Not long ago, influencer marketing was limited to celebrities, athletes, or the extremely wealthy. The household names and faces were the ones used to convince you to buy a product or a service. But nowadays, you can scroll through Instagram and find hundreds, if not thousands of successful influencers. These influencers might not be famous, or even well-known, but they’re the ones who are helping boost the marketing world
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So what is influencer marketing? It seems like a buzzword, and we get it - sometimes it’s hard to understand the real method behind it. Influencer marketing employs leading, niche content creators to improve brand awareness, increase traffic, and drive your brand’s message to your target audience, as defined by
Influencer marketing delivers 11 times higher ROI than digital media. Utilizing influencers to amp up your marketing game can have some seriously big benefits. In this blog we’ll cover it all, from who can be an influencer to how you can start utilizing them for your marketing efforts.
who can be an influencer?
Influencer marketing can range from the average layperson to a big-name celebrity. From Kelly, a fellow mother-on-the-go, to Kim Kardashian. Seriously! When it comes to determining who - or what level of influencer - is right for your business and brand, it all depends on how much you want to spend as a business and how much influence you want to come out of this. Don’t get caught up in the hoopla surrounding “big-name” influencer marketing. If you do it right, all that matters is if you reach the right people, at the right place, and at the right time. You don’t necessarily need to use a Real Housewife to promote your brand.
There are many different websites that offer ways to connect you with the right type of influencer. Or, you could simply reach out to someone on a social media platform that you think would be a good fit for your brand. Sometimes, influencers show up organically. If it’s someone who has been an advocate for your brand or uses it a lot, you can always use their content as a customer testimonial or you can ask them to be an influencer.
how to get started with influencer marketing
Influencer marketing has become increasingly popular because of how consumers engage with and consume the media. They get to decide who and what they follow on social media platforms, and this begins to limit a brand's ability to market the way they used to. By marketing with an influencer, you create a more authentic form of marketing that pulls the viewer in.
If you’re a business who already utilizes inbound marketing methods, influencer marketing can be a great way to reach those audiences in a way that they want to be reached. Influencer marketing only works if you’re giving customers content that they can trust and that they genuinely care about.
benefits of influencer marketing
There are certainly some benefits that come with the use of influencers. In fact, according to Adweek, the Instagram influencer marketing industry is set to reach about $10 billion by the end of this year. That’s just Instagram alone!
One of the best things about influencer marketing is you get to decide on the level of investment you put in. Some influencers are willing to promote your brand as long as they get to keep the product that they’re promoting. Others ask for a small percentage commission of what they helped sell. If you want your brand to get out to a bigger audience, you’ll likely have to be willing to pay for a more well-known influencer.
Another benefit of influencer marketing is that it gives your audience an authentic look into the life of someone who uses your brand or product. Instead of a forced message, it’s much more laid back and comes across to viewers as an organic post.
influencer marketing strategy
Influencer marketing does take some time and energy to plan out. And it isn’t always a free option. There are many different things to think about when it comes to influencer marketing.
- The first step is to really know your audience and what they want. A younger audience will likely perceive influencer marketing in a more impactful way. Once you know your audience, you can choose which platform you want to start out with an influencer.
- The next step is to identify and select who you want your influencer(s) to be. You can find influencers through Google, social media, databases, and websites. In fact, there is such a thing as influencer marketing agencies that can help you find the right influencers.
- Once you have an influencer chosen, you’ll want to set a budget and management strategy. Consider how you will monitor and follow-up with your influencer. Influencer marketing may take a bit more time and effort, but it can definitely pay off.
- The next step is to decide on the goals and messages you want the influencer to be part of. You can decide where you would like to see the most change happen. It might be to create a new following or increase sales. Whatever you decide, it should be concrete and well-communicated to your team and the influencer.
- The last step is to review your goals and make sure your influencer is on the right track. It’s important to stay in contact with your influencer and keep giving feedback. Don’t skip on reporting progress and analysis of what is and is not working.
With influencer marketing trends on the rise, it’s important to be aware of its benefits and processes. If used correctly, influencer marketing can have a great impact on your marketing efforts and boost the digital marketing tactics you're already implementing.
