Influencer marketing is a process where brands leverage well-known figures (aka: influencers) who then use their influence over a target demographic to help promote a particular product or service. That being said, an influencer marketer does not have to be very famous, and sometimes, an influencer doesn’t even have to be a person at all. The point is, finding influencers to promote your brand isn’t about finding the most famous person out there. Rather, it’s about finding somebody whom the audience trusts, and how you can leverage that trust to help promote your brand.
According to the numbers, marketers are all set to spend nearly $2.38 billion on influencer marketing in 2019, on Instagram alone. This is an increase of more than $700 million from 2018. So, it’s safe to say that the influencer marketing industry is doing very well.
How to Find the Right Influencer?
Thanks to the internet, the number of people using social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube amounts to the millions and even billions, in the case of Facebook. So, how does one go on to identify the right influencer for their brand?
The answer is to look for an influencer who fits your business. Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the world’s top influencers, might be a great choice for promoting products of a certain brand. However, this does not mean that he is the best fit for your brand (or your budget), even if you sell the same products. There could be many reasons for that; Gary’s style not matching the image you want to project to the public, his method of influencing others or the language that he uses. This is why it is so crucial for businesses to not just use “any” influencer but use the “right” influencer for their brand.
Getting the Most of Your Influencer Marketing Efforts
Now that you’ve outlined your goals, and have found the right influencer for the job, it’s time to make sure you are able to get the most out of your campaign. The following are some of the ways in which you can do that:
Be Authentic
Consumers today crave authentic connections. While you may be paying for an influencer to talk on behalf of your brand, you need to keep your message authentic across various platforms. Here’s why it’s critical that the influencer you choose fits your brand’s ethos, or else your message’s authenticity is going to be lost. Keeping that in mind, the first step of creating an authentic message starts by choosing the right influencer.
Choose the Right Platform and Content
When it comes to marketing, different platforms are used to engage different audience demographics. It is important not only to pay attention to where your target audience is most active, but also what type of content they find the most engaging. For instance, while great pictures will perform well on platforms such as Instagram, videos are mostly used on platforms such as YouTube and Facebook.
Don’t Hurry while Building a Relationship
When it comes to building a relationship with an influencer, don’t try to rush it. Start off slowly by following them on social media, and sharing their content, and where possible, leave comments on their blogs which are relevant to your niche. It is crucial to try and establish a relationship based on mutual trust with your influencer before you can use their expertise as brand advocates.
Also, you need to empower influencers with information on your brand. If the product or service fits the influencer’s interests, they will be engaged with your product. If not, make sure they fully understand your product and brand philosophy. Invite the influencers you want to work with to your office or send them your product so they can try out for themselves. Remember, a marketing campaign will only be successful if the influencer truly believes in your brand.
Benefits of Influencer Marketing
Builds Trust with Customers
One of the main reasons why brands use influencers is because they build relationships, which means they enjoy a level of trust and credibility among a specific audience and normally, in a particular niche. By partnering with an influencer, you will be able to put your message in front of thousands of their loyal followers and increase your brand’s reach to a wider audience.
Creates Brand Awareness
As influencer marketing expands your brand’s reach, more and more social users will begin to find out more about your product or service, your story and your solutions. The key to creating successful brand awareness is by producing quality content that will increase your digital value both ways.
Improves the Content Strategy
Sure, creating blog posts and infographics of who you are and what you do is a great way of getting the message out there. But your message can only go so far while travelling a limited path. On the other hand, using influencer marketing can help you make up for those gaps in your existing marketing strategy as you reach out to a wider audience.
Impacts Purchase Decisions
There have been numerous studies that show influencer marketing to have a positive impact on the purchase decisions of consumers. In fact, a large amount of consumers admit that they have purchased products or services after watching or reading about an influencer using it, or simply talking about it in their social posts.
Higher Return on Investment (ROI)
From small startups to large corporations, all types of businesses have experienced positive growth as a result of using influencer marketing as part of their digital marketing strategy. Its ability to generate an enormous amount of ROI is what has made influencer marketing a billion-dollar industry. Besides that, more than half of marketers interviewed are either already using or have shown an interest in using influencer marketing as part of their marketing strategy.
