Whether you're coming across the term influencer marketing for the first time or not, it might interest you to that the wave of the moment has been centered around its efficiency in the marketing hemisphere.
To comprehend how it all works, it is imperative to look at it from the perspective of an influencer. So, what is an influencer? An influencer is an individual who has an online presence from which they build a following, due to their versatility or position in a niche the followers are interested in. With this, they can influence the decision of their followers, in regards to what they buy or use.
What Is Influencer Marketing?
Now that you've got a soft landing on who an influencer is, let's quickly jump to how influencer marketing works.
To begin with, influencer marketing occurs when a brand works hand-in-hand with an influencer in order to create awareness for its goods or services. Now, don't confuse this with your regular scattershot approach which involves a brand simply paying a celebrity to hold up or pretend using their product— which they never use in a real sense anyway. An influencer doesn't have to be a celebrity. In fact, most Influencers are barely known offline.
To understand better, there are various influencers within every domain of activity— in every industry. Let's use the following as a case study:
BigDiablo is an Instagram influencer who is very adept with tech gadgets. If he constantly publishes contents about techs, and that adds value to his followers, he will gradually gain their trust and expand his following. With this, he can be approached by a brand that makes tech products and is paid to technically introduce their products in his contents, without making it seems. The trust he has built with his followers over the years will influence their decision to consider the product.
More importantly, social media influencers must be able to make engaging content- be it written content, pictures, or videos. This is what converts audiences and yield effective marketing, and an influencer doesn't have to have an extremely large follower base to deliver.
Why Does Influencer Marketing Work?
Without blowing it out of proportion, influencer marketing doesn't necessarily yield quick, humongous results. This is because it's gradual, effective marketing, and the following are why it does really work:
1. The Campaign Doesn't Just Deliberate on Selling Wears
Influencer marketing doesn't just unabashedly shove your products down the throats of followers; that's cheap marketing. Influencer marketing delivers slowly and makes the audience see why a product is worth it from the perspective of the influencer.
2. It Is About Demonstrating Your Credibility and Versatility in a Particular Niche
The followers of an influencer trust them enough for a reason. They have been able to prove that they are adept in their domain of activity. Hence, their opinion on a particular product kicks right in. Their followers are convinced, given that the influencer's verdict on previous products was met with positive feedbacks. Although getting this done isn't a walk in the park, your brand has to earn respect and trust of an influencer from the get-go.
3. Influencer Marketing Is Marketing to Influencers
Social media influencers don't just influence their followers buying decisions; they are able to convert them to loyal disciples, so to say. What does this mean for your brand? You're harnessing the credibility of an influencer to get other influencers to have a good impression about your brand. An influencer's followers are basically influencers too. Given this, your brand reaches more audiences due to the likes and shares according to your content on the influencer's social channel. Their followers spread good words about your brand.
4. You Target a Market That You Already Know Their Likes and Dislikes
Influencer marketing gives you a soft landing. You already know the needs of the influencer's followers. You only have to capitalize on that, with the power of the influencer's contents.
How to Become An Influencer?
Frankly speaking, being an influencer is lucrative, and almost anyone would want to jump at the opportunity of becoming one, if only it's as easy as plucking petals of flowers. Do you have what it takes to become an influencer? If you're so convinced, the following guide should help you to become an influencer.
1. Carve a Niche for Yourself
Okay, you just don't grab the key without fundamental knowledge in a particular niche. Find something you're passionate about and can consistently create content about. You have to be good at it to be successful.
2. Have a Distinctive Social Media Account
Creating a social media account that stands out in many facets is equally important. You can start with selecting a channel of your choice, then switch to a business account for more options on how to become an influencer. Make your bio detailed and engaging. Lastly, include a profile picture of you and that has a few elements that denote your chosen niche.
3. Know Your Following
The importance of understanding your audience cannot be overstated. Ensure that you have an understanding of what they're interested in and are looking for. This will shape your content and help you deliver them excellently, thus building loyalty.
4. Deliver Only Relevant Contents
Stick to contents that are peculiar to your niche; if you're an Amazon influencer, don't mix irrelevant content that can make your audience switch lane. Additionally, your content must be engaging, and your followers must be able to relate. This is what prompts them to listen to your opinion and recommendations.
5. Be Consistent
Choose a time interval to publish your content and be consistent with it— be it daily, weekly, or monthly; choose what works for you and your audience.
6. Inform Brands About Possible Collaboration
Finally, while growing your following, declare yourself an influencer who is open to collaborations. You can do this by indicating so on your bio or reaching out to brands on what you can offer.
Some Influencers That You Should Know
Without a doubt, most Influencers are Instagram influencers. You will find a lot of established influencers there. The following are some influencers and their chosen niche:
· Jamie Oliver (food Influencer)
· Lauren Bullen (travel influencer)
· Murad Osmann (photography influencer)
· Jenny Kayne (design influencer)
· Massy Arias (sport and fitness influencer)
Rounding Up Notes
Whether you're looking to use the services of an influencer or are planning to become one, the opportunities that await you are endless. The Influencer marketing hub is a lucrative, yet efficacious niche that is yet to be wholly tapped.
