I’m sure you’ve all heard of the word “influencers” before. You know? Those people on social media with a whole lot of followers whose opinions people trust. But are you aware of what influencer marketing can do for your brand / business?
Online influencer marketing is a relatively new marketing technique, emerging in the last decade since Instagram first came into popularity in 2010. The term ‘influencer’ refers to an individual who partners or collaborates with brands to help them promote a line of products or services. Influencers are typically preceded by a large number of followers who keep tabs on their social media profiles, enjoy the content that they create, share the same interests and who (therefore) value the influencer’s opinions about products, services, brand experiences, etc.
Modern customers trust the opinions of their family and people they admire far greater than a brand when it comes to making purchasing decisions. Ultimately, customers have lost faith in bigger brands over the years and are no longer swayed by routine promotional efforts – a result of being faced with a plethora of ads, false information, untrue promotions, etc. Fortunately, there’s a way around this obstruction – influencer marketing.
If you haven’t put two and two together already 😉 brands have started employing influencer marketing because influencers, like one’s friends or family, are real people that customers trust. Through influencers, brands can tap into the highly-effective ‘word-of-mouth’ marketing tactics (a friend sharing their opinion about a product/service), as well as afford their customers ‘social proof’ that their product does in fact work outside of its promotional prompts. Overall, influencer marketing aids service / product sales, connects a brand with new / more customers (brand reach) and fosters trust and loyalty between a brand and its customers.
That said, it is important to collaborate with influencers who suit the essence of your brand. It’s no good partnering with an influencer who enjoys skateboarding if you’re trying to promote a line of beauty products. Why? Well, as mentioned above, an influencer’s followers typically share the same or similar interests to that of the influencer. Thus you can assume that if your influencer is mainly into skateboarding and surfing, his followers (your potential customers) will be too. Partnering with influencers who mirror your brand’s essence is the only way to reach more potential customers who would be likely to support your brand in the future.
The value of influencer marketing cannot be undermined. In a world where your customers are smarter and less susceptible to marketing communications, creating good impressions and positive reviews about your brand among relevant social groups is pivotal. Influencer marketing is one of the best (and most effective) ways of hopping on this train, and if you need a little help or advice on where to get started, just pop us an email – tiffany@jadeandjade.co.za.
#influenced
Recent Comments