In this episode of 7 Figures and Beyond podcast, host Greg Shuey interviews Madelyn Banat, the Director of Marketing for GoBe Kids, to delve into the world of influencer marketing. GoBe Kids, known for their innovative baby and toddler snack organization products, has successfully driven significant business growth through influencers and creators. Madeline shares her background, from studying at UNC Chapel Hill and UNC Wilmington to working with small businesses, and how she found her passion for helping fast-growing companies with their marketing efforts. At Gobi Kids, she played a pivotal role in establishing strong marketing funnels and fueling growth, particularly through influencer marketing.

 Madelyn outlines her strategic approach to influencer marketing, which she calls the "three-bucket approach." This strategy involves categorizing influencers into three distinct groups: nano-influencers who generate word-of-mouth buzz, affiliate influencers who work on a commission basis, and paid campaign influencers who are engaged for specific promotions. She emphasizes the importance of allowing influencers to maintain their authentic voice, which enhances the genuineness of their promotions and avoids the pitfalls of overly scripted ads. By leveraging the dynamic nature of GoBe's products and the natural word-of-mouth they generate,  Madelyn has been able to drive substantial brand awareness and sales.

One of the major challenges  Madelyn highlights is the budget constraints that many small businesses face when competing with larger brands in the influencer marketing space. To overcome this, she stresses the importance of building genuine relationships with influencers who are truly passionate about the brand. This approach often leads to more cost-effective and organic promotions. Additionally, she discusses the importance of using tools like Aspire to manage and track influencer campaigns effectively. This helps in keeping everything organized and ensuring the effectiveness of each influencer's contributions.

 Madelyn also shares insights into selecting and vetting influencers, noting the value of reaching out to influencers from diverse niches such as travel, pets, and beauty, beyond the typical mom and kid influencers. This strategy broadens the brand's reach and engages different audiences. She discusses the evolving landscape of influencer marketing, predicting that collaborative posts and whitelisting will become increasingly important due to upcoming algorithm changes.  Madelyn concludes by encouraging brands to take the time to develop their influencer marketing strategies, build strong relationships with creators, and not be afraid to experiment and learn from their experiences.

Greg Shuey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-shuey/

Madelyn Banat LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelyn-banat/

GoBe Kids https://www.gobekids.co/

Aspire: https://www.aspire.io/

https://www.stryde.com/from-0-40-million-views-how-to-scale-your-influencer-marketing/