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Ann-Derrick Gaillot is Meltwater's content writer. She joined the Americas team in March 2022 with nearly a decade of experience in content writing, copywriting, editorial, and culture journalism.

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See all blogs written by Ann-Derrick Gaillot, Meltwater's content writer. Social media management ★ digital marketing ★ ...

Author: Ann-Derrick Gaillot

Marketing technology has evolved past relying on guesses and assumptions; your social media marketing strategy should, too! 

These days, social media listening is essential for digital marketers, giving them the ability to conduct:

Competitive intelligence and market intelligence

All driven by comprehensive data analytics and insights. 

Whether you're considering using a social listening solution like Meltwater's for the first time or are dissatisfied with your current choice, it's best to have a clear understanding of what's out there. But with so many social listening offerings available today, it's easy to get lost in the sea of options. Finding the right tool for your business doesn't have to be a struggle. Read on to learn more about the 13 best social listening tools for 2024.

The Top 13 Social Media Listening Tools for 2024

Understanding how social media listening works is the first step in choosing the right solution for you. In a nutshell: 

Social listening tools aggregate social data from social media platforms and analyze them according to specific attributes or metrics. 

Marketers use that data to inform their marketing strategy, better understand their target audiences, predict trends, identify influencers, and so much more. Overall, social listening tools enable better decision-making through data.

Check out our Ultimate Guide to Social Listening to learn more.

The top listening tools on the market today overlap in some of the features they offer but are distinct in many others. When choosing the right listening tool for your needs, consider these features:

Choice of Social Channels: Not all listening tools "listen" to the same social media channels or at the same breadth or depth. 

Technology: These days, best-in-class social listening tools offer AI in social listening insights, including sentiment analysis and visual brand monitoring.

Data Access: Having access to real-time and historical data is a must when using social listening for market research, benchmarking, and trendspotting. Also, keep in mind that some social listening tools charge extra for social listening searches that exceed a certain limit, while others offer unlimited ad-hoc searches.

Usability: Across the board, top social listening tools need to have user-friendly interfaces and offer easy-to-understand analytics. Customer service and support options are also important parts of usability that can't be overlooked.

Your choice of social media listening tool will come down to which one best supports your social listening strategy and marketing goals. Luckily, there are a number of competitive social listening options worth checking out. Let's dive in.

Tip: For a deep dive into social analytics, take a look at the best social media analytics software on the market.

Meltwater: The Best Social Media Listening Tool

Our social listening platform saves marketers time and resources by providing them with a consolidated view of traditional media, social media, digital media, and audience segmentation data in one place. It also monitors one of the widest ranges of platforms and networks, including:

Our powerful search and reporting capabilities feature unlimited ad-hoc searches, queries, mentions, and dashboard analytics hand in hand with unlimited shareable dashboards, PDFs, slide decks, and data exports.

Plus, our customizable, in-depth insight reports ensure that users can keep key stakeholders in the know with accuracy, precision, and style. 

Meltwater's Social Listening Solution

And though many listening platforms include influencer identification features, Meltwater's all-in-one social intelligence solution includes a dedicated influencer platform that helps you manage your campaigns from start to finish and identify macro-influencers, micro-influencers, and everyone in between. Compare this capability to other products that only show you social conversation authors with the highest numbers of followers.

Tip: Learn more about the Meltwater influencer platform, and check out the best influencer marketing platforms and influencer management tools on the market.

Finally, our easy-to-use interface combined with 24/7 global customer support, extensive knowledge base, and client community platform ensures no question you have goes unanswered.

An all-in-one solution that is scalable to businesses of all sizes anywhere in the world, Meltwater social listening is a must-have solution for data-driven marketers.

Interested in touring our platform? Fill in the form at the bottom of this post to get in touch!

Awario is a brand monitoring tool that offers shareable social listening reports and a social listening API.

And along with letting users track brand names and industry-related keywords across X (Twitter), YouTube, and Reddit (among other online sources like news sites), the brand tracking software also includes influencer and lead identification tools.

Its analytics dashboard even features a special feed for mentions from heavily-followed influencer and media accounts. 

Tip: For social intelligence suites that include more influencer campaign management solutions, check out Meltwater and BuzzSumo. We have listed the top social media monitoring tools for you as well.

Digimind's easy-to-use platform is tailored to medium and small businesses and offers social listening across 10+ social networks, including Facebook and Baidu. And unlike some other options on this list, all Digimind packages come with unlimited user access and data storage (though it does limit the number of queries and keywords you can track before you have to pay extra).

One feature that sets Digimind apart is its built-in reputation analytics drawn from Google searches about your brand or product. And like Meltwater and other options on this list, it offers customizable and automated reports to keep stakeholders aligned.

Brand24 is comparable to Awario in that it offers competitive social listening features, including sentiment analysis, alerts, social media analytics reporting, and a free trial.

The "Analysis" section of its social monitoring dashboard aggregates mentions from X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.

One of Brand24's main social listening use cases is hashtag tracking and analysis to help you increase the reach of your marketing campaigns. However, if you're on the hunt for more in-depth analytics from a wider range of social media network sources, consider a higher-tier social listening platform.

Tip: Learn more about the top alternatives to Brand24.

Talkwalker is the next company that has to be part of any list of top social listening tools on the market.

It offers "Analytics," its traditional social listening platform, as well as a Quick Search tool for ad-hoc queries into 13 months of social data from 10+ social networks. 

Its data visualizations, including Virality Maps and Conversation Clusters, offer high-level overviews of how online conversations are trending.

Tip: Take a look at these data visualization tools.

One offering that makes Talkwalker stand out is the pre-built dashboards for different use cases like crisis management, competitive intelligence, brand tracking, and campaign tracking.

And like some other options on this list, Talkwalker integrates with the Hootsuite platform (We also have listed the best alternatives to Hootsuite for you).

Acquired by Cision in 2021, Brandwatch is a consumer intelligence platform that includes social listening and research tools like AI-powered image and sentiment analysis.

This social listening tool offers customizable dashboards and, with access to a ton of social posts dating back to 2010 (at an extra cost), it is a good resource for trendspotting and consumer research alike. And though that data isn't accessible through ad-hoc searches, you can dig into it with the help of a seven-step boolean builder.

Brandwatch's strengths include Vizia, its data visualization tool that lets users build and share real-time reports. And, like Meltwater, it has strong coverage of Asian social networks. Overall, Brandwatch is a good option for experienced social listening platform users at organizations of many sizes.

Tip: Take a look at the top Brandwatch alternatives.

YouScan's social media monitoring platform includes a number of social listening features and tools, including a mentions stream that highlights user-generated content about your brand or topic and automatically categorizes them based on sentiment.

Like Meltwater, YouScan integrates directly with Slack and Microsoft Teams so users can get alerts about mentions spikes even when they're not working right in the platform.

One of YouScan's newer additions is an AI-powered visual listening and insights tool (available as an add-on feature) that allows for tracking brand logos, objects, and more for added brand reputation assessment and trend analysis.

Overall, YouScan is a good choice for teams that need a listening tool to complement a more robust analytics and reporting solution.

Agorapulse is one of the social media management platforms on the market that includes some social listening capabilities.

Inform your marketing strategy with social listening tools • Top social media listening tools • Top social listening platforms • Tool comparison

The Top 13 Social Listening Tools for 2024

Learn more about Meltwater's Social Listening and Analytics Solution here: https://www.meltwater.com/en/suite/so...

For government agencies, social media is an all-too-often untapped avenue for public outreach. Though this sector faces high-stakes responsibilities — like aligning to official regulations, platform bans, and public spending accountability — it also has huge opportunities in social media for sharing important information.

Primed to seek out information on social media, too many internet users search for facts only to find misinformation from less-than-trusted sources. More government agencies could use social platforms and networks to give constituents accurate, official information straight from the source. This is particularly true during election season as the general public looks for information about voting.

Though many government agencies are still in the early stages of building their online presence, some are already experimenting and creating best practices with smaller audiences and local reach. Here are a few government social media accounts effectively building awareness and engagement around the upcoming 2024 U.S. Elections. 

The Boone County, Missouri Clerk’s Office uses trendjacking to prepare residents to cast their ballots. Using trending sounds and formats, the office slips voter registration information into the social media conversation.

This TikTok from August hopped on the “demure” trend to walk viewers through checking their voter registration, applying for an absentee ballot, and applying to be a poll worker. 

This TikTok generated a relatively high proportion of saves and shares, showing how trendjacking can prompt social media users to share and reference important information.

Beyond sharing information, the office also uses trends to build excitement. It uses popular sounds to countdown to ballot, absentee voting, and other election deadlines.

This TikTok used a popular sound from a Broadway show to share information about ballot deadlines.

Using trending formats and sounds on TikTok is an efficient and effective way to step into the platform’s language. Seek out creative ways to translate your information or call to action into the trend, but timing is everything. Consistently staying on top of viral trends is essential for picking and choosing the right ones for your organization or agency’s “brand”.

Discover the ins and outs of this social media strategy with our Ultimate Guide to Trendjacking.

On Instagram, eye-catching infographics are an effective way to get your messaging out into the world, even with limited resources. With graphics that are straightforward, informative, and easy to share via Stories, users have a quick way to stay civically engaged and share information with their networks. 

For example, the Dallas County Elections Department kept things short and sweet for its National Voter Registration Day post. 

Dallas County Elections switched up its image post with sleek gifs about how to register to vote.

The government agency also collected likes by formatting critical voter registration dates like an editorial-looking data graphic. 

This post from July is the Dallas County Elections Department’s most-liked Instagram of 2024 so far. 

When it comes to sharing more complex information, eye-catching images can be paired with longer captions, as Dallas County Elections Department did with this press release correcting spreading misinformation about voting rights.

This cryptic graphic makes viewers want to run to the caption to see what it means. This strategy helped make this the second most-liked Instagram post from Dallas County Elections Department in 2024 so far.

Bold, text-based infographics are a cost-effective way to educate the public while conveying authority on Instagram. Clear, valuable information presented in an eye-catching way not only grabs your followers’ attention, it encourages them to share the post and amplify your message.

The Maricopa County Elections Department in Arizona uses its mascot Phil the Ballot (get it?) to drum up voter participation. For example, Phil pops up in this much-liked, bi-lingual Instagram post to remind a couple of “yappers” to make sure they’re registered to vote.

This Instagram post generated likes using a viral sound and an IRL cameo from Phil the Ballot.

Phil does double duty as a graphic mascot, lending some personality and organizational recognition to this highly engaged infographic on X.

This X post from August was viewed more than 3,500 hundred times, generating 29 reposts and one quote post along the way.

And he, too, got in on the demure trend with great results.

The Maricopa County Elections Instagram joined forces with the County’s official account to drum up excitement around voter registration. 

Even though Maricopa County Elections has an ally in Phil, it doesn’t use him as a crutch. The Instagram account’s second most-liked post of this year was this one, which uses exciting camera work to deliver a simple message.

This Reel was the account’s second most-liked Instagram post of this year so far.

For Maricopa County Elections, consistency on social media has paid off in multiple hits for its voter registration and turnout campaigns this year. It posts almost daily, slowly but surely building a following and establishing itself as a trusted source for voting information on social media. While there’s no certainty as to how much social campaigns can boost civic engagement, this government agency is putting forth an admirable effort with creative and informative content.

The Contra Costa County Elections Department in California takes a multi-platform approach to building trust with the over 1.1 million residents it serves. On TikTok, the department uses trending formats to jump into the digital conversation. It joined the platform’s wave of trivia game videos to counter misinformation.

Using a popular TikTok format, the Contra Costa County Elections Department addressed some of its constituents’ most pressing questions about voter fraud.

Over on YouTube, the department used a short but sweet video to invite viewers to learn more about how ballots are secured and verified.

Election Security: 2-Step Verification? Try 48 Steps!

Though it has 80 subscribers, the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Elections Offices generated more than 277,000 views on this 30-second video.

Meanwhile, on Instagram, the department went the simple route to create a helpful, and shareable, voters’ resource.

This post was one of the Contra Costa County Clerk Recorder Elections most-liked Instagram posts of the year so far. 

Spread your strategy and messaging across multiple social platforms to reach different segments of your community. While Instagram and TikTok content are great ways to engage with younger audiences, don’t overlook YouTube and other channels when sharing informative, evergreen resources.

The United States Postal Service doesn’t exclusively deal with elections, but it does play a crucial role. About 31% of voters cast their ballots by mail in the midterm elections in 2022, while 43% did in the general elections in 2020. Throughout the year, the USPS’s social media accounts share informational content just as much as they do entertaining content. Take, for example, this Instagram account satirizing social media microtrends.

Clever trendjacking helped this Instagram post generate 2,100 likes since August 6, 2024.

Or this post on X referencing breakout pop star Chappell Roan.

This post generated about 83,000 views and 1,600 likes.

But when it comes to drawing periodic attention to important voting information, USPS opts for eye-catching consistency.

The USPS uses the same graphic of a white Official Elections Mail envelope against a blue background for posts with information about voting by mail.

Using the same simple image alerts followers instantly to voting information and links to more resources. And though USPS uses the same image repeatedly, it doesn’t sacrifice engagement.

This September 16, 2024 post was one of the USPS Instagram account’s more successful ones with 653 likes. 

Consider visual branding when creating a campaign about a subject outside of your regular content. On social media, attention-grabbing consistency is a great way to alert viewers to must-know information.

Government social media campaigns succeed with creativity

Government communications can often be impersonal and dry, but as these agencies prove, they don’t have to be. Agencies can use the language and culture of social media platforms to meet their communities where they are, scrolling on their digital devices. Whether looking to share information, combat misinformation, or inspire civic engagement, government entities have much to gain from developing and implementing social media strategies.

Our look at how U.S. government agencies engage with potential voters ahead of the 2024 general election reveals these important points for any official organization looking to build a social media presence:

Make your strategies platform-specific: While bold, shareable infographics do well on Instagram stories and feeds, trendjacking is more effective for generating engagement via Reels and TikTok.

Stay on top of the conversation: Being in the know of the latest social trends is the best way to identify new content opportunities.

Be consistent: Whether your organization posts monthly or weekly, set a cadence your followers can predict. That way they’ll know when to expect information, especially around cyclical processes like elections.  

Highlight local: It’s easy to believe that social media users don’t want to hear from government agencies, but you’d be surprised just how many are hungry for official, accurate information about their communities. For engagement-driving content, tap into that community spirit with regional references and cameos from local figures.

Looking for more examples of how government agencies can use social media for the public good? Check out our customer story with Tripepi Smith. The agency used Meltwater to help its public affairs client maintain good relations with residents during a large-scale public works project.

Creating a social media strategy from scratch, or revamping an existing one, can be a daunting process without the right tools. Learn how our social media management solution can help your organization do more with limited resources.

Learn how local elections boards and other government agencies are successfully promoting voting with social media content.

The Government Agencies Innovating on Social Media

Transforming Election Season: How Government Agencies Are Innovating on Social Media

Security is layered into every aspect of @Contra Costa County Elections & we take many steps – 48 steps to be exact – to protect elections. Check out all the security steps: bit.ly/4bw7PWM #CoCoVote #TrustedInfo2024

From reputation management obstacles to regulatory requirements to evolving consumer expectations, data-driven healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations certainly have their work cut out for them. 

No matter the objectives, an in-depth understanding of the market is essential for effective strategizing. With that in mind, we made our 2024 Consumer Insights: Healthcare report to give marketers in this industry a data-driven leg up. 

Using our suite of solutions, we analyzed online and media mentions related to three topics in this space: the patient journey, AI, and mis/disinformation. Along with highlighting notable stats and audience insights, our healthcare report offers actionable strategies healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers can use to:

Enhance their approach to reputation management

Build trust with consumers, patients, and healthcare professionals (HCPs)

Combat mis/disinformation with social marketing and PR

Download the 2024 Consumer Insights: Healthcare report for our full analysis and suggested strategies. In the meantime, here’s a quick overview of four need-to-know insights from the report.

Online conversations about finding healthcare are up 241% YoY

Our analysis found that mentions of keywords and phrases about finding healthcare have increased significantly, and many of those mentions are negative. 

As we explore more fully in the report, healthcare-related news stories can become lightning rods for complaints about the process of finding care and other stages of the patient journey. By zeroing in on these conversations, healthcare and pharmaceutical organizations can gain valuable insights into how to improve their customer experiences and brand management strategies.

Media coverage of health misinformation is at a four-year low 

Media coverage of health misinformation surged after the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has since waned. 

As false health and medical information continues to rise on social media, there is increased pressure on healthcare organizations to make sure their audiences are informed. By combining social media monitoring and creative outreach strategies (such as audience-specific influencer partnerships), organizations can stay ahead of evolving health misinformation online.

Healthcare and AI conversation leaders are emerging in related communities 

Mentions of healthcare and AI across social media spiked on January 10, 2024 thanks to a post on X about the technology’s potential impact on medical research, HCP workloads, and assistive devices. 

That dramatic surge in mentions highlights the high hopes some audiences have for AI’s rise in healthcare and pharma sectors. For example, the author of the aforementioned post is a conversation leader in the disability and gaming communities.

Chatter about healthcare and AI from HCPs is up 290% YoY

As excitement about AI abounds, HCPs are taking to social media to share their valuable perspectives. However, unlike the example highlighted previously, HCP outlooks on AI aren’t always so rosy. Some of the most engaged posts on the topic from self-identified HCPs expressed doubt that AI could ever replace them at work, citing examples of existing inefficiencies or inadequacies. 

Organizations looking to the future of AI integration will need to take current HCP perspectives into account to build trust and facilitate the adoption of new technologies.

There’s much more to unpack when it comes to understanding healthcare consumer and industry trends, but the insights highlighted here offer a taste of just how much there is to keep tabs on. Get our full analysis and data overview in our 2024 Consumer Insights: Healthcare report.

Want to get a data deep dive that’s tailored to your needs? Learn how to zero in on the data and insights that your organization wants most with a demo of the Meltwater Suite. 

Gain valuable industry insights with the Meltwater Healthcare Report. Uncover our key findings and stay ahead of the competition.

4 Key Insights from the Meltwater Healthcare Report

4 Insights from Our Healthcare Report

Our latest report analyzing consumer trends in the retail sector confirms what many discerning, internet-savvy shoppers know well: Reddit is the place for researching before you buy. 

The forum-based social network now has more than 73 million unique daily visitors and a potential global ad reach of 233 million. For shoppers, the site’s thousands of communities, or subreddits, are a treasure trove of unbiased reviews and first-hand experiences.

Our analysis found that Reddit is the top social network for researching apparel, beauty, and consumer electronics items. Electronics, in particular, are a popular topic, with top subreddits for asking questions and getting answers about gadgets being:

Download our Retail Consumer Insights report to discover the top subreddits for other retail sectors and learn more about Reddit marketing.

Most marketers are only beginning to explore the possibilities of Reddit, but some brands, both in retail and beyond, have already found innovative ways to use the network. Here are five brands making a splash on Reddit that marketers can learn from.

Purple Innovation, the company behind the Purple mattress, has its own subreddit catering to current and prospective customers. Users post reviews, questions, observations, and gripes for input from the community’s more than 3,800 members, and discussions are helped along by  prompts and comments from brand user accounts. Through this centralized hub, Purple has a direct look at its customers’ biggest questions and concerns, as well as which other mattress brands they are eyeing most. 

This post, in which a Redditor shares their detailed review of a Purple pillow, generated 40 comments in the LifeOnPurple subreddit.

Mint Mobile's subreddit, partially moderated by official Mint Mobile customer service accounts, lets current and prospective customers explore the ins and outs of its wireless service. Along with answering questions, the company also uses comments to direct users to further support if needed. The key to this subreddit’s success is Mint Mobile’s light touch — not jumping into every conversation lets the Redditors take the lead, building trust within the community and fostering discussion. 

Learn more strategies for building trust in our 2024 Consumer Insights: Retail report.

With more than 150 comments, this post asking for opinions about Mint Mobile generated the kind of honest reviews that prospective customers are hungry for.

Customers can connect to Blizzard’s official subreddit directly from the company’s website. Boasting more than 94,000 members, it’s where fans of the video game developer go to discuss new releases, old classics, company news, and more. The company’s official Reddit presence complements the larger ecosystem of unofficial, and extremely popular, subreddits dedicated to its hit games. For example, r/Overwatch, a community for Blizzard’s Overwatch franchise, has more than 5.5 million members.

Comments on this post on Blizzard Entertainment's official subreddit offer insight into what fans love about video game villains.

In 2017, The Washington Post became “the first national news publisher to debut a Reddit profile page.” Seven years later, it’s still going strong, using posts, comments, and AMA (ask me anything) sessions in relevant communities to drive interested audiences directly to its stories. With its original reporting on a range of subjects, u/washingtonpost has endless context and information to add to Redditors’ discussions.

The Washington Post shares content in a range of subreddits, including those shown here dedicated to politics, Washington, D.C., and Joni Mitchell.

There are many active communities of U.S. basketball fans on Reddit, dedicated to both the National Basketball Association and its individual teams. The league taps into that built-in audience with its official Reddit profile, u/NBA. Though it does so sparingly, u/NBA has posted guides and AMAs to r/NBA, an unofficial NBA subreddit with more than 11 million members. One, with the league’s Head of NBA Basketball Strategy & Analytics, generated 200 comments. 

With its AMA sessions, the NBA's Reddit account engages with fans directly. Its response to question gave Redditors a behind-the-scenes peek at how the league operates.

Across industries, marketers are experimenting with new ways to engage consumers through Reddit and are landing on some creative and effective strategies. Let them be inspiration for your own approach — brands that are seeing what works now will have an edge down the line as advertiser presence on the platform continues to grow. 

Social listening and consumer intelligence can reveal what Redditors are saying about you and your competitors. Explore platform-specific insights about your brand with a demo of the Meltwater Suite.

Read this blog post to see how five brands are making waves and connecting with interest-based communities on Reddit.

5 Brands on Reddit Marketers Can Learn From

5 Brands Making Waves on Reddit

No matter how effortless and natural they may seem, effective influencer marketing campaigns don't appear out of thin air! There are many steps marketers have to take in order to pull off attention-grabbing influencer activations, and one of the first is deciding what format a campaign will take and where it will appear.

If you're planning an influencer marketing campaign of your own, you already know the bar is high! As influencer marketing's popularity has grown, many brands have put their own creative spins on this kind of advertising. To give you a sense of the possibilities, we rounded up some examples of the best influencer marketing campaigns that have come across our phone and laptop screens in recent years. Read on to learn what influencer marketing campaigns are, the most common types, and seven of the best examples yet.

What Is an Influencer Marketing Campaign?

What Are the Different Types of Influencer Marketing Campaigns?

11 of the Best Influencer Marketing Examples

Reading Tip: Influencer Marketing Inspiration: Tuft & Needle

Influencer marketing campaigns are a kind of advertising that features and is usually created by influencers, also known as content creators. Great for driving brand awareness, these campaigns capitalize on an influencer's popularity and social media following, no matter how big or small.

Influencers with smaller followings, such as micro-influencers and nano-influencers, help marketers tap into niche audiences. On the flip side, marketers use influencers with large followings, such as mega-influencers and macro-influencers, to generate buzz. 

While influencer partnerships have a lot in common with celebrity endorsements, they have some crucial differences. Often, influencers are trusted figures for specific audiences who, unlike most celebrities, are in closer contact with their followers.

They add a sense of trust and authenticity to marketing campaigns by interacting with commenters and, maybe most importantly, creating the content themselves. And though influencer digital marketing is relatively new, it's also hugely popular. According to Statista, influencer marketing was a $16.4 billion industry in 2022.

Influencers are endlessly creative when it comes to making social content (that's their job!), so there are many kinds of influencer campaigns out there. Still, most fall into a handful of different categories. 

The different types of influencer marketing campaigns include:

Unfamiliar with some of these examples of influencer marketing types? Let's take a quick look at each one.

Sponsored posts are promotional social media content that brands pay influencers to create and post. They can include many of the below examples of influencer marketing campaigns and — in many markets —they must clearly disclose that they are part of paid marketing partnerships. This can be via a distinct hashtag like #ad or a label, such as the "Includes paid promotion" ones that appear above at the top left corner of sponsored YouTube videos. 

Contests and giveaways are perfect for brands looking to increase their social media engagement rates. In these kinds of campaigns, brands provide influencers with free products or services that they can then gift to one or a few of their lucky followers.

In sponsored posts for giveaways, influencers will usually lay out what their followers must do to win, such as interacting with a particular branded post by leaving a comment or sharing it on their own accounts. These types of posts don't just promote your brand to the influencer's audience, they can also recruit that influencer's followers to promote your brand, too.

Tip: Learn how to do influencer gifting, understand influencer marketing pricing and rates, and how to find Twitter influencers.

Unlike the other campaign types on this list, social media takeovers let influencers post content directly to brand accounts. For the length of the campaign, usually a day to a week, influencers essentially become a brand's guest stars by lending their voice, image, and style to their social media accounts. 

Account takeovers offer a unique win-win scenario for both sides of the partnership. Brands get a cost-effective, but temporary, shake-up of their social media channels that they can then use to inform future campaigns and strategies. At the same time, influencers get the chance to speak to an entirely new, and sometimes larger, social media audience and score some new followers.

Speaking of takeovers - looking for more inspiration for your social content? Check out these innovative social media content ideas.

Brand ambassadorships take influencer marketing partnerships a step further than one-off posts with long-term campaigns. When companies tap influencers to be brand ambassadors they are essentially making that person a spokesperson for the brand, featuring them in ad content across all of the social media platforms they use. 

And while using brand ambassadors helps grow brand awareness, it also requires a higher level of commitment in a marketing partnership. Since the influencer you choose will be the face of your brand, you have to make absolutely sure that they are a good fit for representing your brand and reaching your target audience. 

Tip: Learn everything about brand ambassadors in this blog.

Adding affiliate campaigns to your influencer marketing strategy is a great way to generate e-commerce sales. Affiliate marketing content comes in various types and forms, such as case studies and landing pages. Influencers, however, rely mostly on social media posts for their affiliate campaigns. In these kinds of posts, social media influencers offer their followers a special discount code for a brand's products or services. The exclusive discount motivates consumers to make a purchase. In turn, influencers earn money for every conversion from their campaigns. The results of this kind of influencer marketing can be clearly measured by related sales. 

For these types of influencer content (popular across many channels but especially on YouTube and TikTok), brands send influencers free products to use and interact with. In unboxing videos, influencers open or "unbox" brand packages to capture their initial, real-time reactions to the products inside. For reviews, influencers take time to use the product or service and then share their experiences with their followers. As a result, unboxing and review influencer content can get more in-depth on the qualities of a product or service, making them perfect for long-form videos and blog posts. 

unbox my new @Vans from @Journeys with me ! #jyholiday22 #journeyspartner #vans #winterfashion 

Pre-release content is any kind of influencer marketing post that features products or services not yet available to the public. For these posts, brands give influencers early access to a product or service so they can build anticipation and hype for its release. 

Collaborations highlight an influencer's creativity and how well they mesh with your brand. These kinds of marketing partnerships can take many forms but often involve brands inviting an influencer to design or create content featuring their products or a special edition of the products themselves.

For example, many apparel brands have invited influencers to design limited-edition clothes and shoes.

Of all the marketing activations on this list, events are the only ones that offer consumers real-life engagement with influencers.

Usually reserved for big-name influencers, event activations can be anything from in-store appearances to hosting brand experiences at large events, like music festivals. Event activations require big investments of time and money, but with the right influencer, they can also have big returns.

Your marketing strategy and goals will always dictate what kind of influencer campaigns you use. But no matter what, your influencer marketing campaign's success always depends on partnering with the right influencer who can deliver the results you're looking for.

If you're here because you're looking for inspiration for your next influencer marketing activation, we've got you covered. Below are some of the best examples of different types of influencer marketing campaigns.

Gymshark, a fitness clothing e-commerce brand, is a leader when it comes to successful, long-term influencer partnerships. It has mastered the art of choosing brand ambassadors that its target audience loves — well-known trainers and athletes. The brand regularly leverages those strong partnerships for pre-release campaigns that not only draw in new potential customers, but also keep their current customers engaged and excited. 

For example, check out this Instagram Collab post featuring bodybuilder and Gymshark athlete David Laid. The fashion-forward photos — with a simple caption announcing the collection's release date and time — have gotten over 250k likes and counting. 

From actors to makeup artists to sustainable fashion enthusiasts, ice cream giant Häagen-Dazs partners with a wide range of influencers for their sponsored TikToks. What do they all have in common? Each one does an expert job of capturing the fun, family-friendly energy of the brand.

Tip: Are you looking for fashion influencers? Here's our list of the top global fashion influencers including sustainable fashionistas and the top South African fashion influencers.

In 2022, Häagen-Dazs brought the excitement of its digital content to life with an event activation featuring Leslie Grace, a singer-songwriter who has more than 233,000 TikTok followers. Along with appearing at a brand event hosted at a Brooklyn bodega, she posted footage of her time there in a TikTok that drew 20.8 million views.

had a BLAST with my @Häagen-Dazs's fam in Brooklyn bringing all the City Sweets goodness to the neighborhood at Rose & Reuben's Bodega! 🍨💕✨ #dazspartner #thatsdazs #citysweetmoments #luxuryiswhereyouare #brooklyn #icecream

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Examples of the best influencer marketing campaigns • Sponsored posts, event activations, brand ambassadors, and more!

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