This story about Influencer marketing originally appeared on Pyxl.
The value of influencer marketing and engaging new audiences, having trusted thought leaders and trendsetters authentically speak to a product or a brand is priceless.
It’s no surprise that word-of-mouth advertising is growing – 92% of consumers trust recommendations from peers or trusted authorities.
To capitalize on this word-of-mouth concept in the digital age, advertisers know they need to implement an influencer strategy. But most don’t understand the science and art behind it. The number one question I am asked when venturing into influencer marketing is, where do I start?!
In partnership with Pyxl, Find Your Influence put together a helpful guide to answer that question, along with a few others.
What is Influencer Marketing?
An influencer is someone who has established credibility in a specific category and is able to amplify their voice through an opted-in reach. Advertisers benefit from working with third-party influencers online to share and/or create custom content, integrating their brand message to connect and motivate potential customers.
Where Do Influencers Post Content?
How does a brand know which social platform(s) to use for their campaign? First, a brand should sit down with their marketing agency and discuss strategy, goals and budget. In other words, how will you measure success and target influencers and audiences? Once this is established, it becomes clear which social platform will help you reach your goals. For example: If you are a beauty brand looking to work with female influencers between the ages of 18-24 with a strategic approach to have influencers create custom branded videos, and the ultimate goal of engagement, you would most likely use Instagram, Instagram TV, YouTube and blogs. Other potential platforms might be Twitter, for social amplification, and Pinterest, for beauty boards.
Why would you use influencers for your campaign?
Whether it’s a product launch, increasing positive sentiment, shopper marketing or driving sales, the sky is the limit in terms of use cases. The key is to find a reputable influencer marketing company such as Find Your Influence to align your goals with not only the best execution strategy, but also with your comprehensive digital marketing strategy.
So, now that you know the reasons why influencer marketing should be part of your marketing strategy, what’s next?
Influencer marketing is not only effective in helping you reach your goals but can run in parallel with your other current digital and social strategies. So it’s important to determine and align topics such as your target audience, target influencer, preferred social platforms, budget, KPI’s and an overarching campaign theme. Once you have the foundation of your influencer strategy, qualified teams like Find Your Influence can partner with your digital agency to create a detailed blueprint of your influencer structure.
Influencer marketing is proven to be reputable, scalable and profitable when done right. The value of engaging new audiences and having trusted thought leaders and trendsetters authentically speak to a product or a brand is priceless. Remember that influencers gain their followers and level of trust by simply being relatable and authentic in whom they work with. This level of trust often pays two-fold in building brand awareness and overall value.
Samantha Ley is the Vice President of Client Development with Find Your Influence. Follow Samantha on Twitter.