đđžÂ Hey folks,
Decemberâs flying by, and I feel like weâre speedrunning the end of the year. Iâm deep in planning mode for January and have been thinking through how I want to spend 2025 (very proactive, I know).
It got me thinking â whatâs on your mind for the new year? Is 2025 your year of growth as a creator? Or are you taking a step back from social for a while?
If you arenât thinking about it yet, I highly recommend setting aside some time within the next few weeks before the holidays are in full swing. That way, you can enjoy your time off and come back in the new year with maximum energy.
đ Whatâs in this issue: 3 minutes, 19 seconds
đť The latest content on the blogđ° Social media news and features to noteđ¸ Start planning your â2024 WrappedâđŞ Dive into our primer on influencer marketing
Thatâs it from me!
Hope you have a lovely weekend, and weâll see you next Friday!
Warmly,
Tami & the Buffer team
P.S. You can now schedule videos to Bluesky in Buffer! Try it â
đ The latest from the blog
Hereâs a no-frills guide to Instagram hashtags and how to use them.Discover 40 free, high-quality social media icons to elevate your website’s designGet our tips and strategies to help you grow your TikTok following
đď¸Â Deep dive
How to Adopt Influencer Marketing As a Business or Creator
Influencer marketing has become a core strategy for many brandsâand itâs easy to see why. Done well, it offers:
Authenticity: Consumers trust creators more than traditional ads.Niche audiences: You gain access to highly engaged, targeted followers.Scalability: It works whether youâre spending $100 or $100,000.
However, as influencer marketing grows, so does skepticism as audiences become more concerned with authenticity.
Not to worry, even if youâre new to influencer marketing and are just exploring it on either end! Hereâs how to get started:
Understand what influencer marketing is. Simply put, itâs partnering with creators to promote your brand to their audience. The best influencers arenât just popular â they actually influence purchasing decisions.Set clear goals. Decide if your focus is brand awareness, engagement, sales, or something else. If youâre on the other end, determine what you offer the brands looking for creators like you. Choose metrics that align with these goals, like impressions for awareness or revenue for sales to focus on or highlight in your media kit.Define your budget or pricing. Whether itâs product gifting or paid sponsorships, figure out what you can afford â and get creative to make it stretch. As a creator, determine your pricing according to the right compensation for what you offer.Find the right influencers. Nano- and micro-influencers are great for smaller budgets, while larger creators can help you scale your reach. For creators, this means that audience size is less important than the quality of your content. Authenticity always wins, regardless of size.Track your results. Focus on 2â3 metrics to measure success and refine your strategy over time.
Influencer marketing offers an organic way to build trust with new audiences and grow â and it wonât hurt your creator or business brand if done authentically.
Start small. Look for influencers of a similar size and niche to yours and explore their brand partnerships to get ideas. You can start outreach by engaging with their content. Or, if youâre a creator, reach out to brands youâve seen partner with people similar to you and propose a partnership. From there, evaluate what works and build on it.
đąSocial tip of the week
If youâre chronically online like me, youâve likely heard the ââŚand with that, the [insert year] season comes to an endâ sound every year since 2021. The creator, sportscaster Sammy Levitt, always has his voice go viral across TikTok and Instagram
This is your reminder to start putting together the images or videos youâd like to include when doing the trend, ready to go for the end of the year!
Bookmark the sound on Instagram and TikTok.
𤳠What’s happening in social?
LinkedIn shares posting tipsThreads is planning a significant update to its search featuresSpeaking of Threads, Meta launched a hub that you might find helpfulYoutube shared their top trends of 2024 â and Pinterest made some predictions
đŹÂ How to use Bluesky
If youâre new to Bluesky or donât quite know to get setup, Kirsti put together a handy guide in this video.
Thanks for reading! â¤ď¸
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