by By: Casi Jackson
Social media influencers have made their presence known in the world of marketing. Although this form of marketing has become more prevalent, consumers have also become more cautious as to who they listen to and trust. Brands have caught on to the fact that consumers control the success of their products, therefore they must find a way to interject themselves into their consumer’s lives. What better way than to take advantage of those who have a major following and reach on social media, and are already trusted by many prospective consumers?
It sounds like an easy task, but it is extremely important for social media influencers to continue to be authentic as they promote products to their following. In most cases, social media influencers tend to have a very trusting and loyal following in which they have built up over a long period of time. When an influencer begins to stray away from their authentic self, their followers can see that from a mile away and will begin to lose trust in that person which can cause major damage to their personal brand. Those influencers who stay true to their beliefs and morals are more likely to influence their following to try whatever it is they are promoting.
Influencer marketing is the “it” marketing trend on the rise. According to a study done by Tomoson, businesses are seeing a major return on their investment in influencer marketing; for every $1 spent on influencer marketing, businesses are gaining $6.50. Influencer marketing is highly effective, but it is also an affordable form of promotion for their brand and business. Although it is a major contributor when it comes to brand awareness, businesses who are taking advantage of this type of marketing must be aware of the influencers they are trying to get involved with. For example, a sports car company probably would not have much success if they tried to partner with a food blogger; the two parties do not complement each other in any way. On the contrary, if an organic food distributor wanted to partner with a food blogger influencer, then it is more likely to have more success for both parties. Consequently, you can learn more about some of the different types of social media influencers out there by heading to websites similar to unrulyagency.com.
Influencer marketing is a highly effective form of advertising compared to traditional marketing strategies in today’s digital age. If you want to learn more about influencer marketing, check out this podcast produced by Red Door Interactive; “Podcast: Influencer Marketing – The Importance of Building Authentic Connections”.
Instagram: @casi_jackson
Twitter: @Casi_Jackson
I think this article has great insight to the power influencers have on social media. Although there are times where influencers can be extreme, as a whole I think this industry makes sense because like you said, these people already have trust from their followers, so why not promote products that make sense for their following. The biggest worry I have with this is the overwhelming amount of people who want to be influencers. This takes away from that authenticity so it’s important to know who are true influencers, rather than people who just want followers.
I have always wondered if influencers do make a large impact on business. I found it incredibly interesting that they do in fact make quite businesses money. I personally do not follow influencers because I do not find them genuine. How can influencers tap into the market of people like me who do not buy into their persona?
Learning about influencers was my favorite topic we have covered in class thus far. I agree with you that influencers can be positive for businesses, and I think that’s why so many brands are adopting using influencers as a strategy. There is always a risk though. I think to avoid risk, businesses should be trained on how to interact with influencers and come up with a strategy for how they will interact and manage influencers. I also loved the statistic you used, every $1 spent is $6.50 earned. I think this is a great model to show the success of influencers. I also came across this article that also shows the positive results influencers can have on consumers. https://www.themarketingscope.com/influencer-marketing-on-consumers/
Hi Casi! I think you make a great point about influencers needing to stay authentic and not pair with brands that don’t match their persona. I also haven’t seen a blog post that has linked a podcast at the end which I think is a really great touch!
Thanks for the post.