What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing is when your business partners with people of influence in order to help them with their online marketing. An influencer is someone with the power to affect the purchase decision of others. Oftentimes, an influencer has a large following and has authority, knowledge, position and a special relationship with his or her audience. Additionally, influencers typically have a significant niche or topic, and actively engages with their audience.
Modern influencer marketing is different than celebrity marketing. It is so much more than movie, music, or sports stars pushing unconnected products to their fans. To reiterate, influencer marketing is NOT celebrity marketing. Influencers are specialists with followers who have similar interests. They are NOT superstars with lots of indifferent fans.
Influencers spend a lot of time building their brand and cultivating their audience. If an influencer understands how your product could benefit their followers, they will be happy to work with you. However, you must sell a quality product. If your product is sub-standard or worse than competitors, it is unlikely that they will work with you.
Now that you know what influencer marketing is, here is how it can help you grow your business.
Enhances Social Media Presence
Did you know that 81% of consumers in the United States are on social media regularly? It is essential for businesses to establish a social media presence for successful, modern marketing.
If you are a business that has active social media accounts and pays for sponsored ads, influencer marketing will fit in naturally. If you are interested in influencer marketing, you can reach out to social media influencers with information about what a business like yours is offering. In your offer, it is important to include links to the business’ social media profiles. This will make it easier for influencers with large social media networks to learn about your business and connect easily.
Builds Customer Loyalty
When it comes to incentivizing influencers, you want it to be enticing. There are a variety of ways to pay an influencer, including discounts, freebies, entrance into contests or even commission for purchases made on behalf of the influencer. If an influencer is satisfied with their payment, it can be a two-fold boom in customer loyalty. Happy influencers who have won prizes earned commissions, or otherwise been positively affected by your business are more likely to be loyal to the brands they market.
Likewise, new consumers who are converted to a business’ brand through influencer marketing will trust the influencer, therefore they are more apt to trust the brand. This increases the likelihood of customer loyalty.
Expands Your Reach
Oftentimes, an influencer will qualify if they are socially active and have a large following on their social media networks. An influencer may have a thousand Facebook friends and a few thousand Twitter followers. The market niche will depend on the demographics of an influencer’s social networks.
Some influencers develop their online social media networks through personal relations or by sharing common interests. Oftentimes, that influencer has an easier time reaching fellow users than a business does.
Many businesses only have a few friends and likes on their social media networks, and as a result, influencers will have a wider reach.
Identifies Relevant Leads and Markets
Influencers have connections due to their personal relationships or their shared interests with their connections. For example, mothers on social media tend to have a network of mom friends. As a result, influencers have niche markets. When your business invests in influencer marketing, you can reach a specific niche, generating more relevant leads.
Combines Several Forms of Effective Advertising
The success of influencer marketing comes from how it combines with several other forms of effective marketing strategies. For example, digital marketing, social media, native and search engine optimization (SEO) are all involved with influencer marketing strategies. Ultimately, this makes influencer marketing extremely powerful.
Beats Ad-Block and Other Pitfalls
Did you know that 47% of online users have installed an ad block? Consumers are finding new ways to block out ads. Marketers are beginning to rely on advertising that is more subtle or blends in with other media. Influencer marketing advertising qualifies and will not be stoped by ad block or similar tools.
Yields a High-Return on Investment
There are practical benefits to influencer marketing. For example, it can yield a tremendous return on investment. Oftentimes, influencer marketing programs can be financed at low rates. Some businesses also run their own influencer marketing campaigns, where they offer programs to encourage their existing customers to share or review or even invite bloggers to feature a product for a small commission. The cost of influencer marketing is low, and because this form of advertising is so effective, the return on investment can be huge.
Boosts Your SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) makes it easier for users to find your business online. In order to have a successful SEO strategy, your business needs to have its name, website and other information regularly listed online in conjunction with relevant keywords.
Influencer marketing services such as ProvenSEO can help create SEO-friendly media for influencers to share. Ultimately, this helps a business improve their search engine rankings, reach a wider audience, and boost brand recognition. This oftentimes leads to loyal customers and business growth.
