The Growing Impact of Influencer Marketing & What You Need To Know
If someone were to ask you who the most famous people on earth are you would likely put together a list of top celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Justin Bieber, Tom Cruize, or maybe Jennifer Aniston to name a few. Celebrity endorsements are great, and can help your brand generate new revenue. It’s not always practical for your budget though. If you were to get one of these top celebrities to endorse your product it might cost you short of a small fortune.
While nationally known celebrities might be a bit costly, there are usually plenty of smaller influencers on social media that may be relevant to your business and who have a strong follower base for a specific niche. These online celebrities might not be well known outside of their social media niche but they do have plenty of clout and exposure. Some people refer to these influencers as social media rockstars.
How Does Influencer Marketing Help Your Brand?
By teaming up with influencers in your niche you can quickly reach a huge follower base and piggyback on the trust that an online influencer has already built. Since social media influencers are usually hyper-focused in one single area/niche, your message will be reaching a very relevant audience. Here are just a few of the reasons why you might consider influencer marketing:
- Reach an audience where they are hanging out online quickly
- If done right, you can get targeted exposure at a low cost per impression
- Increase your brand image and recognition
- Borrow trust earned by each influencer
What Should You Look For When Searching for Influencers?
There are a number of factors you might want to consider when partnering with an influencer. Does this person compliment my brand? Does he or she present himself/herself in an appropriate manner? While these are all good questions you might want to include, below is a checklist you might consider when deciding what influencer(s) to work with.
- What is your goal/what do you want to get out of influencer marketing?
- What are the performance metrics?
- Who is your ideal influencer?
- How will your track results?
- How much is this partnership worth?
What Lies in the Future for Influencer Marketing?
If you have ever wondered if influencer marketing is just a fad you might be happy to hear that it looks as if influencer marketing is here to stay. That shouldn’t be a stretch for anyone to accept considering that, according to Google, 70% of teenage YouTube subscribers say they relate to YouTube creators more than traditional celebrities. In fact, the same article notes that 4 in 10 millennial subscribers say their favorite creator understands them better than their friends.
Guest Post by Chris Foerster at Fremont College
