You’ve heard about it plenty of times, and you’ve probably even thought about starting your own influencer marketing campaign, yet you’re still not sure what exactly influencer marketing is. Then you’ve come to the exact right place, for we’ll try to answer all the burning questions that you might have concerning social media influencer marketing.
So… What is influencer marketing?
First things first – what exactly is influencer marketing? To put it simply, influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing involving endorsements and product placement from influencers. To put it even more simply, it’s the same celebrity endorsement that’s more complacent with the modern times and settings. Now, the celebrities aren’t just pop stars, movie icons, or athletes, but also people who have made themselves a name for the social media content they create. Another slight differentiation is that influencer marketing relies more on collaborating with the creators rather than them plainly endorsing a brand or a product.
Why is this important? Well, an influencer, besides having the power to affect purchasing decisions of their audiences, is also somewhat a leader to their followers. Be as it may, it is not a brand those people are following but the person themselves, and it is their opinion that matters. Thus, influencers and their keen followers are the most important thing when thinking about your brand’s endorsement via social media creators. Bear in mind that their word is the last when it comes to the published content because nobody else knows their audiences better than an influencer who might have worked for years to gather a crowd around them.
An influencer is also undeniably an expert in their own niche – be it travel, beauty, photography, or cyber security; they are the ones people come with questions to, and it is their content that is the absolute best for their followers. This, of course, allows the brands to collaborate with the creators on so many levels – from good old endorsement to pitching a product to creating an entirely new line of goods. The possibilities here are practically unlimited.
Lets check the statistics
If you need more proof of how important influencers are exactly for marketing, here are some statistics:
- Influencer Marketing Industry is set to reach $16.4 Billion worth in 2022
- There has been a 465% increase in searches including ‘influencer marketing’ on Google alone since 2016
- Businesses are making $5.78 ROI for every $1 spent on influencer marketing
- 80% of brands use Instagram for influencer marketing
- 68% of our marketers plan to increase their influencer marketing spend in 2022
These are some pretty clear numbers emphasizing the growth and importance of this booming industry, and now it is time you use it for your own advantage, don’t you think? We also understand that numbers and statistics alone won’t be sufficient enough to help you get into the world of social media influencer marketing, so we’ve also talked about creating the perfect influencer campaign a bit earlier. It encompasses such parts as:
- Analyzing your target audience
- Making clear goals
- Smart budgeting
- Staying on top of social media trends
And
- Translating your brand’s value to the audiences
So, if you’re searching for a stepping stone to a successful influencer marketing campaign, reading this guide could be a great start.
However, before you start, bear in mind that working with influencers isn’t just giving them money to say nice things about your product. For this, you’ll need an actual celebrity. Influencers operate as opinion makers, and they care a lot about their audience’s loyalty. But that’s exactly why influencer marketing works so well – pairing up with a creator whose values match your brand’s can become a great partnership that’ll gain you, devoted customers.
And lastly, although social media is where trends come and die seemingly every day, influencer marketing requires a bit more time for significant results. Again, it is all about gaining loyal followers, and that doesn’t happen in an eye blink. Having that all in mind, influencer marketing is still an amazing choice to get your brand’s name out there and enjoy the result such collaboration can bring.
