An influencer is many things, but at the core, he or she is someone who has credibility in a niche or industry. In the past, influencers were celebrities (actors, actresses, singers, models and distinguished business leaders). But things are changing...
Social media has given everyday people an opportunity to become influencers by creating stimulating content and building a following. Some examples include:
These everyday people are viewed as thought leaders, and they can influence your thinking by swaying your buying decisions. But where are they reaching the consumer, and exactly how effective are they at convincing us to pull out our wallets to make a purchase? In short, they are everywhere and are very effective. See below for some specific platform stats.
With 700 million monthly users, it’s easy for influencers to quickly gain a large amount of followers on Instagram. But more followers isn’t always better... Instagram influencers with more than 10 million followers see an engagement rate of only 0.04%, meaning their audience doesn’t interact as much with them. In contrast, Instagram influencers with a 10k-100k followers range, offer the best combination of engagement and broad reach.
A bit more old school, but still very current, are the blogger influencers. Rather than flashy photos and short videos, 89% of bloggers reach their audience by posting long format content on platforms such as Wordpress or Blogspot. Audiences of bloggers tend to be looking for “real” content, topics and writer who seem truthful and honest. It’s no surprise that mom bloggers rank #3 when it comes to influencing purchase decisions. And 30% of consumers said they are more likely to buy products recommended from these real people (non-celebs).
Consumers on-the-go love video-based content. Whether it’s quick 10 second Snapchats or more lengthy Youtube videos, consumers are infatuated with video content. With at least 301 million users per month and 150 million users a day, Snapchat is a powerful marketing channel. 64% of brands use Snapchat to reach their consumers with fun filters or ads. Youtube is the second most influential social media platform with 18% of consumers being influenced to make purchases.
The last major media platform is Twitter. 68% of marketers consider twitter to be a key channel for influencer marketing. Which is easy to agree with when 40% of twitter users purchased something as a direct result of an influencer tweet. Purchase intent alone increases by 5.2x when Twitter users are exposed to influencer promo content on the platform.
With number like these, it’s hard to deny that social influencers are a powerful tool to use in marketing campaigns. We live in a social world, and it will only continue to grow. With cookies being blocked and going away altogether, and ad blockers becoming more prominent, social influencers can help your company stay connected to consumers but also create more opportunities to drive sales. Don’t fight the change in technology, grow with it!
Working with an influencer:
Increases brand awareness: Gain exposure to your influencer’s existing audience. This market is already engaged and waiting for relevant content.
Builds trust: Consumers already trust the opinions of the influencers they follow, boosting credibility to your brand.
Improves customer relationships: Through the intimate existing connections influencers have with them, brands can strengthen connections with consumers.
Improves your brand: The positive connection influencers already have with customers carries over to strengthen your company in the eyes of the consumer.
Improves SEO: Working with influencers offers opportunities for link-building. More links lead to better search rankings.
Lastly, chew on this staggering stat: 92% of consumers trust the recommendations of people they follow on social media versus adversing from a brand.
Are you influenced yet?
Understanding how to use influencer marketing to its full potential will help to drive brand awareness and lead to more revenue. A good way to start would be to reach out to some of your industry's top influencers and show off how great your product or service is... You never know, your brand’s big break or defining moment could be just one post away!