Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising, whether it’s an unwelcome call from a telemarketer or ads popping up on a Facebook feed. In a quest to try and counter these unwelcome intrusions, consumers are taking preventive measures like blocking ads or not answering private calls. This mounting distrust in traditional advertising has prompted companies to employ alternative ways to reach their target audience. An increasingly popular and effective marketing strategy is to use the services of influencers in marketing campaigns.
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How Do Influencer Marketing Campaigns
Work?
Influencers are online personalities who are experts in their respective
niches. They make use of various social media platforms, whether it be Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, to reach followers
who are interested in their specific niches. Brands are increasingly
collaborating with these online specialists to market their products or
services, as it affords them direct access to target audiences that trust the
opinions of the various influencers they are following.
Statistics are a testament to the success of influencer marketing for instance, showing that about 40% of consumers have actually purchased a product that was marketed by an influencer and 33% of millennials consult blog reviews before making purchases. Although, employing influencer marketing doesn’t automatically mean that a campaign will be successful. There are however, a few helpful tactics you can use that will go far in ensuring positive results.
1. Find the Correct Influencers and
Nurture Strong Relationships
Not all influencers will necessarily work well for all marketing campaigns. It’s important that a brand collaborates with an influencer that comes with the correct audience size and one that specializes in a niche that fits well with the product or products you wish to market. There are various ways one can find the correct influencer, such as searching hashtags or using available social media monitoring tools with brand influencers search feature.
Once you’ve found your influencer, you need to nurture a strong relationship with this
person. It’s especially
beneficial to form long-term relationships with brand ambassadors, as this will
engender trust for your products and brand in your target audience.
2. Set Goals and Target Metrics
One of the best ways to ensure a successful campaign is to set
clear goals and to decide on effective metrics to measure whether these goals
are met. Influencer marketing goals could include:
- Creating
awareness for a specific brand or product. - Reaching
a new target market. - Creating
more leads and ultimately more sales.
After you have set your specific goals, you need to measure
whether they are achieved and you should also compare the influencer marketing
results with those achieved in other marketing channels to ascertain whether
influencer marketing is working for you.
3. Develop The Correct Message
Once you have found your influencer and have set goals and target
metrics, you need to create an effective message. This is where an influencer
comes in, as they will tailor a message according to the needs and tastes of
the specific audience. You may also need to provide the influencer with written
copy, as well as information about your products, in order for them to create
content.
Strong Influencer marketing campaigns strategies are increasingly becoming one of the most effective ways to create awareness of your brand and potentially boost sales.