Now that influencer marketing is becoming increasingly popular, social media company Facebook has decided to jump on the trend in an effort to attract people back to the network. This comes after scandals about privacy and changes to the Facebook algorithm pushed a lot of digital marketers away from the channel in the first place. In May 2018, the company announced that they are now working on an influencer marketing platform.
The influencer marketing platform allows brands and companies to find relevant influencers based on essential characteristics, like genre or industry. The new platform comes with targeting details listed on the left hand of the screen so that companies can select the kind of audience they want to reach. Once they’ve narrowed down their option, the dashboard provides a list of all the influencers with the right audience for that company.
Influencer Search Engine Enters Test Mode
The influencer marketing program entered test mode recently and it’s designed to ensure that companies of all shapes and sizes will be able to start exploring the benefits of Facebook influencer marketing for themselves. With the search engine, brands should have no problem expanding their brand presence with influencers that suit both heir audience and their budget.
Although the influencer platform is still in the very early stages of its development it’s already sparked a lot of interest from marketers and PR experts who want to help their clients take their social media presence to the next level. There’s not a lot of details available on what users will be able to do with this system, but many experts suggest that it might pair up with the Facebook Creator App to list influencers who are open to proposals from businesses.
At this stage, it’s not sure whether Facebook will choose to vet the influencers they recommend to brands to make sure that they don’t break any social rules.
A Strong Move from Facebook?
The influencer marketing platform from Facebook is a strong move for the social media company, which has struggled to provide obvious solutions for creators who wanted to invest in influencer marketing before. Although they have rolled out tools like live-stream tipping in the past for some publishers, the options for creators on Facebook aren’t nearly as in-depth as the solutions provided by YouTube – which is where most Influencers earn their income.
The influencer marketing search engine could be Facebook’s chance to become more competitive once again – particularly as social platforms continue to expand and evolve. As countless new tools and additions enter the marketplace, companies will be able to expand their reach to new audiences and connect with customers they might not have found elsewhere through trustworthy connections with influencers.
Though it might take some time for Facebook to catch up with solutions like YouTube when it comes to providing influencers with solutions for success, the platform still has the biggest social media audience – which means that it offers plenty of great opportunities for brands.
