It is imperative for start-up companies and established brands to consistently expand their sales network. They need to connect with their current audience and at the same time reach out to potential customers. One of the best ways to accomplish this objective is to partner with influencers. Studies reveal that consumers conduct online research and get to know about new products from influencers.Brands are finding it difficult to reach out to their target audience through conventional marketing techniques or via traditional advertisements. They are integrating innovative influencer marketing strategies in their marketing campaigns to expand their customer base.
Global online buyers are more prone to be influenced by personal recommendations and reviews of new products posted by influencers.
Understanding Influencer Marketing
- Standard marketing messages fail to have an impact on online viewers. Rather they are sceptical about these typical and customary marketing materials.
- Influencer marketing is considered as a form of digital PR.
- Its main objective is to build brand awareness
- It assists the brand to connect with a target audience
- It escalates the overall reach of the brand
- Helps to promote products and services to relevant audience
- Influencer marketing is cost-effective
- Increases your search visibility
- Helps the brands to build an expert community around their product
- Helps fuel trust amongst online viewers
- Upsurges general brand awareness
- Influencer marketing is cost-effective
New business enterprises that have just launched their products in the market and are working on a shoestring budget greatly benefit from influencer marketing strategies. They do not have adequate funds to invest in paid channels.
Influencer marketing campaigns help start-up brands to make their online presence powerful and get excellent conversions. Expert Influencers mention them on their blogs and other social media platforms. Along with promoting brand awareness, the start-up business enterprise can get a great boost for SEO.
Build a comprehensive influencer marketing strategy
To achieve substantial results it is necessary to develop an all-inclusive influencer marketing strategy. Set goals for your marketing campaign that aligns with your specific business requirements. The growth of your network will depend on the number of influencers with whom you are engaging and the type of influencers you partner with. This will become the basic foundation of your effective influencer marketing campaign.
Connect and collaborate with the right influencers
Skilled influencers have a profound effect on potential customers buying patterns. They influence and modulate their purchasing behaviours since influencers are trusted entity. So, partnering with influencers helps the brands to put their product right in front of the target audience and subtly encourage them to buy.
Collaborating with influencers is extremely beneficial as the brands experience overwhelmingly positive outcomes. Influencers help brands to build incredibly successful marketing campaigns by getting exceptional coverage, expansive reach, and outstanding engagements.
For example, if your main aim is to drive high-quality brand awareness amongst online audiences then it is important to partner with expert influencers that mainly contribute to top-notch industry blogs. But if your goal is to increase traffic then it is important to collaborate with bloggers that enjoy broader reach.
Few points to consider while connecting with influencers :
1. Provide influencers with substance and value
It is crucial for brands to do in-depth research on the influencer’s working profile and devise a way to provide them with value. Show your concern and express eagerness to build a positive relationship with the influencer.
For example, you can promote their website or blogs and videos across your social media channels Also you can give them products to test, or send them your latest and updated swag. Ensure that they are enthusiastic and keen to help you to conduct an effective marketing campaign.
2. Personalise the content for every specific influencer
It is important to involve the influencer in your marketing campaigns by referring to his quotes frequently in your posts. You can invite them to host an event such as a podcast or a webinar or a Twitter chat and deliver co-branded content. Do not merely send a to-do list. Your healthy communication and interaction will bring out the best outcomes.
3. Build and uphold a positive relationship with the influencer
It is great to stay in regular touch with the influencer. Keep viewing their latest published content and try to promote it across s your channels. This will reflect your concern and help you to develop a strong connection between the influencer and your brand
Different types of influencers
Create a list of influencers you intend to work with. Carefully identify and select the best influencers that are in accordance with your business goals know the benefits of influencer marketing. There are different types of influencers. These include:
1. Mega influencers
This set of influencers is extremely famous and enjoys a global presence. They have more than a million followers because of their celebrity status.
Engaging them will give incredible reach to your brand as they are highly visible on social media and active on different social platforms. Brands that opt to leverage influencer marketing are attracted by mega influencers.
However, they are incredibly expensive and may generate less engagement rate. Mega influencers and celebrities are apt for marketing campaigns where substantial broad reach is needed to get your product in front of a multitude of people. For example, American influencer Kyle Jenner enjoys a whopping number of followers on Instagram. Likewise there is a never ending list of celebrities and influencers who use their social media profiles to advocate the use of any particular brand or product. This not only helps the brand to familarise their presence with the audience of the influencers but also increase their brand value phenomenally.
2. Macro influencers
These are influential bloggers, vloggers, podcasters, social media stars, and. Their audience size generally lies between 100,000 and a million followers. They have the potential to connect consumers, relevant audiences, and businesses. Macro-influencers also include TV personalities, or athletes, or celebrities or thought leaders. They are not as big as mega-influencers but are typically professional and can leverage their popularity to gain viewers on social media, For example, Chris Borgan builds an audience with his meaningful content and blogs and has a large audience base.
3. Mid-tier influencers
They offer brands a wide reach and boast of more engagement than mega or micro-influencers. Their posted Content is polished and reflects authenticity and familiarity as viewers connect with them instantly. They may not enjoy celebrity status but have audiences between 50K and 500K. Being influential content creators these influencers gain trust and are more in sync with their followers.
4. Micro-influencers
Brands consider micro-influencers to be very effective in terms of engagement, reach and trust. Comparatively, they have a smaller following, but they boast of a deeper and more trustworthy connection with their followers. Micro-influencers are usually more focused and their content feels more genuine and realistic. Consumers are more likely to purchase a product recommended by micro-influencers. Brands seek to partner with Micro-influencers because of their expertise in special fields, for example maybe sports or fashion . They leverage their in-depth knowledge to build an audience. Micro-influencers are more effective at driving business goals your brand is trying to achieve through an influencer marketing campaign.
5. Nano influencers
Nano influencers possess a small follower count, and they offer brands a moderate reach. However, brands gain in engagement rates even if they have lesser reach as they collaborate with them. Nano-influencers have the best engagement rate as compared to any other type of influencer type. Content is super–authentic, reliable, and personalised for their audience.
Nano-influencers are cost-effective so start-up brands with restricted finances opt to integrate this level of influencer marketing strategy. Many nano-influencers do not even take money from good brands as they are also in the process of building their audience and partnerships with notable brands.
6. Advocates
They are a special category of influencers as they advocate your brand in a highly positive manner. They mention your brand through genuine use of the product. They will get into conversations instantly online with the audience wherein they will defend or promote your brand. These types of influencers play a key role in delivering a meaningful message, driving awareness, and expanding reach.
7. Referrers
These types of influencers drive people to your website, or online profiles, with a powerful and trustworthy recommendation for your product. Their recommendations are instantly trusted and acted upon as they recommend your brand as the first choice even in face of competition.
8. Loyalists
These are followers, or customers, or fans that have stayed with your brand right from the start of your influence marketing sales journey. Loyalists are influencers that are involved with your brand completely, support you, and exhibit your message explicitly. They are a valuable addition to your team working to fulfil influencer marketing goals.
Conclusion
Advertising and promotion of products and services become discreet, effective, and more trustworthy by partnering with influencers.
Partner with the right type of influencers and connect with them in a meaningful way to promote your marketing campaign.
It is important to collaborate with influencers that have the ability to create engaging and vibrant content with target keywords in your specific arena. Build a long-term relationship with influencers and select them keeping in mind your budget and business objectives.