On influencer marketing department at Zorka.Agency, essential factors of a successful influencer marketing campaign and more, our Head of Influencer Marketing.

KRISTINA NIKEENKO 

Head of Influencer Marketing Department

Joined Zorka.Agency in May 2018. 

Graduated from Academy of Public Administration under the Aegis of the President of the Republic of Belarus, Bachelor of Economy and Management.

Lived and worked in various countries such as the USA and Switzerland. 

She loves sports and traveling. 

Her motto is ‘Look for opportunities, not excuses’.

WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT ZORKA.AGENCY?

I am managing the best influencer marketing team on the market – creative, responsible, and motivated guys with vast experience in local and international markets. There are 28 marketing specialists who speak 12 languages. We help our clients achieve their business and marketing goals through collaboration with influencers – from reaching a target audience and increasing brand awareness to boosting sales and growing market share. 

My key goal is to organize all the processes and keep them running. I also take part in developing comprehensive strategies for key accounts and prospects.

WHAT ARE THE KEY FACTORS OF A SUCCESSFUL INFLUENCER MARKETING CAMPAIGN?

Firstly, it’s understanding. Influencers should understand their audience and social media platform algorithms; clients should understand the financial side of their product and campaign goals; agency should understand potential risks as well as all of the above. Everyone should be on the same page and clearly understand each other’s goals and workflow. When we have this part done, we can start planning. This ensures we get the best creatives, approaches, and results.

Secondly, it’s effective communication. In our industry, communication, and building partner relationships are crucial. It’s essential to be able to come to an agreement and find the best solution. This is particularly important when something unexpected happens.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM DO YOU USE THE MOST?

Right now, my favourite platform is Instagram. Sometimes, I fall for some influencer marketing tricks myself. My latest influencer-recommended purchase is a coat from Novosibirsk. It was one of those impulsive decisions when I didn’t bother to check all the details and just bought the thing without trying it on first. I follow many influencers but trust only a few. So, influencer marketing does work!

P.S. The coat is awesome.

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT BREAKTHROUGH AMONG BLOGGERS? WHICH INFLUENCER TO FOLLOW?

That’s an interesting question. If I knew the answer I would try to dodge the question and rush out to book integration slots for the whole year.

The market is changing fast. I regularly study analytic reports from different platforms, follow trends and changes in user behavior.

In YouTube’s yearly report, I’ve found an interesting case. One of the fastest-growing channels was “Dad, how do I?”. Its first videos got over 1M views. It’s awesome, but this effect didn’t last long.

The idea behind this channel was very simple. With the rise of the COVID pandemic, the channel owner didn’t know what to do and decided to try YouTube. This middle-aged man started sharing everyday advice: how to tie a tie, how to change a car wheel, how to make coffee. In the comments, people often ask him: ‘Dad, how do I…?’. He picks top subscribers’ questions and makes how-to videos. This story resonated with so many people because everyone liked how open and honest this man was.

Rolling back to the question about the next breakthrough, I think it will be the influencer who solves the viewer’s problem, who is honest with them. As for the most popular type of content, I think entertainment will still be leading the way.