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influencer marketing

Social Climbing: Why Partnering With the Right Influencer Matters

As an agency that works with both brands and influencers, we’re always striving for authenticity in partnership building. We want our brands and influencer partners to align so seamlessly that one seems a natural extension of the other.

For example, one of our clients, Polycor, quarries natural stone, so we would not pair them with a designer who uses a lot of manufactured materials like quartz. But if you are a design influencer who uses organic materials in your work and frequently speaks about sustainability, then their natural stone is for you.

Eva Amurri—mom, actress, entrepreneur, and founder of lifestyle blog Happily Eva After—is a natural stone lover. See what she’s excited about in the world of design for 2020.

We know that thoughtful, relevant and real campaigns provide value to an audience: they allow influencers to provide useful tips and give helpful advice while providing a platform for brands to reach the influencer’s enrapt audience. But there’s a line that’s easy to cross here: irrelevant, ill-conceived or insincere partnerships can alienate an audience. And too many brand sponsorships can have the same effect.

finding the right influencer

The kind of influencers you want to partner with care about their reputation and the authenticity of their content. When sponcon, aka sponsored content, is done right, it’s a golden opportunity leveraged perfectly, where everyone from the brand to the influencer to the audience, benefit. But when it’s not, it can be awkward, disengaging and in the worst case, a PR disaster.

With this potential for problems, why do we think brands should partner with influencers? According to a study commissioned by Snap Inc. with Sparkler, 31% of people say influencers and celebrities inform their purchasing decisions. Influencers are expert communicators who build brand awareness with their engaged audience. They drive traffic, convert leads and generate sales. And when you’re working with micro-influencers, they’re an excellent value providing great opportunities for smaller brands. The bottom line is this: influencers are called that for a reason: they are influential.

how audiences perceive influencer sponcon

One of our design influencer partners, Kate Pearce of Kate Pearce Vintage recently asked her followers on Instagram what they think about branded content. Here are a couple of the responses she received:

Kate Pearce features her eclectic mix of unique vintage pieces and maxed out color and prints.

suzannerian: The only time I get turned off by branded content is when every post or almost every post is branded and it becomes clear that the voice of the page and the art that drew me there is no longer authentic and fun.

thegoatabode: Sometimes ads do seem forced, but most of the time I actually like seeing what people do with the products. I’m all for artists and creators getting paid by big companies for their ideas! When big companies get behind creators, I think good things happen.

brooksandstone: There are a few accounts that I follow that suddenly started promoting Walmart for example and I just can’t get behind that knowing it’s 100% about money.

curlydawn: I think if it’s unique and not forced, it’s so much less annoying. Can I tell you how sick I am of watching every IGer and blogger open the same damn Fab Fit Fun box? Unique, authentic content won’t ever annoy me.

Sarisa “Risi” Munoz, the insta-famous creative guru behind The Indigo Leopard Home, was a style match for global home décor brand SmithHönig.

Instagram has been around since 2010, so it’s reassuring that followers understand being an influencer is a real job and that the people they follow deserve to get paid for what they do. And while being an influencer might seem like it’s all island vacations and avocado toast, it comes with real responsibility: the Federal Trade Commission is constantly updating the guidelines for social influencers and brands.

Most influencers will say that they genuinely like and use the products they promote in their sponsored posts, but since those posts are designed to blend with organic content, it raises some questions for their audience: Is this a genuine post or am I being sold to right now? Am I supposed to believe this is their real opinion and not ad copy? If your authenticity is a commodity, is it even authentic even more?

Some other influencers weighed in on Kate Pearce’s branded content post, too:

Joanna Hawley of jojotastic gets real about her life as much as she does about the products she endorses on social.

jojotastic: I always make sure any partnership I take on is the right fit because honestly… readers can smell BS a mile away! It’s not worth it!

design.playbook: I always try to work with brands that relate to the content/subject matter I’m creating. I always ask myself if the brand aligns with my mission/goals/reason for why I have the account. If it’s questionable then I don’t do it.

From the consumer, brand and content creator perspectives, it’s clear that pushing product on the wrong audience is worthless. Which is why it’s so important to us that when we play matchmaker between brands and influencers, we set them both up for success.

Looking to assess your current influencer marketing strategy? I’ll be speaking at the Design Influencers Conference, the premier conference and experience for professionals interested in learning about social media and digital content marketing in the interior design industry. Join me and countless influencers, designers, social media practitioners, traditional media, leading brands, new media innovators, and industry leaders in exploring where the worlds of interior design and new media converge.

Think you’ve found the perfect influencer to showcase your products? Let’s help you kickstart the relationship on a positive, professional note.

Talking 2020 Design Trends with Eva Amurri

It’s hard to embrace the whole “new year, new you” mentality if you feel uninspired being surrounded by the same old stuff. Looking for help to get us in the spirit of reinvention for the new decade, we spoke with friend of ultraviolet and constant source of inspiration, Eva Amurri—mom, actress, entrepreneur, and founder of lifestyle blog Happily Eva After—about trends, tips, and what she’s excited about in the world of design for 2020.

Courtesy of Happily Eva After

uv: Your home seems so uniquely you, with a careful eye toward crafting a beautiful space that reflects you and your kids. How do trends fit into your design approach?

Eva: I firmly believe that design trends are fun and interesting, but that when designing your home, it’s imperative to come back to the elements that really speak to YOUR soul personally. Following trends instead of your heart can ultimately make you feel uncomfortable in your own space years down the road.

uv: Getting back to nature is a trend that’s about a lot more than just bringing in plants. It’s focused on reconnecting with the natural world. The natural stone countertops featured in your kitchen and bathroom came immediately to mind—are there any other unexpected ways you recommend to bring natural elements to a home, indoors or out?

Eva: Natural stone! Putting a spotlight on beautiful, local landscaping! I also think rooting oneself in the history of a home and celebrating the old while bringing it into a more modern space is also a great way to highlight life’s process.

Courtesy of Happily Eva After. Featuring Polycor Pearl Grey marble.

uv: Sustainability is being labeled as a trend, but it seems your approach to sustainability has been more of an expectation or intrinsic requirement than a temporary demand that can go out of style. Do you think sustainability is more a movement or a moment?

Eva: I hope it’s a movement! I love reutilizing lots of natural materials as well as repurposing vintage furniture and accents.

uv: Gender-neutral kids rooms are one of Pinterest‘s big trends for the year—why do you think parents and parents-to-be are drawn to the concept of unisex nurseries and every-kid playrooms?

Eva: I’ve recently turned my daughter’s room into a more gender-neutral space for my two older kids to share once their baby brother arrives this spring. I think people are starting to have more kids with less space and keeping it neutral is just easier.

Courtesy of Happily Eva After

uv: Are there any other trends for 2020 that you are particularly excited about?

Eva: Ceiling treatments! I think it’s so fun to bring some intrigue to your space by drawing your eye to the ceiling with fabric or paper. We used this in my home in a few spaces. I also have always loved industrial lighting (another forecasted design trend), and recently I’ve been into vintage industrial lighting. I love mixing old with new.

Courtesy of Happily Eva After. Dining room ceiling wallpaper by Nicolette Mayer.

uv: Do you have a color that you can’t wait to use in your home this year?

Eva: I’ve been bringing in a lot more black than I normally do, and I’ve been loving the drama it contributes! I have two built-ins in our house with Benjamin Moore’s Soot. It’s such a good paint color.

uv: You’ve mentioned that Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace is your go-to white paint. So, thinking about that from a fashion perspective, if Chantilly Lace is your perfect white t-shirt, do you have a paint equivalent to the LBD?

Eva: Soot! I also love Caviar, which has the most subtle hint of an inky, eggplant undertone.

Courtesy of Happily Eva After. Featuring Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace on the walls and Soot on the island, and Polycor White Cherokee marble.

uv: And along the same line of thought, just like how you’d mix trends in with classic pieces when putting together an outfit, how do you layer trendier pieces or accents into a space?

Eva: Listen to your instincts. If you love every element in a room, they all DO go together in some way. You are the common denominator!

Check out everything Eva on Happily Eva After and don’t miss the details of her gorgeous historic home, which combines old and new, including her new natural stone patio here.

Interested in what top design professionals are sharing about their world? Download our guide.

Influencer Marketing: Partnerships Built On Trust (and Good Design)

Social media is a huge part of many people’s lives—the average daily social media user is on 136 minutes a day—so it’s no surprise that social media plays a big role in the customer journey for many brands. The picture-perfect posts that capture attention, likes, and engagement are the result of careful planning, creativity, hard work, and analytics.

As consumers increasingly move toward social media and away from traditional advertising, brands are losing the battle while influencers are gaining ground every day. Because of this shift in behavior, identifying and engaging with the industry influencers on platforms like Instagram and Pinterest is a critical component of many company’s marketing strategies. Influencers provide companies with new ways to create engagement, expand their reach, and capture the interest of their target market.

what is influencer marketing?

But what is an influencer anyway? They are trusted figures within their online communities, with a loyal following thanks to their authentic content and their skill for connecting with their audience. They can drive conversation, increase traffic, and improve brand awareness for companies they partner with thanks to their specialized area of influence. And if you partner with the right one, these content creators are already marketing to your ideal audience, allowing you to deliver your brand’s message to the right people while expanding your reach.

Influencer marketing is a collaboration where a brand partners with an influencer to promote a product, service or campaign. In today’s digital world, these influencers can offer considerable value to brands, which is probably why more than two-thirds of North American retailers use some form of influencer marketing.

A brand partnership between blogger and digital influencer Joanna Hawley of Jojotastic, Sinkology and Polycor White Cherokee marble. She features the collaboration with her chicken Nancy Kerrigan, of course.

the right influencer matters

Finding an influencer who aligns with your brand, your audience, and your voice can be an incredibly impactful way to increase brand awareness and drive sales. Influencer marketing is effective because it relies on proven marketing tactics like social proof and word of mouth: consumers trust influencers more than they trust companies or brands. People don’t want to hear what brands have to say about themselves; they want to hear opinions from trusted people who they already deem credible. When you successfully partner with an influencer, they will create unique content that seamlessly features your brands’ products or services in their usual aspirational content mix.

a partnership built on trust

Influencers don’t want to jeopardize the trust they have earned or have their followers question their credibility—ever. This means that the influencers need to be marketed to first so that they want to carry your brand message and share it with their audience. These collaborations, when strategized effectively, can be a win-win situation for both you and the influencer.

Having an influencer take over your social media profiles is a great way to leverage the positive feelings that their followers have for them. For example, if you have a designer or design blogger take over your Instagram account to post content for a day, their presence can give your followers a better association with your brand. Brands can also cross-post content from influencers on their own channels to help highlight the collaboration.

Polycor, the world’s leading natural stone quarrier, partners with designers, bloggers and influencers to take over its Instagram account to boost brand awareness. This is Atlanta designer Pam Sessions of Hedgewood Homes.

design: perfectly positioned

The interior design and remodeling industries are uniquely positioned to take advantage of influencer marketing. Sharing their ideas on home improvement and decor, these influencers inspire audiences around the world. Due to the visual nature of most home products, followers can see posts every day that can inspire them to make changes in the different spaces in their home. Whether they are posting aspirational images of their homes or documenting the ups and downs of a home renovation, influencers are continuing to break new ground on social media and help lead the way in the world of digital marketing.

Room for Tuesday’s Sarah Gibson shared her laundry room reveal to inspire her audience to make changes in their own home.

questions you need to answer

And while the design industry is a unique position to take advantage of influencer marketing, it can be tricky to navigate:

  • Would you be better with an influencer who has a small but growing following or someone with 1M+ followers?
  • How do you even find the right influencer?
  • How do you vet them?
  • What do you pay them?
  • How do you start that first conversation?
  • What do you need to include in a contract or agreement?
  • How do you measure results?

You get the idea. There’s a lot of information that needs to be identified before you can even begin building a strategy. But the ROI on working with an influencer, especially a micro or nano influencer with a small but loyal following, is hard to beat. Nearly 90% of all marketers find ROI from influencer marketing comparable to or better than other marketing channels. And a recent survey found that 42% of daily U.S. Instagram users bought something because a blogger or influencer they trusted recommended it.

Brands who work with these influencers can create a partnership that expands beyond their own reach and target audience. By partnering with influencers, brands can leverage authentic messaging that aligns with your brand, your target audience, and your voice.

Looking to assess your current influencer marketing strategy? I’ll be speaking at the Design Influencers Conference, the premier conference and experience for professionals interested in learning about social media and digital content marketing in the interior design industry. Join me and countless influencers, designers, social media practitioners, traditional media, leading brands, new media innovators, and industry leaders in exploring where the worlds of interior design and new media converge.

Think you’ve found the perfect influencer to showcase your products? Let’s help you kickstart the relationship on a positive, professional note.

BTS with ultraviolet Influencer Ariel Garneau of PMQ for Two

Brand and influencer partnerships may seem magical, but the picture-perfect sponsored posts you see on Insta are the result of careful planning, creativity, hard work, and analytics. And they begin with pairing the right influencer with the right brand.

With an incomparable eye for color, pattern and whimsy you might get the misguided impression that Ariel Garneau is a carefree content creator. But this Canadian based blogger and designer is a business owner with a strategic mind who built her brand through authentic partnerships and premium content.

Garneau started decor and style blog PMQ for Two to showcase the functional-meets-fun solutions she created to personalize the Private Military/Married Quarters (aka PMQ), temporary housing provided to members of the military and their families, that she and her husband found themselves in. Garneau is now putting her time and talent toward a brand-new challenge: renovating a 1960s fixer-upper. This is the first home she and her husband have purchased, and she’s determined to keep as much of the kitsch retro charm as possible while still having some of the fun she wasn’t able to have as a renter: namely, demo.

“All of my designs had been based around renter-friendly options,” says Garneau. “Being able to actually rip cupboards off the wall, add new flooring, and choose new countertops has been life changing.”

This newfound freedom to renovate inspired Garneau to participate in the Spring 2019 One Room Challenge, a twice yearly event in which participants share the process of transforming a room in just six weeks. And in typical Garneau style, she went big and bold, creating a retro glam kitchen renovation full of her signature colors, bold pattern mixing, and eclectic decor. Anyone who’s renovated a kitchen knows it’s not a small undertaking, which makes it even more noteworthy that Garneau was six-months pregnant when the challenge ended.

“I’ve been participating for three years now, sometimes twice a year, and love the time crunch,” says Garneau. “I use it as a challenge to complete a space that might otherwise lag or take forever to complete.”

From early on, Garneau knew she wanted marble in her renovated kitchen: even though marble is very on-trend right now, it is an equally timeless choice. Plus, marble would help put the “glam” in her retro glam vision. As one of ultraviolet’s strategic partners, we connected Garneau with Polycor, the world’s leading natural stone quarrier, for countertops and a full height backsplash in the company’s White Cherokee marble. The marble countertops pair nicely with her sponsors and choices: Rifle Paper Co. x Hygge & West wallpaper Peonies in Copper and satin brass Myles Lever door handles with Modern Rectangular Rosette and Jasper cabinet and drawer pulls, all from Emtek.

She had first heard of Polycor when she saw interior designer Holly Phillips’ renovated kitchen, which also features Polycor’s White Cherokee marble. But Garneau didn’t just say yes to White Cherokee sight unseen: she removed the samples from the books they came in and moved them around the room to see how they’d look in different lights and in different spaces, like under the cupboards or as a backsplash.

“I approach brand partnerships a few ways: either I’ve used the product before, in my own time, and want to make an official partnership to promote the product, or I want to try to product and have heard great things from consumers or fellow bloggers,” says Garneau. “Aesthetic fit and corporate culture play into my decisions of who to approach, and beyond that, willingness to meet my sponsored content rate and product requirements are also quite important.”

Her devoted fanbase loves the smart solutions and delightful DIYs, not to mention the signature visual style that Garneau has delivered over the years. And the stats reflect that adoration: an ever-growing list of thousands of followers and subscribers, and a monthly reach in the millions.

When brands like Polycor decide to work with Garneau, they’re doing so for her channels’ reach, her audience engagement, and the quality of content she produces.

“I do create freely for myself without sponsorship, but when a brand and I are collaborating they compensate me for the exposure and reach my channels provide,” says Garneau. “After years of working as a business owner, I’ve come to appreciate the value of a tightly negotiated contract — especially when both sides need specific things.”

Looking to partner your brand with influencers?  UV can help. See our work.

One of the needs Garneau frequently needs to address is her brand partner’s requests for social media promotion. She takes each social media channel’s formatting and audience preferences into consideration when creating content, whether its sponsored content or not. And other than Instagram stories, none of it is impromptu.

“The world of social media and the algorithms that dictate the content distribution, require planning,” says Garneau. “You can’t just post any old pic and expect to get strong engagement or likes. You have to cater to your audience, and that means creating content within certain guidelines.”

For example, none of her Instagram photos are taken with her phone, and all of them meet her criteria for color, lighting, and scale before being considered. Garneau offers advice for growing your audience — her impressive numbers are all 100% organic — as well as insight into what tools to use, how to develop partnerships and create content through paid mastermind groups and classes she conducts.

“I’ve spent years building up credibility and authority with my audience through genuine content and partnerships,” says Garneau.

Even though Garneau is very open with her home and life online, it’s clear that she fully understands the line between her personal life and her brand — as she’s fond of noting; it’s not personal, it’s business.

“Yes, there are tons of people willing to work for ‘exposure’ and for free, or product, but those people ultimately devalue their own channels, and potentially your brand,” says Garneau.

Managing a website, creating engaging content, and building mutually beneficial brand partnerships sounds like it’s at least three jobs, but for Garneau it’s one perfect fit.

“I love every minute of it,” says Garneau. “Even if that means working for myself what feels like 24/7.”

Are you a brand or an influencer? Learn more about our partnership programs.

Interior Designers, Bloggers Get Honest About Tech at #WNWN

We were curious, too, which is why we sat in during the What’s Next in Tech panel. Hosted in the Odegard Carpets suite, the discussion was one of dozens offered throughout the day during the New York Design Center’s 9th annual What’s New What’s Next event.

The session was sponsored by Dering Hall. DH’s Executive Editor, Dennis Sarlo, moderated a panel of design luminaries, including: Katie Curtis, Kati Curtis Design, Paloma Contreras, Patrick Dragonette, Dragonette Ltd, and Joe Human of designs by human — all of whom laughed and groaned the entire way through their panel.

Here’s the hot list of what they shared (we heard):

  • Instagram is the preferred platform for interior designers, especially now that there are so many enhanced features that support enhanced storytelling, especially behind-the-scenes of their design choices and installation. Designers also use Instagram to connect with each other and as a way to get to know colleagues.

It’s always a thrill to meet in person at events like these after ‘getting to know’ each other on Instagram. — Paloma Contreras, Founder of La Dolce Vita Blog

  • Pinterest is growing in popularity — quickly. Designers are loving the ability to browse and see what other designers are doing with materials. They’re also using the app to research how people are sharing and saving their own work. Plus to see how design-minded users are loving and sharing with each other. Contreras and Curtis use the app to “give clients homework”. They ask clients to make boards on Pinterest to help better identify their likes and dislikes and help guide design choices.
  • None of the designers felt like they spend enough time or attention on their social platforms. All expressed trepidation about adding more social media work to their plate.

Designers prefer to get better at using what’s already working for them than adopt new social channels.

  • Designers use social media to spot trends and see how products and buyer tastes are developing. However, panel members cautioned against “jumping on trends” and posting content about trends, “just because you think people are looking for that”.

If I told you I didn’t care about trends…didn’t know them, I’d by lying.  But we need to be authentic, always, and stick to posting about things we truly care about.– Kati Curtis

  • The panel’s favorite tech tools to stay on top of project management and improve team communication are:  Asana, dapulse, Slack, Google Docs.
  • Everyone on the panel groaned and agreed the number one pain point for them regarding tech is finding a system that makes keeping track of hours, easy.  Everyone agreed it’s one of the most time consuming tasks, no one had a tool that worked brilliantly, and they (themselves) all do it badly!
  • Blogging is critical, and almost no one feels they commit enough time to do it as well as they’d like, or post as regularly as they’d like.
  • Websites are less and less important vis-a-vis building audience for products and services, but they’re still a “nice” place to direct people to once you’ve connected with them online.

As the media strategist for design product brands like Polycor natural stone and Vetrazzo recycled glass, we experience some of the same pains and observations these designer do (hello time tracking…), and we’ve got a few takeaways from our experience with design industry clients:

Company websites will continue to be critical for doing business, but it’s conversation and relationship that grow a business. Making connections with clients, suppliers, brands and professionals on social media is where companies will see the most business growth in the next few years.

Social media requires a strategic approach that incorporates relationship building, lead generation and press relations. The designers and brands that see the most revenue growth are those invest in professional social media marketing (and save their energy for creative design).

Not all social channels are necessary for a company to have an effective social media presence. That designers tend to stick to those that are working makes sense. So long as they have analytics to prove it. When we analyze a company’s website referral traffic to see which channel gives the most powerful referrals, we uncover new opportunities to grow leads and customers.

If you’re looking to grow your brand’s reach (and revenue) consider influencer marketing. Download our guide to brand ambassadors.

find brand ambassadors for your digital marketing

Instagram Partnerships: Where Everyone Wins

What’s better than a beautiful, well curated Instagram feed? Two beautiful, well curated feeds working together for double the audience.

The social media manager’s job of curating content can be daunting. And it’s especially difficult in the design industry where there’s stiff competition among visually stunning design companies that post daily (often multiple times) on Instagram. The stand outs in surfaces, furniture, jewelry, textile (even appliances) all have strong, creative visuals and messaging.

But their secret to reach beyond their existing followers is partnerships. Co-marketing in visual branding enables companies to harness a greater variety of content to tap bigger audiences, and Instagram is the perfect channel for it.

Check out this example from Pantone

Co-marketing on Instagram creates a reciprocal relationship that:

  • Attracts followers
  • Increases engagement
  • Drives sales

 Win. Win. Win.

The best co-marketing relationships are between like-minded companies with equally visual products.

Here’s what I look for in a strategic digital marketing partner:

A strong story 

Found My Animal is a Brooklyn handcrafted rope accessories company that is raising awareness of the urgent need for animal adoption worldwide. The company with 37K followers partnered up with the iconic clothing brand Free People, with 2.6 million followers on Instagram. Together, the companies share a love of animals and boho fashion, melting their pet loving followers’ hearts for a cause.

Active followers

It’s not all about the numbers. A brand could have thousands of followers but if they never engage on the account, they’re worthless. It’s better to choose a partner with 5,000 followers that comment and like pics then one with 100,000 that sees no activity at all.

I love the fun way that NYC companies Dylan’s Candy Bar (85.7K) and leggings company Terez partnered to reach their already highly engaged audience. Terez (144K followers) created a line of Dylan’s candy print leggings and encouraged user generated content featuring them. Both companies shared photos of Terez’ adorable dancers and follower submitted pics on their Instagram accounts. Their bright, happy posts drew likes, comments and new follows. 

A common style

This year we helped launch the digital presence for Vetrazzo (1,730), a handcrafted recycled glass surface company, known for its bold and beautiful colors. When Laura U Interior Design paired Vetrazzo’s countertops with a turquoise fridge from retro appliance company Big Chill (3,055), it was an opportunity to co-market the brands on Instagram.  When the Laura U team shared the coastal kitchen design with their 15.8K followers we featured the image again on Vetrazzo’s account and tagged Big Chill and Laura U. The three brands’ styles and colors echoed a cool coastal character that resonated with their followers who loved the design inspiration.

A complementary personality

A brand that’s cultivated a particular voice and personality to match their audience (fun, snarky, sophisticated, oddball) should pair with a brand with the same vibe. When beauty company Birchbox (475K) paired up with shoe retailer Keds (318K) on an exclusive shoe line it was almost as if their joint followers dreamed up the perfect shoe (and collaboration). 

Sometimes these relationships are formal with strategic campaigns between the brands. Other times it’s an Instagram tag and a shout out that organically begins the relationship and lays the groundwork for future partnerships.

However they begin, co-marketing relationships on social (or through email or blog content) should feel authentic to the audience even if the brand products seem incongruous (ropes-dogs-boho fashion). The common element for Dylan’s Candy and Terez was fun. For Vetrazzo and Big Chill it was color. For the audiences in all these cases the common element was a richer Instagram experience and exposure to another brand they would undoubtedly love.