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Hey LinkedIn friends 👋🏽 - Lydia Lee here! Taking over GRIN today with my influencer POV for you: First. Who am I and why should you care? I'm CEO and founder of For The Clout. Before that? I ran influencer marketing with nutpods - Built a best in class influencer program - Managed over 600+ creators across America - Oversaw 2 celeb co-branded product collaborations 👀 My influencer marketing advice for you: 1️⃣ Focus on long-term relationships → Prioritize nano and micro influencers Think of it like investing in stocks - Acquire early when they're undervalued - Nurture the relationship - Watch their influence (and your ROI) grow over time → Building trust takes time, but pays off 2️⃣ Understand the power of repetition → It takes 3-5 exposures for consumer trust to build → Consistent presence drives conversions → Long-term partnerships allow for natural, repeated brand mentions 3️⃣ Do the math before you start → Calculate costs carefully: Acquiring influencers (outreach, negotiation time) Maintaining relationships (communication, product, payments) Customer acquisition through influencers → Estimate potential ROI Consider both immediate sales and long-term brand value → Set clear, measurable success benchmarks Helps you evaluate and adjust strategies 4️⃣ Benefits of this strategic approach: → Drives conversions more effectively Trusted influencers have more sway with their audience → Increases brand loyalty Consistent exposure builds familiarity and trust → Boosts consumer lifetime value Loyal customers acquired through influencers tend to stick around 5️⃣ Avoid common pitfalls and waste → Prevents throwing resources at: Product (sending to mismatched influencers) Shipping (international or rush fees for last-minute campaigns) Paid activations that don't align with your goals → Strategic planning ensures every dollar works hard for your brand 📌 My TLDR takeaway for you: Strategic, long-term influencer partnerships, when backed by solid financial planning and a focus on building genuine relationships, yield the best results in today's influencer marketing landscape. It's not just about quick hits, but about creating a sustainable, mutually beneficial ecosystem that drives real business results. 👋 P.S. SHAMELESS PLUG: If you, or someone you know is struggling with social and influencer marketing, or not sure where to start. Feel free to tag them in this post or DM me. Thank you so much, and I hope you found this helpful! Talk soon, Lydia Lee 

Gen Z is calling BS on your content 🙅♀️ This new data shows how they buy: Archrival's latest study 👇 🤨 70% of Gen Z only trust brands after doing their OWN research 😠 56% say brands often lie about products & services What this means: You need content from: 1. Creators 2. Customers 3. Influencers → TALKING about your products Try these formats: 1. "Try on" videos 2. Customer reviews 3. "Unbox with me" 4. "GRWM" (get ready with me) Would you rather... See a t-shirt on a white background? VS Styled 3 ways by a real person? Read a Roomba product description: about how it can navigate your living room? VS See a video of it in action. Skirting around a chair. (With a cat on top) /style points Gen Z has entered the chat. And they demand REAL content. Because how they buy is different. Your marketing needs to match that energy. P.S. What generation are you? 👀 -- 👋 P.S. Follow GRIN for more content like this Liked this? ♻️ Repost to share.

The future of marketing is integrated. Become part of what your audience loves to watch. Meaning? Integrate with creators. Think integration. Not interruption. 👇 Everyone's trying to recreate viral moments. The hard truth for you? It won't work. Not long-term anyway because... The future is not about chasing trends. It's about integrating with creators. 📌 Take Procter & Gamble's move: They've partnered with Khaby Lame (TikTok's most-followed creator) → Working with creators they already pay attention to → Becoming part of the content they WANT to watch Not treating to replicate past viral clips. Don't try to game the system. Become an organic part of it. 👋 P.S. Have you tried to remake a viral meme? Be honest (guilty here too 🙋♀️)

Spotify just announced comments for podcast episodes. Small feature change. Big signal. Comments will start to roll out on podcast episodes starting Tuesday. Listeners will be able to leave comments on podcast episodes. Creators can approve, like and respond to those comments. Previously? Listeners could only leave reviews. What does this mean? A larger content shift is happening. People want to be active participants: ❌ Old way You just listen Passive consumption Create content for your audience ✅ New way Active participation You're part of the experience Create experiences with your audience 📌 Why this matters: 1. Community building: Turns listeners into engaged fans 2. Feedback loop: Creators can shape content based on real-time input 3. Monetization: Engaged communities = more valuable audiences 4. Discovery: Comments drive algorithmic recommendations 5. Loyalty: Interaction breeds connection The podcast industry is following the broader creator economy trend: People don't just want content. They want to be part of the creator's world. This is why creator partnerships are so powerful. It's not just about eyeballs or ears. It's about building passionate communities around shared interests. The future of media isn't just about consumption. It's about conversation. Brands that understand this shift will win big.

The future of influencer marketing? It's community-driven. 👀 Here's a big trend we've been seeing: The rise of platforms like Discord, Geneva, and Substack shows that creators and fans crave more intimate, curated spaces to connect beyond the noise of public feeds. They want to build deeper relationships, share their real experiences directly with fans, and get that feeling of "I found my people." That deeper sense of belonging goes way beyond the surface-level engagement of many social media platforms today. What does this mean for influencer marketing platforms? Questions we've been asking ourselves at GRIN: → How can we identify "right-fit" brands creators should collab with? → How can we personalize creator <> fan interactions at scale? → How can we identify & connect influencers with their fans? → How can we help creators launch an owned media strategy? → How can creators get better audience insights with AI? The future of the creator economy isn't just about reaching the biggest audience. It's about creating the most engaged and loyal one. And that starts with putting community at the heart of everything you create. -- 👋 P.S. Follow GRIN for more creator content. Liked this? ♻️ Repost to share!

Inside Out 2 just hit $1.25 BILLION. Pixar's highest-grossing film EVER. How? 👇 Disney made it an unmissable event.   By partnering with creators. 📌 Here's the TLDR for you; 1. Massive Brand Partnerships: → 65+ international partners, largest ever for Disney animation → Collaborations with Gen Z favorites like Bubble Skincare and Uber Teen 2. Influencer-Driven Experiences: → Airbnb recreation of emotions' HQ garnered 915M+ views → Custom "emotional support" cups with Owala sold out instantly 3. Omnichannel Saturation: → "Hit people 3x as much with marketing messages" - Martha Morrison, Disney VP → From TikTok to washing machines, Inside Out 2 was everywhere 4. Authentic Cultural Integration: → Tapped into TikTok trends and pop culture moments → Created shareable content for both kids and parents 5. Post-Release Engagement: → Continued rollout of character-focused marketing → Amplified fan reactions and trends (e.g., "Inside Out" versions of viewers) Old way Run a bunch of movie trailer ads. VS New way Create a cultural moment. Barbie style. That's the power of creators. You love to see it 😎 h/t The Marketing Millennials

64% of Gen Z scrolls TikTok every day. 👋 Top 5 TikTok Trends in 2024: (That are driving purchases) 1. "Man in Finance" Song: → 53M+ views, adopted by Duolingo, NFL, United Airlines → Spawned remixes, flash mobs, and brand collaborations 2. "Watch My _____ For Me" Prank: → Evolved from pet/baby videos to workplace humor → Brands like Anthropologie, Call of Duty leveraging for engagement 3. "Four Seasons Baby" Meme: → 78M+ views, 9M+ likes on original video → Led to luxury partnerships (Four Seasons, Tarte Cosmetics) 4. "We're ____, of course we ____" Format: → Used by Kim K's Skims, driving millions of views → Adopted by PBS Kids, Rare Beauty for behind-the-scenes content 5. Pop Girl Renaissance: → Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan amassed 5B+ views → Driving beauty trends, spawning product tutorials 📌 Why this matters for brands: - Gen Z expects brands to participate authentically in platform culture - Trends quickly evolve from entertainment to influencing purchase decisions - TikTok is the new product discovery engine for Gen Z You need to meet Gen Z where they are. And most of their day? That's on TikTok. -- 👋 P.S. Follow GRIN for more creator content Liked this? ♻️ Repost to share.

Brands are ditching short-term influencer deals. The new norm? Long-term 🤝 partnerships. P.S. New GRIN data just went live on Business Insider. And the shift is paying off for both sides: - Brands moving from pure gifting to paid collaborations - Focus on recurring, multi-campaign relationships - Creator payouts up 6% from 2023 Why the change? 1. One-off campaigns lack depth and authenticity 2. Creators want meaningful, aligned partnerships 3. Gifting doesn't guarantee quality content Long-term creator partnerships deliver: ✅ Consistent, authentic messaging ✅ Sustained audience engagement ✅ Deeper brand loyalty Olivia McNaughten said it best: "By investing in longer-term relationships, consistency is prioritized over fleeting interactions," Creators want partnerships. Not one-off transactions.

Ready to dominate BFCM 2024? 🚀 Your ultimate DTC prep webinar with GRIN, Daasity, Gorgias, Justuno & Attentive. Here's what you'll learn: 👀 Influencer Marketing: How to leverage creators to build hype ahead of BFCM 🔁 Customer Acquisition & Retention: Maximize awareness & conversions 🎯 Personalization: Tailor messaging for customer-centric experiences 💬 SMS + Email: Craft the perfect omnichannel strategy 🦸♂️ Customer Support: Handle surges with superhero efficiency 💻 Onsite CX: Streamline for smooth, converting journeys 🗣 Hear from Olivia McNaughten, Sean Corson, Elizabeth Cruz, MBA, Loryn Ferreira, Michael Klonoff, MBA, & Steph (SJ) Carcamo LIVE on July 17 @ 11am PT 👉 Get your free ticket: https://hubs.ly/Q02DMhQ-0

SKIMS: From $0 to $4 billion in under 5 years 🚀 That's the power of Creator-led growth. → Launched in 2019 → Now valued at $4 billion → $750+ million projected revenue Why are creator-led brands growing so fast? 1. Built-in audience trust 2. Authentic product-market fit 3. Low customer acquisition costs 4. Rapid feedback and iteration We are now in the Age of the Creator 👇 "We are entering a new phase of media and consumption, where influencers are responsible for aggregating an audience to generate demand." - Chamath Palihapitiya That's why we made a big bet on creators at GRIN back in 2014. We're helping brands like you tap into creator-led growth. From partnership discovery to launch and management. Because creator-led growth will power the future of businesses. (It's already outperforming traditional paid by 3:1 today)