It’s no secret that influencer marketing is on the rise. In fact, influencer marketing can be more effective than any other form of advertising when it comes to getting followers and engagement on social media. It also offers a range of benefits including: increased brand awareness, stronger relationships with customers, higher conversion rates for sales, and the opportunity for influencers themselves to grow their own brands. So what makes influencers so valuable? What are some best practices when working with influencers? Here’s everything you need to know about influencer marketing!
What Is Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is an advertising technique where businesses pay influencers to promote their brands or products on social media.
Influencer marketing differs from traditional methods in that influencers themselves will take photos, create videos, blog posts, etc. about a product or brand and share it with their following on social media. This method is much more embedded in multimedia and social networks than traditional advertising.
Instagram continues to be the platform of choice for most marketers. However Tiktok is gaining a lot of popularity.
Benefits Of Influencer Marketing
Increased Brand Awareness
Influencers have a large following with active engagement. They are seen as authorities in their niche and influencer marketing allows the influencer to become the one responsible for introducing your product or service. This will make it easier for your product to gain a reputation in the market.
Stronger Customer Relationships
Influencer marketing gives you the opportunity to be more personable with clients. With influencer marketing, connections between customers and brands can be made on a more personal level.
Higher Conversion Rates
Traditional advertising does not offer influencers much of an incentive to sell your products. In influencer marketing, influencers will often receive commission on any sales that are generated by their posts. Resulting in influencers who are more willing to promote your product.
Opportunity For Growth
Influencers want to be seen as authorities in their fields, whether it’s beauty or fitness or cooking. When influencers promote your product, not only will influencers grow their own brands, but as influencers grow so will their followings and your brand awareness.
What Kind of Businesses Should Work With Influencers and Why
If your product is difficult for consumers to find out information about it, or so new that no one has heard of them yet, then you should work with an influencer. Some examples could include tech companies, fashion lines, authors and luxury items. Using an influencer can be a great way to make your brand stand out if your market is saturated.
Influencers of the past are being replaced by influencers of today. The influencer of today, does not have to be a celebrity or known public figure with large followings and a lot of money; influencers can also be everyday people with a following on social media and blogs. Where before companies would recruit celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez or Beyonce, companies are now recruiting smaller influencers with 10,000 or fewer followers and finding success.
How To Find Influencers For Your Business or Blog Post/Article
Step one is to find individuals who are interested in your product and have your target demographic. You can find suitable influencers that may be interested in your products by looking at marketing blogs, influencer marketing websites, influencer marketing agencies and influencer directories.
For example, if you’re selling makeup, look up influencers in the makeup industry. If you’re selling a new game look up influencers in the gaming industry. Do some social listening and find where the most conversation is happening in relation to your product or industry.
Tips For Working With Influncers
Here are some tips for working with influencers
- Choose an influencer that is interested in your industry or product offering.
- An influencers motivation may differ from that of the brand. If an influencer has a genuine interest in or passion for what you do, they will be more inclined to put in the necessary hours to ensure that they produce high quality content.
- Choose Your Platform
- Your influencer should be using the platform you are most familiar with and where they have the most engagement.
- Find an influencer in your budget.
- The influencers charge rates will vary depending on their engagement with the followers, the industry they are in, and the type of influencer. The influencers charge rates can range $100-$600+, which is usually recurring, per post.
- Don’t trust influencers blindly
- They may not be fluent in the language you want them to use. Make sure you have gone back and proofread their work before approving it.
Influencers can help brands and products in today’s marketplace. There are many benefits that come with influencer marketing; from increased brand awareness, stronger customer relationships and higher conversion rates for sales. Which of these benefits has your business seen after working with influencers? Have you worked with influencers before? Let us know! If you need any assistance finding influencers or developing an influencer strategy tailored to meet the needs of your company, feel free contact us anytime.