It is not news that we live in a society in which consumer relations have become stronger, mainly due to who represents a brand, than the company that manufactures the product and much of this is due to influence marketing, which uses social media influencers as spokespersons to attract and sell more using this relationship.
In this article, you will understand what this marketing strategy is and it is advantages in the relationship with the consumer and in your purchase journey.
What are digital influencers?
They don't just go by that name. They are also called creators and content creators. They are people who have the ability to influence other people to make decisions, be it lifestyle or consumption.
They need social media like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, blogs, to publish relevant content for their audience. They can work with very specific niches, such as professional cooking or entrepreneurship, even more, general subjects such as travel or health.
Many became famous by making videos, which was a smart move, as in less than two years videos will be responsible for 80% of internet traffic. The internet strength is what increases the power of influence that these guys have, and this force is growing.
Every 11 seconds, a new user enters social media, and this is very significant. Because the status of power and influence that creators have until recently was exclusive to the traditional media crowd, such as television, radio and newspapers, but today it's on the internet.
What is influence marketing?
Influence marketing is a strategy aimed at people who have some kind of influence over a specific audience, who, due to engagement and identification with this personality, tend to better accept your suggestions and, therefore, buy what is indicated to them.
This tactic has been gaining more and more space as it builds and nurtures a two-way relationship with major market influencers, leading the brand's target audience to a favourable purchase decision. That's because these people participate in all stages of the consumer's buying journey: recognition, consideration and decision-making.
The difference from the other approaches is related, among other things, to the type of message used by the influencer, which is already known by its audience and does not have direct interference from a traditional marketing team.
How to use social media influencers on your marketing strategy
As in any type of campaign, to work with influence marketing, the first step is to plan, defining, first of all, the strategy's objectives. They can be as diverse as generating more leads, increasing your brand visibility or generating sales. The important thing is that the goals and tracking metrics are well established.
Then it's time to think about the content and type of partnership. It can only have punctual insertions, such as sending a product to the influencer or his presence at an event; it can be a more distant campaign, with several publications by the influencer; or it could be a really long-term strategy, where the digital influencer becomes a kind of brand ambassador.
Furthermore, it is necessary to choose which category of influencer is more strategic for the action you intend to develop. See the main types:
Authority: is the type of person who is an expert on the subject at hand and has a lot of credibility with the public that is interested in the subject. Good choice to sell more;
Top celebrity: is the influencer that everyone knows, but who doesn't have a direct connection with his industry. It's more strategic to gain visibility;
Celebrity fit: is the person that everyone knows and has a connection with their market. A good option to generate leads and sell more;
Ecosystem: refers to the use of several small influencers who are dedicated to the same theme, increasing the impact of your brand. It can increase visibility and generate leads.
Generally speaking, there is no ready-made recipe for choosing digital influencers. You need to research and see what best fits your strategy. Having agencies that manage the relationship between brands and influencers is also a good alternative.
Why you should invest in influence marketing
Although we relate the term "influencers" directly to those who work with social networks, it is possible to categorize them into three different groups:
Media, which includes: journalists, analysts, investors, TV presenters and other well-known personalities from the offline era who still have a presence in digital media;
Specialists, such as: YouTubers, bloggers, Instagrammers, tik tokers, market specialists, among others;
Influencing fans: are characterized as common users, but who have great prominence in specific groups.
To get an idea of the reach that these personalities have, in 2019 more than 83% of brands started to do actions with influencers, 19% more than in 2017 and this is due to a few reasons:
The ROI, Return on Investment for this type of strategy averages $6.50 per dollar invested and generates 11 times more results than conventional campaigns.
Approximately 92% of consumers tend to trust influencer recommendations more than brands;
Most of the population prefers to buy online and 74% are on social networks, an environment in which influencers dominate;
26% of desktop users and 15% of mobile users use ad blockers and this has a direct impact on decreasing the effectiveness of traditional digital advertising.
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