Influencer marketing is swiftly becoming one of the best ways to build your brand online by raising awareness amongst your target audience, through those who are already a hit.
What is an influencer?
The “everyman, everyday endorser” has changed the way we market our companies to the world. But what exactly is an influencer and why are they so successful?
Influencers can be described as social media personalities with very specific and, in some cases, very loyal audiences. They earn this large following through posting content that entertains, connects and inspires their followers.
It’s this loyalty and respect from followers that make social media influencers one of the most valuable “tool” in the marketing industry. Their most powerful characteristic is that they can literally be anyone. Because of this, influencers can generate the conversations, the engagement and the trends your company needs to drive sales, building lines of communication you may not be able to achieve by yourself.
What’s the point?
So now you know what an influencer is, it’s time you learnt why they can be so useful in helping you promote your brand:
1. Authenticity
As stated previously social media influencers have a loyal following on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and the ever-growing TikTok. People are drawn to influencers because they are more relatable than celebrities. Due to their knowledge on a certain topic, e.g. fashion or travel, followers develop a sense of trust with the individual and the content they create.
It’s this relatability that makes utilising influencers a perfect way to promote your company. Influencers are like the ‘trojan horse’ of online marketing. You have the ability to advertise your brand through someone who has a keen interest in what your selling and because people engage with what is being promoted, they’re often distracted from the fact that it is an advert which adds to the authenticity of the content.
2. Effective
Influencers can reach audiences that you personally may not have access to. Since the creation of social media, finding the right audiences has become increasingly difficult due to them being spread over a mass of platforms. Fewer and fewer people are engaging with adverts on the TV or in magazines. Consumers now have the choice to tune into what they want to see, when they want to see it, forcing brands to become clever with their marketing techniques – gone are the days of a “one message fits all” campaign!
The benefits of advertising your products and company through an influencer are chipping away the need for some of the traditional advertising methods that tend to go unnoticed in the flurry of content we see day today. Instead, using influencers gives you access to an audience who believe that if the influencer supports the brand then it must be worth checking out – an audience who are already relevant, already engaged and are far more likely to take an interest.
3. Cost-effective ROI
71% of marketer’s believer influencer partnerships are good for business*. Especially when nearly 74% of people trust social network to guide purchasing decisions.
There are several ways to activate your influencer marketing strategy, but the most popular methods are gifting and paid. With gifting, you are giving away a product or service for the influencer to post about to their network – if you’re savvy here, you can find the perfect personality for your brand and utilise someone who has a loyal audience who are devoted to your sector – this enables you to reach a wide audience for the cost of a freebie… pretty good return on investment, right?
Paid influencer marketing is more secure, however, as it will most likely involve a contractual agreement. Here you will pay the influencer a fee (and often freebie) for them to post about your brand/product – again, if you’re clever here, you can reach a huge audience for quite a small cost in comparison to more traditional advertising like TV or magazines. Plus, influencer marketing is 227% more emotionally intense and 87% more memorable than TV**. So, by spending relatively little, you have the ability to get a lot in return.
In fact, consumers exposed to an influencer ad before a TV, Facebook or YouTube ad from the same campaign are 58% more likely to feel positive towards the second ad and 47% more likely to remember the second ad**. It’s vital to remember that in today’s society (and especially with a younger audience), other people’s opinions resonate far better than promotional brand messages, and consumers often need validation in the decision they make when it comes to purchases. So, influencer marketing is the perfect way to introduce your brand to those who may be either unaware you exist or just need encouragement to shop with you.
It’s here to stay…
Whether you can understand why influencers are so useful or not they’re here to stay. From the significant ROI to the authenticity of using a real individual, working with influencers to promote your business is one of the most impactful things you can do this year and, in the years to come. So, what are you waiting for? Influencer marketing is something that could open new doors for you and if you’re ready to utilise it in your marketing strategy, we’re here to help!