Superstar Weekly

This week, James Clear’s wisdom in Atomic Habits struck a chord: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”  

Clear hit the nail on the head: goals are great, but without effective systems(i.e., a collection of daily habits) to achieve them, you’ll likely fall short. 

Reflecting on what we’re doing at Superstar in the influencer marketing space, I considered a slightly different spin on Clear’s wisdom, taking it from the personal to the business world and defining systems not as personal habits but as software systems.

So, if we consider the core goal of influencer marketing teams: efficiently leveraging influencers at scale to amplify brand awareness, drive engagement, and boost sales. Are most teams equipped with the right software system to achieve this?

The answer, unfortunately, is no for the vast majority.

Spreadsheets, data silos and a patchwork of pain 

While the goal of influencer marketing teams sounds relatively straightforward, actually achieving it is anything but. Managing influencers from onboarding to payouts is complex, dynamic, and downright difficult. It requires coordination and execution that often spans different cross-functional teams, a challenge significantly magnified for large global brands working with hundreds or thousands of influencers.

Despite this complexity, most influencer marketing teams use a patchwork of fragmented systems that lack automation and aren’t purpose-built to manage influencer marketing operations. The result? 

Manual data entry mayhem: Influencer information and activity tracking rely heavily on manual entry.

Data silo struggles: Juggling disconnected tools like Excel, Airtable, and Tableau creates data silos, hindering analysis and reporting. 

Payment processing pain points: Manual processes and data discrepancies lead to delays and challenges in paying influencers.

These inefficiencies have a tangible impact:

Wasted time on repetitive tasks: Teams spend valuable time on data entry instead of strategic planning and creative execution.

Limited visibility into performance: Data silos prevent a holistic view, making it difficult to measure effectiveness and demonstrate the true impact of campaigns.

Collaboration and communication: Challenges with cross-team collaboration and information sharing.

Scaling challenges:  Managing everything manually becomes a nightmare as influencer programs expand.

Systems matter

For influencer marketing teams to achieve their goals, they must trade spreadsheets for a unified software system. This is the missing piece, capable transforming influencer marketing operations from a chaotic scramble to a well-oiled machine.

This system should automate data collection and activity tracking and streamline discovery, contracting, payments, and performance analysis. By breaking free from manual drudgery and data silos, influencer marketing teams can unlock their potential and demonstrate the true impact of their work. They can dedicate their time and energy to building strong influencer relationships, optimizing campaigns for maximum impact, and, ultimately, driving business growth.

In the coming years, as brands ramp up their influencer marketing efforts and contract more influencers, the importance of systems will be even more critical. 

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Industry spotlight

Influencer marketing trends across industries

Explore the top influencer marketing trends from The Influencer Marketing Report, backed by surveys of over 2,000 consumers and 300 influencers.  Read more here

Snapchat rolls out the red carpet for elite agencies with advanced partner perks

Snap has unveiled its Advanced Partner Program, granting select marketing agencies and partners exclusive access to enhanced benefits and opportunities. Read more here

TikTok sues the US government over ban

TikTok is suing the US government over the new law that would force the short-form video app to be divested from its China-based parent company ByteDance or face a ban in the US. Read more here

Starpower

Inside brands like Powerade, Reese’s and Old El Paso’s Olympic and Paralympic influencer play

While the Olympic Games doesn’t kick off until the end of July, brands are already initiating campaigns to leverage the Olympic spotlight. As the Paris Games approach, forming partnerships with competing athletes is becoming a crucial brand strategy. Read more here

FaZe Clan and TalentX executives launch new agency, Fixated

Leaders from FaZe Clan, the esports powerhouse, and TalentX have joined forces to create Fixated, a new agency specializing in creator talent management and content production. Read more here

PepsiCo wants to remain a ‘driver of culture’ as it turns to influencers amid rebrand

In response to falling beverage sales, PepsiCo has launched a worldwide initiative to gradually introduce consumers to its rebranded Pepsi. While the brand’s media strategy varies across different markets, the company is prioritizing paid social and influencer partnerships. Read more here

This week’s must-reads

Will the TikTok ban spell the death of the influencer? [Link]

The $21 billion influencer industry has an ad fraud problem [Link]

From MrBeast to Logan Paul: Why Wall Street is infatuated with influencers [Link]

Making the case for ‘Intellectual Influencers’ [Link]

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