Influencer marketing is the process of promoting and selling products or services through individuals capable of driving action from your target audience.
There are three main types of influencers:
- Micro-influencers
- Macro-influencers
- Mega-influencers
Influencers are some of the best content creators out there. They know what works and what doesn’t in creating content that attracts visitors into customers. When you work with an influencer, you can run a campaign in a very innovative and unusual way.
Using influencer marketing in your marketing strategy can help your brand achieve goals like:
- Growing brand loyalty
- Increasing brand awareness
- Creating unique content
- Attracting a new audience
- Getting honest feedback
Influencers are interesting. Their posts resonate with consumers. Those consumers will read their content, discuss, and engage with said influencers.
This gives your brand the big opportunity to get your content out there when partnering with an influencer.
Why influencer marketing works
Influencer marketing works because influencers have spent a lot of time, effort, and money to establish a high level of trust with their target audience. Their followers recognize and see them. Followers care about what influencers have to say.
Recommendations from influencers serve as a form of social proof for brands.
Influencer marketing works. Here’s how:
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- Consumers trust influencers. According to Search Engine Journal, 91% of consumers between the age of 18 to 34 trust online reviews and recommendations as much as recommendations from their family and friends. Influencer marketing is a visual demonstration of attracting and establishing trust with consumers.
- Influencers create quality content. Influencers are experts in their niche. People follow them for a reason. Their content commands attention, begging them for more. You won’t need to try coming up with a content strategy or ideas to present your products or services. The influencer you’re working with does that for you.
- Influencer marketing does not suffer from the dreaded ads blocking. Around 30% of all internet users now use ad blockers. This can be problematic for businesses trying to reach their audiences. Despite this, nobody can block a blog post or YouTube video.
- It’s grounded in science. We can trace influencer theories back more than 70 years, when sociologists first introduced the two-step flow of communication model, which proposes that the majority of people are influenced by a small number of opinion leaders.
Tips for better influencer marketing
Businesses are making $5.20 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. The potential ROI on your campaigns is certainly possible. To get your money’s worth, here are some tips you can follow to create the most killer influencer marketing campaign:
- Define your objectives and plan. Do your research and tailor your outreach. Beware of phonies.
- Identify the best influencers for your needs. Understand the value you can provide them.
- Engage on social media. Dig deep into their available analytics.
- Aim for long-term relationships. Nurture the relationship with your influencers.
- Make sure their followers match your target audience. You don’t want your cat-loving eCommerce brand to work with an influencer whose followers mainly love horses. It won’t work.
- Try searching internationally for the right influencer for your market. Never turn your nose up to influencers across the ocean.
- Check out their past campaigns and collabs. See what’s worked for these influencers and how effective their campaigns were.
- Consider enlisting the help of an agency. It’s never a bad idea to ask for an extra hand if you find yourself struggling.
- Use branded links to track offline influencer marketing.
- Avoid micromanaging. Let them exercise their creative freedom.
- Don’t expect sudden results. Things take time. Especially in marketing. Be realistic and easy to work with.
- Gift your influencers. Reward them without expecting anything in return. Show your appreciation for your partnered influencers.
