The Importance of Influencer Marketing
As confidence in traditional advertising tactics continues to plummet, consumers are searching for new ways to find quality products. Now is the best time for companies to focus on influencer marketing.
Influencers in advertising are people who have earned the trust of thousands by way of strong online or in-person presence. They are not always celebrities, though individuals working in show business are usually the greatest influencers because of their international notoriety. Consumers whose opinions can persuade family members and friends to purchase products are influencers in their right because of their ability to leverage large groups.
Companies Should Treat Influencers Like Customers
You as a business owner do not want to simply find people with a large following online and have them advertise your goods and services. The best influencers are customers who provide honest reviews.
Paying a person of notoriety to give your company a good review online is the equivalent of an infomercial that highlights all of the positive aspects of a product without also pointing to the negative attributes. Such biased review is why consumers are turning away from televised commercials and to the rawness of social media marketing. Your influencers should be free to provide honest reviews to establish trust.
Measure Results
There are two ways to determine the success or failure of an influencer’s advertisement. You can either analyze the numbers of a campaign (quantitative) or the reputation that the advertisement gave your company (qualitative).
Analyzing the quantitative effects requires you to take a look at the number of unique views that an influencer’s post online receives. You can also measure an influencer’s quantitative value by implementing the word-of-mouth technique by asking customers who recommended your business. Keeping note of online and in-person effects helps you determine how much influencers impact sales.
Qualitative leveraging deals more in the area of your brand’s reputation. An influencer may share a post online about your company, but the review may not be pleasant. In this instance, your brand’s character is at stake, and the qualitative value of the influencer is low. You would need to do damage control in this case so that the bad press does not spread further.
In any instance, whether qualitative or quantitative, it is important to establish personal goals before observing an influencer’s effect on your company. You cannot determine the success or failure of notoriety marketing if you do not have a clear understanding of your goals.
Two Examples of Successful Influencer Marketing
JetSmarter Influencer Marketing Campaign
JetSmarter is a client of 5WPR that lets passengers purchase annual seats on their private jet planes for $15,000. Buyers can travel to and from various major cities in the United States with the pass, which include New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami.
Many celebrities and Chief Executive Officers (CEO) who travel often have taken advantage of the annual boarding ticket since it saves money. These individuals of notoriety often mingle with ordinary consumers who are more than thrilled to be on flights with celebrities like Jamie Foxx and often comment on the “once-in-a-flight” opportunity online.
Little Sapling Toys
Little Sapling Toys began on Etsy.com as a wooden teethers company ten years ago. The motivation behind the company was to provide non-toxic products to parents and kids.
Instead of letting their business be an island to itself, the owners of Little Sapling Toys began attending conventions where they connected with other entrepreneurs. Such linking led to news of Little Sapling spreading that increased sales and notoriety. The children’s company has since expanded its scope beyond teethers to other non-toxic toys and become one of the top sellers on Etsy.com.
Why Influencer PR Marketing is Necessary for Today’s Society
Research published by Mckinsey.com shows that online and word-of-mouth sales are two times more likely than sales gained by paid advertising. More than thirty percent of consumers influenced by way of word-of-mouth and online suggestion remain with the brand that their friends have praised.
Such findings are a testament to the power of social media platforms that caters to honest reviews and gives little space for traditional advertising tactics. You need some form of influencer PR marketing in this digitally driven world since customers are in constant motion and savvier than ever. Positive word-of-mouth and online posting get buyers interested in your product and asking for more information.
SEO Influencer Marketing
Search engine optimization (SEO) is important in marketing because content is king. The Social Media Revolution recently predicted that twenty percent of search engine results relate to the twenty of the most popular brands in the world. Influencers who write SEO-friendly blog posts and articles about your company can greatly impact your company’s sales.
Identify Your Goals to Choose the Right Influencers
Ask the following questions when establishing your personal goals:
- Who is your target audience?
- What are your desired outcomes for this campaign?
- In which areas do you want to present your company as an expert?
- Who are the key influencers in your company’s area of expertise?
- How will you measure results?
- What are the best social media platforms for your campaign?
- How will you launch your company’s campaign?
- Does everyone on your team, staff and influencers, understand the purpose of the campaign?
About Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations. He is an experienced leader in the public relations industry with over 20 years of experience. Ronn Torossian has been named as Public Relations executive of the year by the American Business Awards, and has run countless award-winning Public Relations programs.
