Influencer Marketing: What Is It and Why Do You Need It

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing that involves collaborating with popular individuals on social media to promote a product or service. These individuals, known as influencers, have a large and engaged following that aligns with the target audience of the brand being promoted.

Benefits of influencer marketing:

• Increased brand awareness: Influencer marketing can help to increase brand awareness by getting your product or service in front of a wider audience.

• Improved brand reputation: When an influencer you trust endorses a product or service, it can help to improve your brand's reputation.

• Generate leads and sales: Influencer marketing can be an effective way to generate leads and sales. When influencers recommend your product or service to their followers, it can be very persuasive.

• Build relationships with customers: Influencer marketing can help you to build relationships with potential and existing customers. By engaging with influencers, you can learn more about your target audience and their needs.

When influencer marketing is not the right choice:

• B2B products or services: Influencer marketing is typically not a good fit for B2B products or services, as the sales cycle is often long and complex.

• Small regional businesses: Influencer marketing may not be affordable for small regional businesses. In these cases, it may be more effective to focus on local marketing efforts.

• Certain product categories: Some product categories, such as alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, may be difficult to promote through influencer marketing, as many influencers are hesitant to endorse these products.

Types of influencers:

• Celebrities: Celebrities are well-known individuals who have a large following across multiple platforms.

• Opinion leaders: Opinion leaders are experts in a particular niche who are respected by their peers.

• Discoverers: Discoverers are the first to try out new products and trends.

• Sharers and networkers: Sharers and networkers have a large network of contacts and are able to spread information quickly.

• Users: Users are regular people who share their experiences with products and services with their followers.

Influencers can be further classified by the size of their following:

• Mega-influencers: 1 million+ followers

• Macro-influencers: 100,000 - 1 million followers

• Micro-influencers: 10,000 - 100,000 followers

• Nano-influencers: 1,000 - 10,000 followers

Working with influencers:

There are a number of different ways to work with influencers, including:

• Reviews: The influencer is given a product to try out and then shares their honest opinion with their followers.

• Sponsored posts: The influencer creates a post about the product or service and tags the brand.

• Contests and giveaways: The influencer hosts a contest or giveaway to generate excitement about the product or service.

• Ambassadorships: The influencer becomes an ambassador for the brand and promotes it on a regular basis.

• Native advertising: The influencer creates content that is sponsored by the brand but does not look like traditional advertising.

Steps for working with influencers:

1. Define your goals and objectives: What do you want to achieve with your influencer marketing campaign?

2. Choose the right influencers: Identify influencers who have a following that aligns with your target audience.

3. Develop a campaign brief: Outline the details of your campaign, including the deliverables, timeline, and budget.

4. Negotiate and contract: Agree on the terms of your collaboration with the influencer.

5. Create and execute the campaign: Work with the influencer to create and execute the campaign.

6. Track and measure results: Monitor the performance of your campaign and make adjustments as needed.

How to avoid scams:

• Verify the influencer's authenticity: Make sure the influencer is who they say they are and that they have a real following.

• Check the influencer's reputation: Read reviews and testimonials to see what other people have said about working with the influencer.

• Get everything in writing: Make sure you have a written contract that outlines the terms of your collaboration.

• Review the content before it goes live: Make sure you are happy with the content before the influencer publishes it.

Example of influencer marketing:

The online retailer ASOS used influencer marketing to great success with their ASOS Insiders program. This program involved partnering with fashion influencers to promote the ASOS brand to their followers. The campaign was a huge success, resulting in a significant increase in brand awareness and sales.

Key takeaways:

• Influencer marketing offers a proven path to profitability and brand growth.

• Small businesses can effectively utilize influencer marketing to expand their reach and engagement.

• Prioritize influencer selection based on alignment with your target audience and brand identity.

• Leverage specialized tools and our agency expertise to enhance influencer discovery and evaluation.

Remember, effective influencer marketing hinges on strategic collaboration, so with Elite Club Realty you can be sure that the chosen influencers genuinely resonate with your brand and its message.