Brand interview series: Taryn Williams (@TheRight.Fit)
We speak to the founder of talent and influencer agency theright.fit Taryn Williams. After setting up one of Australia's top influencer marketing talent pools she shares her insight into the past, present and future of social's newest channels. Don't miss her tips for B2B influencer marketing!
This week we flip the lens on influencer marketing and take a look at commercial talent platform theright.fit.
We caught up with founder Taryn Williams to get her perspective on the past, present and future of influencer marketing for brands, models, bloggers and more.
Get her insider tips on when to engage influencers, how to avoid over inflated follower counts, and how to find the perfect talent for your campaign.
How important has social media been to the current success of your business?
Social media is a fundamental part of theright.fit business. I saw a gap in the market for brands wanting to engage with a spectrum of talent based on their social reach and engagement to amplify their campaigns.
Beyond influencers; models, actors, stylists, presenters and photographers were all starting to get booked, not only on because of their look and skills, but also their social reach. So we built the platform with a social media backbone to help talent and clients benefit from this additional dimension to talent booking.
This is one of the features that helped us stand apart from traditional talent agencies. And, of course, it has also allowed us to share our own brand to new users on both sides of the marketplace using targeted social campaigns.
What social media channels have you used and why?
We're active on all social channels, except Pinterest. Each channel has a different audience and content strategy, allowing us to share relevant content with the right people at the right time.
We also have a highly engaged pool of talent ambassadors who, as influencers, help us further amplify our message.
In a nutshell, what is the current social media strategy at for your business and what role does in play in your marketing mix?
Social is a great way for us to celebrate and promote the amazing work of the talent available on our platform. This obviously makes a great brand awareness channel for us. There’s nothing quite like showing the market exactly how creative and skilled the talent on our platform are.
We will often re-share content from our amazing talent to not only showcase what the platform can do but also to further amplify the reach of our talent.
How has your brand used influencers to grow your business?
We're in a very fortunate situation in that not only do we have 'influencers' in the social media sense of the word, but a number of our talent are very influential industry experts, including renowned photographers, leading models, and business leaders.
When they have great experiences on the platform, they go on to spread the word in the industry. That has helped position us as a market leader and delivered fantastic growth. Here are some examples of talent who have given us great testimonials.
What social media tips/advice would you give to other brands?
Think about the audience for each social channel and create content that will appeal to them. It’s not always the best move just to ‘repost’ content from Instagram to Facebook to Twitter and so forth, so be strategic about how you approach this.
While different social media platforms are used to reach different audiences and demographics, this is also true for the product or service you are marketing. Be mindful that selecting the correct social media channel will allow you to better target your ideal audience; and the right platform to use.
For example, a predominantly visual campaign is likely to outperform on Instagram than on Facebook where you are more likely to have people taking the time to read your written content. So it is worth understanding fully the outcomes required but also the steps required to reach those outcomes.
And keep creativity front of mind, no more content for contents sake! That just dilutes your messaging. When engaging with influencers, make sure you have a clear brief and an understanding of what you are trying to achieve before you get started. Great influencer marketing results come from good collaboration.
Where do you see the social media industry headed in the future?
I think it’s evolving so quickly, with new mediums entering the market all the time, its so hard to say! I believe authenticity and creativity will always be at the heart of any successful social media campaigns. Consumers play a huge role in keeping brands accountable and demanding authenticity and honesty in marketing campaigns. This means that brands must become more socially aware and truly understand what consumers want in order to effectively connect with them.
Brands need to become much savvier about finding and engaging the right talent to work with. Influencers need to be considered much earlier in the planning process, so the creative execution is developed seamlessly with the individual influencer in mind. It’s no longer just about seeding and distribution.
There is plenty to be gained from influencer marketing, but as in all things due diligence is required. Artificially inflated follower counts, poor brand alignment and accounts that drive clicks without necessarily improving KPIs are all unfortunate realities of the practice.
Fortunately there are ways to evaluate social media influencers to make sure they are a good fit for your brand and business. One tactic is to seek out influencers who are famous for their expertise, rather than simply famous for being famous. I think we will continue to see more brands engaging these types of ‘influencers’ and it is one of the reasons why we recently launched our B2B platform.
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About Taryn Williams
Taryn Williams is the CEO& founder of theright.fit and WINK Models. She is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2017 B&T Women in Media tech category and 2018 Mumbrella Award for Innovation.
She has appeared extensively in the media and is a speaker of choice for brands including Commonwealth Bank, Business Chicks, Hootsuite, QUT, Pause Fest, WA Tourism, ADMA and Vivid Sydney.
As a digital influencer, Taryn has worked with La Prairie, Samsonite, Sass & Bide, Fairfax & Roberts, Microsoft, Nature’s Way, Tuscan Tan, Franck Provost and the Art Series Hotel Group.
Taryn is a regular commentator on the tech industry, women in business, leadership & influencer marketing and is a Board Director of the Digital + Technology Collective.
