Influencer marketing: How this new approach changes the face of a brand

Getting a marketing message to the target audience is an intimidating task even in the best of times. With endless business options available over social media platforms, it is pretty challenging to stand out from the crowd and outshine competitors by using traditional marketing methods. That is where influencer marketing (IM) comes in. 

A $10 billion industry, this marketing tactic has now become a mainstream approach for numerous firms, especially those operating in a business-to-customer environment. According to Forbes, this marketing method is growing much faster than digital ads. 

Surprisingly, despite its exceptional popularity and countless benefits, many marketing managers are still hesitant to employ this modern approach and continue to use traditional methods to reach the audience. 

Have you recently entered the world of digital marketing and are confused about whether IM is beneficial or not? Here’s the complete guide to Influencer Marketing, along with its benefits and efficiency that make this method worth trying. 

What is Influencer Marketing?

Influencer Marketing is a groundbreaking trend that has improved brand awareness and exposure. Its popularity stems from the fact that customers today are more informed and aware than ever. Brands need to evolve themselves as authentic and reliable to attract the audience, leading them to connect with influencers to increase brand awareness.

IM is pretty similar to word-of-mouth marketing; however, it doesn’t rely solely on specific recommendations. Marketing managers can either use this tool alone or as a means to improve other marketing campaigns. The best part about Influencer Marketing is that the audience is already there, and all you need to do is establish a win-win partnership to generate new leads. 

Benefits of Influencer Marketing

IM is an active approach to get your content to new viewers and foster business growth. Here’s the rundown of the six significant benefits to bolster your social media marketing strategy. 

• Builds credibility and trust:

Have you ever thought about why people on social media follow influencers? The reason is straightforward: they see themselves as experts in their vertical, trust their opinions and find them reliable. Influencers have a loyal fan following, and hence, any recommendation from them is greatly trusted by their followers. 

• Never appears pushy:

Since users who follow influencers on social media have willingly chosen to receive content from them, any influencer’s recommendation or promotion never appears pushy. They share a friendly relationship with their fans and followers and are perceived as experts in their niche. 

• Helps drive faster customer acquisition:

Since the audience you are reaching using this marketing approach is already your target audience, this strategy can convert viewers much faster than any other method. Therefore, you can gain customers quicker, but you can also drive more conversions. Moreover, IM is much more effective in getting more messages across to your customers than ads. 

• Boosts your SEO:

IM is a crucial strategy to increase your website’s DA (Domain Authority), improving your search engine rankings. If you have chosen an influencer with a high DA who links back to your site, your chances of appearing high up in the Google search ranking increase. 

• Is pocket-friendly:

The best thing about Influencer Marketing is that it is a wallet-friendly approach compared to other conventional marketing methods. However, you still need to plan your campaign properly to ensure that you’ll get the most out of a decent investment. Honestly speaking, the amount brands need to spend on this marketing technique depends on the influencer they are approaching. Unarguably, the top-rated influencers with millions of followers are expensive to afford. Hence, if you wish to keep things within budget, go for the micro-influencers who can do the job without costing a dime. These micro-influencers give you a better bang for your buck by instantly increasing the conversion rates. 

Moreover, businesses can also choose a compensation model that benefits both influencers and the brand alike. For instance, if you are a startup and can't afford to pay monetary compensation to the influencers, follow a barter approach by providing them free products and services. 

• Increases brand awareness and reach:

IM is a great way of reaching new audiences for your new products and services. Try connecting with an influencer whose niche aligns with your product to gain more visibility quickly. 

Will Influencer Marketing Be Effective in 2022?

Micro-influencers’ share in the digital marketing industry increased drastically last year. It is speculated that IM will see a considerable rise in demand in 2022 and that the industry will shift to a more data-driven approach.

Brands now favor micro-influencers and prefer working with them owing to their in-depth knowledge and insights. It leads to an effortless long-term relationship between influencers and the brand, thus ensuring an always-on marketing approach. IM portrays brand loyalty from an influencer’s point of view and adds to their value and credibility.

Conclusion

Although IM is a new approach in digital marketing, it provides several key benefits, depending upon your market. It’s a demonstrably effective way to increase your credibility and reach by leveraging an outside voice while driving new leads for your sales funnel. Embrace this leading approach with open arms and see how this changes the face of your brand.