Influencer marketing has become a mainstay of every successful marketing strategy today. 80% of marketers find influencer marketing effective and 89% say that the ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels.
When it comes to the impact of influencers on consumers, 49% of them think that an influencer recommendation is more trustworthy than a brand recommendation. The simple reason is that consumers just want to hear the true story from other consumers!
The Power of Influencer Marketing and Its Impact on Business
What Makes An Influencer An Influencer?
Influencers are more than millennials with their espresso selfies or skincare routine videos. Yes, they have a cult following, but a true influencer’s powers are trust and credibility. The reason why the impact of influencers is so powerful is that they have built a foundation of truth with their specific audiences who seek regular guidance from their favorite social media stars.
Influencers’ Impact on Buyer Journey
Influencers can have a positive effect on every stage of a buyer’s journey:
1. Awareness
With the growing pair of blind eyes towards direct TV and online ads, it has become crucial for brands to find an organic way to build brand awareness, and influencers can do this seamlessly through engaging content.
2. Activation
Influencers have a very specific audience, and hence their engagement rate is high. Filming live videos, marketing products through tutorials, conducting product reviews, etc. are a few effective ways an influencer can activate leads for a brand.
3. Acceleration
The better the influencer content, the faster the leads move through the marketing funnel. Influencers know how to tap into their target audience’s interests and provide relevant information at the right time, thus speeding up the buying process.
4. Closing
Buyers have many queries before trying a product for the first time. Influencers can guide these potential customers through the process with their thought leadership which increases the chances of closing the deal, i.e., resulting in a purchase.
Effects Of Influencer Marketing
Creating a successful influencer marketing campaign can have a progressive impact on your business.
1. Boosts Traffic
With authentic content and an active niche audience in their arsenal, influencers know exactly how to engage their audience and boost traffic on brand websites. They do so by generating authentic content, trust, and interest for their partner brands.
Moreover, influencers that are pertinent to your brand already have an established audience on social media, so you don’t have to spend additional money just to test and find your market since you’ve already got one.
2. Generates Purchase Intent and Increases Conversions
Data shows that 84% of people make a purchase based on an influencer’s recommendation.
Influencers include a clear call to action along with the key message in their content which makes mobilizing the audience easy. It works like a modern form of word-of-mouth marketing where customers trust other customers’ recommendations. This helps drive conversions and deliver a stronger ROI for brands.
3. Creates Memorable Social Media Experiences
For new brands to make their space in the minds of potential customers, they need to do something outstanding and memorable. From social media takeovers and live shopping streams to doing a live unboxing of new products and connecting with fans online; the types of opportunities available to influencers to create memorable social media moments that generate real growth for brands are nearly infinite.
4. Builds Trendsetters
More than once, we have seen influencers set global trends with their content. For example, for the recent influencer marketing campaign of Netflix to promote Money Heist, they collaborated with various content creators to wear a Dali mask and set trends for fans to follow.
By allying your business with a trendsetting influence, you are also showing that your company is a pioneering leader in the industry. This has the potential to gather attention quickly and push up sales.
Final Thoughts
Having your target audience consume your content willingly and purchase your products without being chased – is indeed the goal, and influencer marketing has the power to transform this into reality.
Seeing the impact that influencers can have on audiences and businesses, one thing is clear – influencer marketing is here to stay and rise in coming years.
Ciao,
Miss Kemya
This is a guest post from Rachel Smith, a communication executive who works with the content marketing team at Affable, an influencer marketing company that provides AI-driven solutions that allows you to plan and execute your influencer campaigns strategically. She develops content around social media and marketing topics that can help her readers understand how to pick the right influencers, measure their impact, and run effective influencer campaigns. In her free time, she loves meeting new people and attending workshops on communication and psychology.
