Believe it or not, there is a huge difference between a Spokesperson and a Social Media Influencer for a brand or business. They both serve different purposes but can also complement each other on the same PR Campaign.
The most common mistake that an agency or brand management can make is investing all of its talent budgets into a Social Media Influencer; quite often their strongest abilities are online, across digital and social media platforms and that is their art . . . they are content creators who do incredibly well in a visual capacity with their followers.
But when was the last time you saw a Social Media Influencer doing a TV interview? Yes, there will be a handful of Influencers that are confident and experienced to do a TV interview, but the majority won’t be given the spot in fear of no live TV experience. To all my Influencer friends, that’s not a jab at your skills . . . I certainly couldn’t nail what you do and that’s the point we all have our strengths in different areas.
When you’re working out your PR Campaign you need to work out who will be the ‘Voice’ of your brand, business, or product. This is where you need to consider hiring a Spokesperson and the role of the Spokesperson will be to talk about your campaign on your behalf and ideally, they have a public profile which will help you get more media interviews. When looking at who to hire as a Spokesperson it’s vital to select someone within your budget and someone who has a personal link with the brand, business, or product.
I have worked as a Brand Spokesperson for years and I have never said yes to something I didn’t have a personal connection with or a product that I didn’t believe in, I’m proud that I have had a 100% success rate as a Spokesperson in terms of securing Media Coverage.
Media will interview your Spokesperson if they have and share a genuine personal connection with what you are spruiking. It can be an expensive venture though; Spokespeople can charge anywhere from $2,000 to $100,000. They might also put a limit on the number of interviews they will do and a timeline to deliver. I have worked on both sides of this process, and I thrive on finding and matching the right Spokespeople for the right campaign.
Let’s get back to the benefits of a Social Media Influencer. With their incredible social media powers, they could help you get traction online or even go viral with the right content. You would pay them to do 1 social media post in a standard deal and those costs can vary from $500 to $10,000 for just ONE POST. But if it’s done well, that post could grow your social media following and boost your online sales.
If you ran a Social Media Campaign alongside a PR Campaign, you are putting your best foot forward for a successful campaign. If you had to choose between a Social Media Influencer and a Spokesperson for a PR only Campaign, I would highly recommend hiring a Spokesperson to front your media interviews.
MEL GREIG – PR and Marketing Manager – BRANDiT
Mel Greig worked in the media industry in both radio and television for over 20-years. Mel has herself appeared on television as a media personality for Channel 9’s Celebrity Apprentice, but also as a TV Panellist offering expert opinion on Sunrise, Today Show and Studio 10.
Appearing in over 50 TV interviews across all major shows and networks, Mel understands what it takes to pitch to the Producers and to make the most of the 5mins of airtime if you’re lucky enough to secure the coveted spot.
Having worked in the media for so long, Mel has been on the receiving end of hundreds of pitches and press releases and knows what it takes to get a story over the line. There is no other PR department in Australia that is led by someone who has worked in her position, this gives her the unique ability to put the best foot forward for each client.
