Four Reasons Why Your Business Needs to Embrace Influencer Marketing
It is a competitive world out there, and every day, new products and services keep popping up – fighting for the customer’s attention and cash. Some businesses get their marketing right while it’s an uphill task for others. If you belong to the latter category, this article is for you.
Every brand needs the right marketing strategies to retain existing customers, gain new ones, and boost revenue. Today, we will discuss “Influencer Marketing”, one of the most rewarding marketing strategies phenomenal brand managers and marketers have embraced in recent times.
Most of us are prone to purchase products and use services recommended by people we know, love, and trust – either online or in real life. That is essentially what Influencer Marketing is all about.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed ordinary people rise to stardom through sheer creativity, innovation and consistent publishing of online content in different fields from art to music, lifestyle, career, fashion, among others. These influencers enjoy massive loyalty and command respect from their followers. Thus, causing brands to latch on influencers’ community, interaction and engagement to promote their brands and products.
Most of us are prone to purchase products and use services recommended by people we know, love, and trust – either online or in real life. That is essentially what Influencer Marketing is all about.
Here are five reasons you should try influencer marketing:
1. Influencers are Real Life Humans
A social media influencer is a human who has put part of their lives out on the internet and has gathered some form of an audience who likes them and find their living relatable. They may also be thought leaders in their sphere or career path. People often consider such people as some form of authority in their field. It is much easier to purchase a product recommended to you by some internet personality you see as a big sibling, a role model, or someone you aspire to be. Since some influencers have built their online brand through natural and organic means, they have a following that genuinely appreciates who they are and what they do. This way, they’re more open to receiving product advice and approval. Occasionally, brands partner with influencers through promo or discount codes their followers can use to get a better bargain.
Influencer marketing expands brands’ reach to the influencer’s community. It is no gainsaying that most consumers typically look towards social media to take opinions and make purchasing decisions.
2. Influencers have Tried and Tested marketing methods
Many influencers didn’t become internet sensations overnight. They painstakingly built their brands, made their mistakes, and have learnt along the way. They often have a clear idea of what works and what does not work for their target audience. Many present-day influencers are also content creators and have been able to, through experience – identify the best content forms that appeal to their target audience. It puts them in a position to better sell a product to their community based on understanding, trust and loyalty. Getting professional advice from influencers on how to market to your desired audience can help you shape your content and expand your reach.
3. Influencers Are A Walking Endorsement
An influencer puts a face to a product and, more importantly, a personality too. Adding the weight of an influencer’s opinion into a marketable testimonial/review gives your products some much-needed kudos. They are influencer because their audience trusts their judgment.
4. There Is An Influencer For You
You must realise that irrespective of your budget, product peculiarity, or audience, there is an influencer right for your business. We have different tiers of influencers – celebrity/tier one influencers (one million followers and above), macro/tier two influencers (100,000 followers and above), micro/tier three influencers (10,000 – 100,000 followers), nano/tier four influencers (less than 5,000 followers).
Finally, choose the right influencers that align with your brand vision and work with your budget. Furthermore, engage influencers who have access to your target audience. However, you must also be willing to give them the creative freedom they need to market your product to fit their content. Instead of trying to dictate what their content for your product should look like, you must give them the space to be original and captivating in a way that will encourage their followers to buy.
