Influencer marketing has exploded over the past few years with many thousands wanting a piece of the pie through online marketing.
In a nutshell, you could say it’s the closest thing to the age-old word-of-mouth recommendation from a friend. And in our online world, it’s a marketing strategy businesses have been unable to ignore.
So what is an influencer?
Influencer marketing evolved from the consumer’s demand for more authenticity. People have become weary of traditional marketing and advertising and distrust corporate brands. Over the past decade or so, the public perception of corporations has deteriorated, they see them as greedy and manipulative, and they’d rather get information about products from sources they trust, such as individual voices of authority. Enter social influencers!
Influencers set trends
These are individuals –content creators -who’ve grown loyal followers online, by sharing quality content that informs, inspires, and connects them with their audience. They start conversations, drive engagement, and set trends. They’re in a unique position to organically influence the purchasing of certain products.
These are not celebrities, but real people with relatable passions and interests and if they feel strongly about a product or brand, then they will share this enthusiasm. Influencers have a direct line of communication with people –or possible consumers in business and marketing terms! With their connection to so many people, brands are eager to align themselves and their products with their target audience.
Different levels of influencers
There are different levels of influencers, from micro-influencers (those with followings between 10,000 and 50,000) to macro-influencers who attract up to a million followers, and then the upper echelons –the mega-influencers with millions of followers and celebrities with more than 5 million. As a business, whether you want to reach a niche audience (with a micro-influencer) or a wide audience with a single post (mega-influencer), it depends on your goals, budget, and message. Keep in mind if you want to keep it more personal, then the ‘ordinary people’ influencers are the best choice.
Influencer marketing –the only way is up!
As we move away from traditional modes of entertainment and advertising, marketing is evolving and digital media has allowed anew generation to create different ways of connecting. Influencers have shown us the value of connecting and engaging directly with their followers. More and more businesses are now using influencer marketing to build their brands and promote their products. Prices for different influencer marketing campaigns vary greatly. You can pay per post (PPP), pay per campaign, pay per click (PPC), subscriptions, or non-monetary, where influencers are compensated through products, services, travel, dinners, etc.
As the social influencer industry continues to grow and evolve there is no doubt that this form of advertising is the wave of the future.
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