With the continuous growth of social media comes the emergence of the so-called influencer marketing.
Consumers hold greater power over the type of content they want to view. Instead of seeing generic advertisements on television, they can turn to their gadgets, surf the internet, and scroll through their social media accounts which are generally tailored to their interests.
Influencer marketing is a fresh and effective approach to reach and engage with potential consumers with the help of individuals who have established an authority over a particular subject. This strategy helps you target niche audiences who can show genuine interest in your brand.
Unlike celebrity endorsements which don’t target a niche market, influencer marketing encourages high engagement and targeted personalization. The market research company eMarketer reported that according to the survey by WhoSay, 89 percent of U.S. agency and brand marketers said influencer marketing can positively impact how people feel about a brand. Additionally, 70 percent agreed that the budget for this approach would increase this 2018.
It starts with a choice
How will you know if influencer marketing would work for you?
Simple.
Look at the influencer that you are planning to team up with.
Remember, influencer marketing is not only about the numbers but rather about the quality of content and followers of the influencer. The success of your influencer marketing campaign starts with a choice: Among all influencers in my niche market, who should I select?
Choosing the right influencer can help you deliver the right message to the right audience all the while building trust and driving engagement.
To help you determine the right influencer for your brand, here are some things that you need to consider:
Relevance
Is the influencer sharing topics that are relevant to your brand?
Consistency with the brand
The theme or the overall feel of the influencer’s page should be consistent with your brand. You must take note, however, to give them the creative freedom in the message that they want to convey so as not to appear scripted.
Originality
An influencer should post contents with original ideas that would help your brand stand out.
Followers
The followers of the influencer should be those who can see immediate value over your brand. Are the followers real people and not just bots or fake accounts? Do they fit the audience personas that you are targeting?
Engagements
Based on the term itself, an influencer is someone who can “influence” his or her audience. This means that he or she has the ability to sway the purchasing decisions of your potential consumers. You can see if the influencer has an authority if he or she gains a reasonable number of likes and shares and comments that are directly related to the post.
Aside from those elements, you should develop first your audience personas. Determine their age, gender, location, culture, interests, and other important aspects that can help you create a message that would suit them. Once you know who your audiences are, choosing the right influencer will become a lot easier for you.
The manner of reaching your market has changed. They value targeted personalization more compared to generic advertisements that won’t make any difference in the way they think about your brand.
Will you give influencer marketing a try? Or will continue doing your traditional way of marketing?
