Influencer marketing is a popular strategy that delivers results.
Whilst content creators not only form trust with their audience, they also hold a lot of power in the marketing industry. Recent predictions say influencer marketing may be more beneficial to brands in the future rather than going down a traditional advertising route such as TV, radio, flyers, magazines and newspapers.
According to IZEA.com statistics show that on average, 32% of 25-34-year olds use an ‘ad blocker’. This means that online advertisements are starting to become easier to avoid. However, influencers have a loyal community of followers that trust their opinions and endorsements.
Most influencers will only promote products that they genuinely feel passionate about, which in-turn means the audience will more likely follow through with a purchase. Influencers can now be categorised depending on their following in the form of a hierarchical structure as shown below.
Typically, the larger following an influencer has, the more expensive it will be for brands to be represented by them per post. It’s essential for brands to ask the question—who will be more beneficial for my brand and deliver the best results?
And whilst macro-influencers may at first glance seem to be the next best option to go with, recent research suggests otherwise. The study by Impact.com showed that an influencer with 1,000 followers generates 85% higher engagement than those with 100,000 followers. This is because influencers with a smaller following have a more engaged and active audience. An active audience will more likely listen to the influencer and therefore this form of marketing will be extremely effective.
A beneficial strategy is to work with specific micro-influencers who have a similar niche target audience. This means you will be directly reaching out to the right consumer for your brand. Micro-influencers also have a more manageable following. Therefore, they are able to easily interact and get to know their audience on a more personal level. This creates loyalty, trust and a community spirit between the influencer and their followers.
Overall, micro-influencers will more likely provide you with a better return on investment as well as increased credibility.
- Listen to Social Media’s Rob Illidge discuss the latest trends in social media on the Evolve to Succeed podcast.