Simply go through your social handles and you will surely get to see innumerable posts related to influencer marketing. From trending fashion clothing and herbal beauty products, to the coolest cars and gadgets, it could be anything that can grab your attention and even influence you to the point of considering making a purchase. As we continue to experience this we are all drawn to want to spread the word about our products and to let people know what they could be missing!
Undoubtedly, influencing has evolved as a highly scalable and impactful means of digital marketing that any brand looking to strengthen their market presence or expand their reach cannot ignore.
What Influencer Marketing Is?
Basically, influencer marketing is a marketing technique that makes use of notable content producers to drive massive engagement and discussions around a product, service, or brand to influence the buying behavior of the consumers involved.
In opposition to conventional marketing, which targets a niche market as a whole, influencer marketing concentrates on just a handful of influential people in a society, who have the demonstrated potential of influencing potential consumers in a specific market. Influencer marketing entails planning and executing marketing activities around such people.
An influencer and influence marketing are indivisible. Influencers usually have a huge following both online and conventional media with some having followers in the millions. Quite similar to the “mob mentality,” they can often be seen sparking conversations revolving around a specific topic or product to sway their followers and pave a decision-making path, eventually influencing purchase action.
Surely, the main reason behind an abrupt surge in influencer marketing is the massive drift of consumers from mainstream media and television to social media.
Colossal Following of Influencers
One common thing among influencers is that they all have a huge following on the web or social media. An influencer can be a socialite, politician or an actor. In every industry, there are influential people, who can be recognized easily by their hundreds and thousands of followers. It is these followers that are actually the target audience brands want to reach.
The significant rise in the number of online social influencers in the last couple of years has brought endless opportunities for visionary marketers. Unquestionably, it has created probably the fastest and the most direct way for the brands to connect with their audeinces, and that too on an incredibly large scale.
The youth is now more connected to their smartphones than ever and they quickly reach out to their friends to tell them what’s in fashion or trending, thus influencing their purchase decisions. Rather than looking at brands directly, they follow their favorite celebs, who have acquired massive social following on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more.
Keep reading to know why influencer marketers are so important in today’s digital era.
• They have an enormous social appeal: Influencer marketing is extremely socially appealing and attracts masses. Since our society has shifted to the online social world, moving your business in the same direction does make sense.
Gone are the days when consumers used to make buying decisions on the basis of advertisements they saw on television or heard on the radio. Today, it’s far easier to connect with buyers or precisely, influencer marketers on social platforms.
Consumers now expect brands to converse with them. They like brands that just don’t sell, but try to inform and entertain them. When a brand gets aligned with the right influencer, it kicks off a powerful conversation, attracting more and more followers.
• They produce quality content: A survey has revealed that more than 50% of people follow influencers because they think that influencers create great content in terms of quality and it’s needless to say, content is currently one of the most critical aspects of any digital marketing campaign.
Influencers have the potential to develop excellent content that can elicit emotions from consumers, thereby reducing the burden of marketers. Often they may even suggest some excellent content marketing ideas that you wouldn’t have thought of for your product. A few reviews of your brand, products, or services from influencers can work wonders for you.
• They know what’s trending: Influencers are aware what’s in vogue or what are the latest trends in social media. And, they are often the first people to give them a try.
Via their networks, it’s very much possible to learn new ideas that you can implement to gain new customers. Additionally, they are generally deemed as “experts” of their respective niches, so you can always gain deep insights into your business from them.
• They are credible: Influencers have a huge following, mostly because of their immense credibility. The bulk of their followers regard them as “thought leaders” and follow their vagaries, regardless of how rational or unusual they are.
Their expertise together with the great rapport they maintain with their followers make them attractive to any audience. Any word from their mouth has the power to make or break your brand.
Bottomline:
Businesses across the world are increasingly engaging influencer marketers and paying them big money to sway their customers’ tastes and preferences. This is because, businesses know very well that establishing a healthy relationship with influencers will ultimately benefit them and help their brand grow beyond where traditional marketing concepts could take them.