Influencers. Everyone’s talking about influencers. Think it’s just a 2017 fad? Think again. Influencers are the hot new marketing trend, and although this buzzword isn’t necessarily a new concept, it has grown increasingly popular thanks to the ever-evolving world of social media. Social media can magnify your marketing approach and help your message spread like wildfire, but finding the right outreach strategy and the right influencers to share your message is key. Still not convinced? A recent study concluded that in 2016, 94% of marketers found influencer marketing to be effective. As a result, influencer marketing budgets were set to double in 2017.
Here are three important ways influencer marketing makes a difference in your social media initiatives.
Increase Brand Awareness
They’re called “influencers” for a reason. Influencers can play an influential role in your marketing and brand awareness if you take the right steps to engage with them and establish connections through social media. An influencer with a strong social media presence will increase your overall reach on these channels – the more social followers an influencer has and the more frequent their engagements, the higher their reach. Tapping into the right influencers can do numbers for your clout on social media.
Develop Relationships with your Target Audience
Influencer relationships can be a direct line of communication to your target audience. Niche influencers can reach super specific audience segments in your industry, and they aren’t afraid to geek out on an awesome product or trend. Research and monitor your social media channels to identify the topics your potential influencers are engaging in, and make note of what conversations they’re having with your target audience.
Analyzing an influencer’s follower base will be a big indicator if he or she is a good fit for engagement. Then, you’re ready to start conversations, engage in topic-specific discussions and respond to influencers with your company’s insight directly in front of your target audience.
Build Credibility and Recognition
Keep in mind that influencer marketing is very different than celebrity endorsements and advertisements. Not to say those connections aren’t important or influential, but the influencer relationships we’re talking about are earned, not paid.
The right organic influencer relationship will add credibility to your social presence rather than the smoke and mirrors of a famous person’s name. I hate to break it to you, but Kim Kardashian probably isn’t the best influencer to tweet to with your cloud computing insight. Develop a relationship with influencers who are trustworthy and relevant to your industry, such as journalists, editors, analysts, bloggers, credible industry professionals or keynote speakers. Their opinions are important in your industry and to your audience. Kim K’s are not. (Well, most likely, unless your brand is contour foundation.)
Are you engaging with the right influencers to amplify your brand and reach your target audience? Our social media experts can help you develop a robust influencer engagement strategy to identify and start conversations with the right influencers in your industry.
Comments