Buzzoole and Flixel: a win-win partnership for brands and content creators

We’re delighted to announce the news of our partnership with Flixel; a software that allows influencers to create stunning cinemagraphs. What better way to kick the New Year off with a bang?

There’s no doubting that 2018 is the year of the creators. User Generated Content (UGC) is becoming more important for online advertising campaigns, and creators are searching for unique ways to stand out from the crowd.

The same goes for brands, who are looking to incorporate new content forms into their marketing strategy.

This is why cinemagraphs have gained popularity in the online creators scene, becoming a new content format capable of increasing click up to 60% compared to static ads.

When combined with influencer marketing, cinemagraphs have the power to be a key aspect of brands  campaigns. But it’s not just brands that can benefit from this partnership. In fact, creators themselves are welcoming the new content type a especially when engagement has been proven to surge through the use of video content.

Now, that’s what you call a win-win!

What are cinemagraphs?

Combining the words “cinema” and “photograph”, a cinemagraph is a glossy photo with subtle, isolated sections of movement.

As explained by Raashi Bhalla of Pinterest’s brand strategy team, they’re commonly used in advertising campaigns due to their eye-catching nature:

“Cinemagraphs are a great canvas for a variety of brands to experiment with. On Pinterest, we have found that while an individual pin represents an idea, with the cinematic feature, you are able to more clearly tell the story of that idea.”

Social platforms, such as Facebook, have implemented auto-play into user’s feeds. Have you noticed that this type of video content plays immediately without sound? Not only does it prevent the chances of blasting a strange video from your phone in a public space, but it caters perfectly to cinemagraphs.

That’s because cinemagraphs don’t require sound to function, and demand more attention than a regular photo in a crowded News Feed.

For that reason, cinemagraphs benefit social media strategies more than standard still photos. They help to tell stories in a unique way, and add value to your audience’s social interaction with your brand.

Flixel allows marketers to create mesmerising cinemagraphs to boost their storytelling. So, if you’re looking to add an extra element to your influencer campaign, the addition of cinemagraphs will really get people talking.

How can cinemagraphs be used for influencer marketing?

By working together on an influencer campaign which is inclusive of video content, both brands and creators can cash-in on the benefits of cinemagraphs.

For brands

Increased link clicks

The true value of an influencer marketing campaign can be difficult to measure. However, a key metric to measure a campaign’s success is the engagement rate. This tells you how many people have displayed interest in your advertisement, indicating that they’re likely to get further along the buying cycle (and maybe to convert).

It’s been found that cinemagraphs, including animated GIFs, produce higher transaction-to-click rates, too. A massive 72% of email marketers who used cinemagraphs recognized a higher transaction-to-click rate, compared with bulk emails to the same customers.

This means that more people were likely to convert once clicking emails which contained cinemagraphs.

Lower cost

Cinemagraphs have been proven to drive down costs for advertisers. Instead of fuelling a campaign with cash that doesn’t drive results, cinemagraphs are proven to perform better in advertising algorithms.

When businesses create marketing campaigns, they’re often limited by one factor: cost. Smaller brands may not have enough budget to plough into a huge campaign and can now increase their advertising return on investment (ROI) by using cinemagraphs.

This makes them a more cost-effective option than traditional still images, and a fantastic asset for smaller businesses who’re looking for data-driven marketing strategies to boost their ROI.

For creators

Increased engagement

The aim of any creator is to keep their audience engaged. High engagement rates prove that the content they’re sharing resonates with their people, and shows that you’re doing a good job.

When Microsoft conducted an advertising campaign using Flixel’s cinemagraphs, they saw their content’s engagement rate increase of 85% on Facebook. This is compared to measly engagement rate of just 0.83% for still image ads.

For this reason, creators can benefit from using cinemagraphs in their branded campaigns. Instead of still images provided by the brand which don’t resonate with the audience, creators can now create their own cinemagraphs.

Creative control

When creators work with brands on marketing campaigns, they worry about not being in control of their content. After spending so much time building their audience’s trust and creating content that suits them, it’s not uncommon for creators to turn-down campaigns due to their lack of creative control.

However, cinemagraphs allow creators to take the reins. Our exclusive Flixel partnership allows creators to get 50% off a Flixel Subscription Plan. This means that creators have full creative control over the branded content they share, while using a content format that’s proven to drive engagement.

We’re thrilled about partnering with Flixel and helping both our brands, and influencers, create powerful marketing campaigns that really drive results.

Through connecting brands and audiences by turning technology into inspiration, this partnership truly is a win-win game for everyone involved – including the audience who will be seeing the cinemagraphs.

To find out more about our partnership and enjoy your 50% discount on a subscription plan, head over to our dedicated page!