Image source: Anthony Quintano via Flickr
Although Facebook stresses connecting people, its new Brand Collabs Manager focuses on the importance of social media influencers.
The Brand Collabs Manager helps brands locate appropriate content creators by filtering them through a range of criteria, including demographics of the brand’s desired audience, category and influencers’ reach. Brands can see the percentage of a creator’s audience that matches their target audience.
Brands can find information about influencers, such as previous collaborations with brands. Creators can create Brand Collab profiles, introduction videos and media kits. After testing the tool with a limited set of partners, Facebook is now opening it more broadly. Interested brands can join its waiting list.
“This is an exciting opportunity for the community of creators and marketing partners,” says Richard Won, vice president of marketing and creator relations at influencer marketing platform #paid, in Ad Week.
Unlike traditional ad targeting, finding the right audience and the right way to reach them is only one part of the process, Wong says. The next step is developing strong, mutually beneficial content partnerships between content creators and marketing partners.
A Sign of the Influencer Marketing Times
Facebook’s announcement is part of a general trend away from mass media to targeted promotions on social media that engage audiences. It indicates that influencer marketing has become mainstream and is here to stay. Other social media apps, including Facebook-owned Instagram, will probably develop similar collaboration tools.
Facebook won’t take a cut from partnerships but will clearly benefit from subsequent ad campaigns on its platform and the additional viewers influencers attract. While YouTube enjoys a more advanced advertising system, Facebook has the advantage of a much larger user base.
Other New & Improved Features
The Brands Collabs Manager is one of a suite of new or enhanced tools designed to help influencers. Facebook also announced features to help the creators connect with fans and manage, control content, and monetize their content with advertising, fan subscriptions or digital goods.
Facebook launched its Creator app, which helps creators develop videos and other content, on iOS in November. It’s now available on Android.
Ad Breaks, or mid-video commercials, are rolling out to more U.S. creators, starting with those who make longer and original content with loyal fans. Creators keep 55 percent of the ad revenue from the ads.
Bottom Line: New features from Facebook show the world’s largest social media network is wholeheartedly embracing influencer marketing. Using its sophisticated matching tool, PR and marketing professionals will be able to identify influencers who reach highly targeted audiences. Brands and content creators on Facebook will be able to develop mutually beneficial relationships. The news underscores the rise of influencer marketing as a critical strategy for both brands and social media platforms.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
