As the traditional modes of advertising keep losing their charm and the popularity of social media platforms grows substantially, collaborating with social media influencers to reach the target audience and effectively connect with them is the newest trend. People often relate to these social media celebrities and trust their endorsements; brands optimizing their popularity and massive following align with the current digital consumption habits and tap into the hottest digital marketing trends, positioning the business for success.

The Basics of Influencer Marketing

Simply put, Influencer marketing is when a brand collaborates with a social media influencer to promote their products or services. Since social media influencer is a relatively new domain, people here are from diverse fields, they are artists, photographers, tech professionals, writers, and historians, and have lived experiences that most of us would relate to.

This makes them more accessible, and their endorsements more reliable and authentic. Many brands have collaborated with these celebrities to promote a campaign that might align with their field, highlight issues of social importance, or promote their products. 

There are two major ways a brand can approach this. Influencers with a massive following often charge a fee per post. Known as a brand deal, the amount can be anywhere between 3 to 6 figures depending on the post, the popularity and reach of the influencer, and other related factors.

Brands can also offer an affiliate commission to influencers where they earn a certain amount or commission each time a buyer clicks on the link on their post and makes a purchase, or use particular coupon codes linked on the post. Collaborating with an influencer would increase the chances of reaching a wider audience and build brand credibility.

Why is Influencer Marketing a rising Trend?

“67.6% of Internet users in India are active Social Media users

With the COVID-19 pandemic and a global lockdown, more people have become active on the internet, increasing the popularity of Instagram and TikTok celebrities exponentially. Factors like increased preference for online modes of shopping, strains in the economy due to geopolitical crises, and a rising cost have made it integral for any brand to adapt to cost-effective and efficient methods of marketing.

People are looking for authenticity in the products they want to buy. Influencers often act as a bridge between the brand and its ideas and the consumers that it wants to cater to. They humanize the ideas and brand values so they resonate with the customer. A buyer is more likely to trust an influencer they follow and engage with on social media than promotional shoots and quirky advertisements by brands. 

Globally too, around 5 billion people use social media, making it undeniable for the brands that tapping into the realm of social media marketing in general and Influencer marketing, in particular, would prove to be lucrative in the long run, creating a loyal customer base and reaching more and more viewers with each new post.

Which Influencers are perfect for your brand?

Targeting the right type of influencer to align with your brand image and brand voice is as crucial as studying the market to gauge your target audience. It helps in formulating the strategies you would follow in terms of Influencer marketing. Depending on how you position your business, you can choose between a mega or a macro influencer, or micro or a nano influencer. 

Typically, a mega influencer has more than a million followers. Celebrities like popular athletes or actors fall under this category. While they have a massive reach, their audience is broad, and are less likely to engage with every post they make. Brands often collaborate with them to create awareness about a new product or promote a new line.

The macro influencers too have a large number of followers, ideally a few hundred thousand. These are perfect to reach a large number of people within a niche and create awareness about your brand or its products. Approaching a macro or mega influencer however is expensive, and often more suitable for brands with a high promotional budget.

Micro and Nano influencers have a much lesser following but a much higher rate of engagement. Audiences often relate to these people and are more likely to trust the brands they are promoting. Smaller businesses with lesser budgets often approach this group of influencers since it has the dual benefit of reaching the right target audience and fostering engagement and much lower expenditure.

Choosing the right influencer for your brand goes a long way in brand building. Consider the niche, expected rate of engagement, and your budget before you finalize.

What to keep in mind 

First and foremost, for influencer marketing to work and reach the right people, you need to pitch your product to the said Influencers first. Getting them on board with your idea is the fundamental step to successful marketing. This would include creating a professional pitch highlighting everything they need to know, answering their queries, and keeping things concise and to the point.

Small Audiences, Major Results: How to Use Micro-Influencer Marketing in 2024 - Email and Internet Marketing Blog

You will need to spend a considerable amount of time on research. Strategize everything, lay out a detailed plan, and allocate your budget. Decide on how you would want to approach these influencers and make sure the entire process works out organically.

Punctuality is always integral. Build a schedule and align it with PR, product release, campaign dates, and other important timelines to reach out to the influencers in time and avoid any last-minute hassle. 

Although a rising trend, influencer marketing might not generate instant or quick results. Create a flawless plan and be patient for it to speak for your brand. 

2 Comments

  • […] Influencer marketing is among the most popular trends in digital marketing. Audiences connect with social media influencers and the latter often act as a channel to convey the brand’s values to the viewers. Modern consumers value transparency and authenticity and influencer marketing can humanize ideas to resonate with them and attract more traffic. […]

  • […] Influencer marketing through different social media platforms also enables a brand to enhance reliability and authenticity. Apart from popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn is a networking site used by about 1 billion professionals globally. With the growing number of users, it is just the right channel to connect with professionals and promote B2B marketing. […]

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