Are Influencers for You?
Have you ever scrolled through your social media accounts and came across one of your favorite artists promoting a specific brand of clothing or a new health drink? It probably caught your attention and made you pause to take a look at the product. Guess what? That’s influencer marketing! This type of online marketing is when a brand partners with an online influencer to help increase loyalty and trust among its target audience. It can work for your brand too, but how do you know if influencers are right for you?
What is an Influencer?
An influencer is someone in your niche who has the power to sway purchases. He or she typically has specialized knowledge of the particular type of product. For instance, let’s say your brand is athletic clothing. An influencer who is an athlete would have an innate knowledge of your product. Your target audience will trust when the athlete promotes your brand’s athletic clothing as being the best that it is indeed the best. Influencers are great launching pads for brands who are looking to build credibility.
Who are the Most Common Types of Influencers?
Anyone can be an influencer who has the ability to convince a specific audience of the need for a certain product or service. However, these are the most common types of influencers:
- Celebrities — This includes athletes, television and movie stars, artists, etc.
- Industry experts in your specific niche
- Bloggers — This group shares information they find interesting with others. Some bloggers may be influencers if they have the ability to persuade their audience.
- Micro-influencers — This group has anywhere from 2,000 to 50,000 followers and may or may not have a blog. They are extremely knowledgeable on a particular topic. Micro-influencers have extremely loyal followers who are highly engaged and trust them.
Benefits of Teaming Up with an Influencer
There are many benefits to a brand teaming up with the right influencer. These include:
- Build and improve the credibility of your brand
- Relevant and hyper-focused to your niche/target audience
- Doesn’t appear over-the-top salesy — chances are the individual has subscribed to receive information from that particular influencer
- Increases the reach and awareness of your brand
- Faster to acquire potential consumers
- Provides useful value to your brand’s target audience
Success Stories of Influencer Marketing
Many well-known brands today have used influencer marketing to launch their brand to the top of their industry. Let’s take a look at a couple of examples.
Fiji Water
This popular bottled water brand teamed up with fashion blogger, Danielle Bernstein to build trust and credibility. Danielle would periodically make promotional posts on social media platforms and even carry bottles of water out in public. The idea was to appeal to women who wanted the physique of Danielle and suggest that they would need Fiji Water in order to stay properly hydrated before, during, and after workouts. As you know, it worked and Fiji Water skyrocketed to the top of its industry.
Lyft
This popular ride-sharing app took a slightly different approach. Instead of partnering with one influencer, they teamed up with over 1,000 influencers across every niche. The idea was to portray that Lyft is the perfect transportation solution for everyone. It worked! Lyft now rivals Uber as one of the top ride-sharing apps available across the nation.
Is Influencer Marketing Right for You?
Partnering with influencers is effective for brands whether they are small or large. The best news is that it doesn’t have to empty your bank account. Generally speaking, influencer marketing is a cost-effective way to build the authority of your brand by using another person’s reputation. Are you not sure how to apply influencer marketing to your business? Let Tiny Planet Digital help you develop the optimal influencer outreach strategy to take your brand to the next level!
