create a page for your new "influencer" and spend a small amount on ads (less than $100) to get likes or followers. A well-made user video can reach thousands and even millions of people with a small ad budget on Facebook.
2. Make the video feel unscripted.
A big part of creating a successful influencer marketing campaign is creating an advertisement that doesn't feel like an ad. The vast majority of consumers do not want to be sold to by a company. It's much more effective to create a video that feels like a personal review or opinion than a corporate attempt at shilling their own product.
It's fine to create a script, or a loose approximation of one, but viewers should feel like the video isn't a paid advertisement. This can be accomplished by using more casual language and allowing for natural language corrections. Simply put, it should appear as though the actor is talking to a group of friends and not filming a commercial.
3. Shoot the video in a user-generated way.
This can be done by shooting on an iPhone or even a laptop’s webcam. Have the actor talk naturally and be in a natural setting. I've used videos of "influencers" reviewing products shot using their laptop webcam on their bed. The less polished and professional the setting and mood is, the more likely viewers are to feel like it's a trusted opinion from someone genuine.
It's okay to allow errors in these types of videos. Take a look at the top videos of some of the influencers you follow. You'll notice that many of them start with kids running around in the background, a dog barking or an angle adjustment of the camera. These fairly innocuous imperfections only help add to the authenticity of the video.
The key takeaway here is that even if you can't afford to hire a well-known influencer, you should still attempt to mimic influencer marketing using UGC-style videos with the goal of building trust and credibility. This method isn't perfect for every company, but if you're a startup without a fully established brand that is also tight on cash, it's worth giving it a try. I’ve seen users have a positive experience and convert just as successfully without having to see an actual influencer. UGC is used for powerful promotion across many different formats — such as fan stories to promote movies, memes or comics to promote a book, or Instagram images to promote a location — but it is particularly powerful when used in the form of videos (e.g., unboxing videos).
