Influencer Marketing is currently one of the biggest marketing buzz words. Brands are scrambling to make the most of the lucrative opportunities that come from aligning with the ‘perfect fit’ influencer. But how does one find such a unicorn?

The answer is Scrunch – a data driven tool that uses audience insights to match brands with the right influencer, and provides an easy platform to manage outreach and run campaigns.

We think Scrunch is pretty awesome, which is why we decided to catch up with one half of the genius behind it, co-founder Danielle Lewis. Read on to find out about how Danielle got started, her top tips for working with influencers and her sweet freebie especially for our readers 😉

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

KE: My time at RUSSH was invaluable and I was privy to many aspects of the industry from image making, marketing through to styling and production co-ordination. Whilst I always knew that I wanted to have my own label, my experience at RUSSH gave me a skill-set that I apply to my business constantly.

What is scrunch and why did you start that journey?

Scrunch is an Influencer Marketing platform. But it wasn’t always that. I met my co-founder Salvatore 7 years ago and we decided, being two non-technical co-founders to ‘do something digital’. That decision set us on the most challenging, scary, but awesome path. And I think if I knew then what I know now, I never would have started. But what felt like an awesome little experiment, led us to the next thing, then to the next thing – and here we are, a fantastic global business with over 100 epic customers from small unknown startups to huge businesses like NewsCorp, Roses Only, Youfoodz, Terry White Chemmart, L’Oreal and more! When we first started, our why wasn’t clear, we just wanted to create something. Now, we do what we do for Growth, Intelligence and Experience – we believe in growing our customers and spreading good, using data to do it, and creating amazing experiences for every person we come into contact with.

So you’re a startup founder…Is that what you always dreamed of being? 😉 Can you give us some insight into the challenges/wins etc. of working at a startup?

Haha! No! I didn’t even know what a startup was! I don’t think I even knew I was starting a startup for the first year of being in this new world, I was just trying to build something awesome. The challenges of working in a startup are endless. It’s not for the faint-hearted. In fact, it’s not for anyone that values 9-5 work days. Every day there is something new. A customer throws a curve ball at you, technology provides no end of delays and roadblocks, and managing a team of people was also new to me! BUT, it’s also an experience like no other. I look back and know that I would never be where I am today with the knowledge and experience I have if I had stayed in my corporate job. And every small step is a giant win – that first customer, that first dollar, that first contract, that time when you’re employee hit their first home run – the rewards are endless and as long as you take the time to appreciate and celebrate the wins, they make the challenges more than worthwhile.

What did your last 24 hours look like?

I am writing this on a Sunday, so case in point, if you value 9-5 working, #startuplyf is not for you!
In the last 24 hours I have – had #datenight (very important!), prepped meals for the week, caught up on literally 100 emails, written a proposal, written a blog post, answered two sets of interview questions, reconciled invoices in XERO, prepared a shareholder update and visited my mum to help her synch a new iPhone.

Influencer marketing is a crazy topic right now. What are some of the more un known, interesting stats that you have access to?

At Scrunch, we believe it’s not the Influencer that matters, it’s the audience. So we’ve invested in building technology that uncovers who an Influencer’s audience actually is, including their age, gender, location, ethnicity and interest. If you think about Influencer Marketing as an ad-buy and finding people that will buy into your product or service – then this information is critical!

Do you use any technology/apps that make your life easier?

My favourite apps that make my life easier are: Asana for project management, which helps me stay across what everyone on the team is up to plus give feedback on projects on the go. Evernote to take notes in meetings or when a moment of inspiration strikes so that all of my thoughts are stored in the one place and are available on my iPhone or laptop anytime I need them. UberEATS when I’m feeling lazy and need Pad Thai delivered to my door stat! Haha!

What are your top 5 tips for brands and agencies who are already working with influencers, or thinking about it in the future?

Consult the data first! Understand the audience you want to target and make influencer selections that align to that audience.
Personalise your outreach emails to increase your response rate.
Brief VERY thoroughly to ensure influencer content is right the first time.
Use unique tracking links to track individual success.
Just ask the team at Scrunch, we are always here if you want to run anything #influencermarketing related past us! We’d love to help.

What’s the scariest thing you’ve ever done?

When I invested the home loan deposit I’d been saving for years, into starting a business called Scrunch!

What does the future of influencer marketing look like from where you’re sitting?

As brands mature with their influencer marketing and have run several campaigns, they tend to start to move towards more ambassador style roles and an always-on strategy. They use the data from the initial ad hoc campaigns to really understand what influencers, platforms and content performs best – then double down on that in an ongoing model.
We also think that transparency around data and results will be even more demanded by brands and agencies. And so it should!

What should you never do when working with one or many influencers?

NEVER think it’s ok to give a vague brief to an Influencer. It’s one of THE MOST important parts of the Influencer Marketing workflow. Make sure you not only include the key messaging, but also things like moodboards and ‘dos and donts’ so the Influencer is super-clear before they start creating the content.

What’s the biggest myth about influencer marketing?

The biggest myth about Influencer Marketing is that ‘micro-influencers’ are the silver bullet. The fact is that every campaign has its own objectives and your strategy should be prepared to hit that KPI, not align to a new marketing trend.

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Bonus!

Danielle has kindly offered all readers 2 months free access to Scrunch Pro for anyone that signs up with the voucher FLAUNTER. Get started here.

Spotlight On: Danielle Lewis