Influencer marketing is one of the newer concepts within marketing. It’s the process of having influential bloggers, celebrities, or industry experts talk about your brand or service, mention your product, or share your content to their followers.
The overarching strategy is simple -consumers prefer word-of-mouth recommendations over any other, and influencer marketing leverages this. Instead of communicating your message to mass, generic audiences – which is likely to be costly and possibly ineffective – with influencer marketing you can target a smaller, more relevant audience and get more bang for your buck.
Influencer marketing can be a cost-effective and strong link in your marketing chain. But there are some key points to be aware of before you head down this path;
Spend time upfront researching – it can take a lot of time to research each influencer (as there are thousands of so called ‘celebrities’ these days), review them, engage with them, approach them individually – just like you would an Editor you are pitching your business too. It will likely take time to build a relationship and qualify their ‘fit’ for your brand before you get started.
Don’t select an influencer just because you’ve heard of them. Select an influencer your target audience already trusts – someone you know is similar to those that buy from you and that your potential customers might follow.
Look closely at their numbers. There are some vastly inflated follower numbers out there that makes an influencer look more popular than they are. Instead of looking at the pure number of followers alone, look for engagement levels, (such as comments and shares) within their community.
Tread carefully. There are many influencers who, for a small fee, are more than willing to post a review of your product without actually trying it. Of course, it’s completely unethical and we advise you not to entertain this strategy – eventually you’ll be caught out.
When influencer marketing is done right it can drive sales and it’s certainly worth exploring. Chat to our team if you would like some help planning or executing your next influencer marketing strategy or want an obligation-free chat to see if this new marketing concept could work for your brand.
Renee