Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a new type of marketing; it has grown rapidly due to the use of social media. This type of marketing uses endorsement and product mentions from people with a high follower base on social media platforms. These people with high followings are considered influencers. You are considered an influencer once you have the power to affect the purchasing decisions of others. To be an influencer you need to have the correct knowledge of a certain niche, an authoritative position on any platform, and strong relationship with your audience. All in order to engage in proactive and trustful persuasion towards a product or brand.
Moreover, influencers are viewed as experts within their area of interest. Whether that be make-up, clothing, food, travel, diet, or whatever expertise that might be. This type of marketing works because of the high amount of exposure and trust these influencers have amongst their follower base. Online influencers have built a social empire with their following. Ranging from giving recommendations of brands to purchase from to posting pictures and videos of their experiences online. Social media has given influencers this platform to express their opinions online for others to watch and follow. This market has grown as more people continuing to create social media accounts to follow and listen to influencer opinion.
So why is influencer marketing important to understand in the digital world? Because influencers have developed a strong trustworthy relationship with people online, and that can be hard to do these days. The online world can be a dark place at times for businesses, especially when they fail to reach their audience appropriately. Influencers opinions can weight heavy when it comes to speaking about which brands are good and which brands the public should stay away from. This is crucial for business owners to keep an eye on if you are selling a product or service. Businesses obviously want to have their products sold in addition to having their company be seen in a good light in the public eye. Influencers can help provide this guidance for companies in such a tech age that is transforming into a whole digital marketing focus. This blog will further discuss the importance of influencer marketing and why your business should hop on this marketing trend now!
Digital World
Over the years, brands and companies alike have found it harder and harder to get attention on the internet. This is due to the amount of clutter or noise the digital world has created. With all the positives the digital world has brought about it has also made consumers skeptical about brands. With the platform social media has brought about there is a new demand for marketing strategies to catch customers attention and show that their business is trustworthy to follow. Influencers have found a way to break through the clutter of the digital world. This is because viewers choose to follow their content. Trust is built between viewers and influencers this way because people are genuinely interested in the content influencers post via their channels that inspire their own lives.
In addition, influencers are seen in the consumer eye as a real-life customer just like them. So when an influencer recommends or disapproves of a product or service people really value their opinion. When influencers review products it gives customers an inside look into the brand and an in-depth knowledge they might not have understood or seen before. Often when a consumer doesn’t know what product to buy or is in-between brands they look toward the people who have experienced it before they decided to purchase it and spend their own money. Additionally, people are more inclined to try out your businesses products or services when a familiar face is promoting it online. It is important to have an influencer that represents your businesses brand to show people the quality of your product, the services it can provide, and the uses it can bring to their lives. This leverage motivates consumers to trust the product or service because someone just like them has experienced it, reviewed it, and is giving a valued opinion. Therefore, influencer marketing is essential for businesses to invest their marketing time and money into.
Picking the Right Influencer
A successful influencer marketing campaign requires a solid plan. Meaning that in order for a company or brand to successfully market their product or service they need to have the right influencer. Consumers have grown so dependent with social media and online marketing so here are a few tips for picking an influencer. First, study the influencers engagement metrics. In other words, look closely at their audience engagement to inspect their authenticity. Second, take the time to invest in social listening. In order to have a successful campaign you have to pick an influencer who is relevant to your product or service. Do this step by carefully going over the influencers followers and study who their fans are. This way your audience will be interested in your product or service. Next, look into their technical skills. At this point, it is more than just likes and engagement but if the influencer is a good story teller, posts their content on time, and has some knowledge in picture aesthetic and design. And finally, communicate with them. When choosing an influencer its vital to think about the bigger perspective. While it is important to have an influencer with a nice looking feed it’s also important to reach out beforehand and get to know the influencer face to face if you can. This way you can confirm that they will be a perfect fit for your brand image. These are all small factors that come into play whether you are a small or larger company.
A current example of this is Nike, for a brand like Nike it is important to have an influencer that represents the mission statement most appropriately. Nike’s mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete. So in order to coordinate with this message Nike has done several ad campaigns with top athletes, one such as Serena Williams. Using the image above as a reference, this is a Instagram post by Serna that is a digital campaign for Nike. This is a recent video clip posted by Serna yesterday on her Instagram feed. It is Nike’s new digital marketing tatic to inspire the power of the beauty of motion. Serna makes a great connection to the brand because she embodies similar characteristics that Nike as a brand represents. Characteristics such as empowering people, believing in herself, and motivating others. This goes for all brands and companies; each brand is unique so they should find an influencer that fits the mold of your mission. This way the influencers following will a line best with the audience you are trying to target market.
Marketing Solutions
Influencer marketing will take your brands digital marketing strategies to the next level. According to statistics, 81% of brands using influencer marketing have found using an influencer in their marketing campaigns to be effective. This is because influencers are known as content creators within their particular niches. Making them expertise in their target market which contributes towards a credible brand. Thereby driving more foot traffic to your brands website or store to purchase your product or service. By implementing influencer marketing as part of a cohesive digital marketing plan it will get your brand on the digital map. In other words, it will propel your brand through social media making your business look more technologically advanced and on the forefront of the competition. In a tech age consumer eyes are on social media so by devoting more advertising money towards digital platforms verse traditional platforms it can only help your brand in the future because technology is here to stay.
Furthermore, this marketing strategy will increase your brands awareness, help it reach new audiences, and generate sales and conversion. Influencers increase awareness because of their hug follower base. Due to their large following of thousands if not millions of people, your brand will get recognized by people all around the world. Additionally, followers look up to influencers and tend to lean toward their lifestyle tips and tricks. Therefore, the more an influencer posts about using your businesses product or service, the more repetitive your brands image will be in consumers eye, and they will have more of a desire to try it. Moreover, influencers have the ability to reach wide segments helping your brand reach new targets. Influencers can give you access to their audience in addition to the audience your business already had. With this activity your brand will be sure to grow as it continues to expand to new people who might not have heard about your business before. With that said, influencer marketing can help your businesses sales sky rocket. As a result, of having influencer marketing it adds an element of credibility to your brand. The more credibility your brand has the more likely it will be able to provoke people to give your products a try and become loyal customers in the future.
Overall, influencer marketing should defiantly be looked at as an essential part of your businesses digital marketing plan. It leads to a hug avenue of brand awareness and trust towards your business that will open people up to purchase your product or service time and time again. Influencers are great at creating content that is creative and exciting for their viewers to watch and follow. If your business is looking to go digital an influencer marketing campaign is needed in your marketing plan in order to expand your business, reach our goals, and create awareness in your product.
Jaclyn Gallon
2/18/20