Here’s Why You Should Be Trying Influencer Marketing In 2018 and Beyond

Social media marketing is a beast of its own. With the influx of groups, stories, live video, video in general, and influencer marketing, it can be daunting. But, you really should at least try all of those things—most importantly, influencer marketing.

What Is Influencer Marketing?

The most powerful form of marketing is word of mouth. Your best friend tells you to try out a new product, you buy it, become addicted, tell another friend, and the cycle continues. Another form of word-of-mouth marketing is when your favorite celebrity wears a pair of shoes, you see it, and you buy the same shoes. This is an example of influencer marketing.

You would probably be surprised to find out just how much of the social media images that you see by power users—with followers over 5,000—are actually ads for other companies. Try this fit tea, love this face mask, or this ootd (outfit of the day for those not in the know)—these are all paid for advertisements by various brands, and this method of reaching the masses has proven to be an incredibly effective form of marketing. Though, there isn’t a clear benchmark for success, since the industry is so new, some studies have shown up to three times the amount of engagement when using influencer marketing. 

One particular study also had some interesting findings with brick and mortar shops. It found that over 40% of people who saw an influencer ad would visit within 4 days. How incredible is that?!   

What Will an Influencer Do?

Here’s what’s beautiful about influencers—they are literally everywhere and can do almost anything! Do you need a boost in followers on Instagram? An influencer could either take over your account for the day, post about you on their own social pages, or both. An influencer could write a highly engaging post for your blog, they could post a video to YouTube showing people around your store. Your creativity is the only boundary with influencer marketing.

Pro Tips:

Trust Your Influencer:

We talk to a lot of influencers and they all say the same thing, “I know what I am doing.” And they do. If someone has gotten over 10,000 followers on Instagram on their own and has an idea for the marketing campaign—listen to them. Chances are, they know their audience better than you do. Obviously you will want to set ground rules (no cussing, body shaming,etc.), but then trust the influencer to do their job. It matters to them just as much as you, without happy clients, they will lose their business.

Work With Them Again:

Keep in touch with your influencers. If you run a campaign in January that goes extremely well with an influencer, keep them on file. Ask them to meet with you again in 3-6 months (or whatever your budget allows) and run another campaign.

Micro-Influencers Work:

Try micro-influencers. Some influencers come with a hefty fee, charging up to $100,000 for one post. A great thing for your brand to try is to reach out to people with 1,000-5,000 followers and ask them to post in return for a shoutout on your page, or something free from your business. Micro-influencers are looking to hop into the game, so it is much easier to cut a deal with them, and it can be just as effective. According to AdAge, Instagram users with under 1,000 followers have a like rate of 8%, while accounts with 1,000-10,000 followers get just 4% likes. This is because those people with less than 1,000 followers are more than likely “followed” by  friends, peers, and people they know personally which adds another level of connectedness and trust.

All in all, the least you should do is try influencer marketing. If you need help building a campaign, or want to talk to someone about how they can manage your influencer marketing campaigns, contact us at heythere@zettist.com.