A common question business owners ask is, “why is influencer marketing effective?”. Influencer marketing is an increasingly popular way to reach new audiences, engage existing customers, and increase brand awareness. It’s been proven to be effective in a variety of ways, which I’ll outline below:
Audience Trust
You might be wondering why people are so willing to trust the opinions of influencers. The answer lies in their history as brand ambassadors, their relationship with followers and the perception of authenticity they create through regular content.
The trust influencers can build with their audience is significant because it creates a safe space where consumers feel free to explore products, services or ideas they wouldn’t have considered before. This trust can increase engagement rates across all channels when used effectively.
Brand Exposure
Influencer marketing can help you reach new audiences by tapping into an influencer’s audience network. It can also increase engagement with your brand as long as you find the right person to work with.
For example, when beauty brand L’Oréal worked with 14-year-old social media star Amena Khan to promote Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils, they expanded their reach beyond existing customers. They reached a new demographic: younger women interested in makeup.
Conversions
Another factor why influencer marketing is so effective is that it makes the likelihood that followers will convert. The reason for this is simple: they trust the source of their information, as they have built a relationship with that source over time.
When an influencer posts something online, it’s generally because they feel strongly about what they’re sharing and want to share it with people in their close circle—and when you see these recommendations on your feed or email box, you’ll be inclined to act on them.
In other words, these people are usually more willing than others to buy whatever it is being sold! They might only sometimes buy immediately but will often seek more information before deciding.
It can make all the difference in whether someone converts into a customer. If nothing else happens except for this initial conversion from a follower into a customer, then there’s already been success in terms of ROI (return on investment).
One recent example of a product I bought due to influencer marketing was a diary. I wouldn’t classify Steven Bartlett as an influencer, but he uses his platform similarly to influencers. He is a successful businessman, entrepreneur and tv personality. He also runs a hugely successful podcast, “The Diary of a CEO”.
He recently brought out a product which is an interactive diary. He used the audience he built up to sell a product to them. Immediately thousands of people bought on the release day as they had built up trust with him over the last few months or years.
He also does brand ads during his podcast, which may make you more likely to purchase the product due to his association with them. They are usually aligned with his views.
Highly Targetable
The most obvious advantage of influencer marketing is that it’s highly targetable. Unlike other forms of advertising, brands can choose their influencers based on specific criteria and interests. For example, if you’re selling running shoes and want to reach fitness enthusiasts in Texas, you could use an influencer who lives in the area and has an established following with those users.
You could also find an influencer whose audience is mostly women between the ages of 25-35 because they’re more likely to buy athletic gear than men or younger people.
Influencers can also target their audiences using demographics and interests—and thanks to social media platforms like Instagram’s “explore” feature (which shows content from accounts your contacts follow), brands have a great deal of access into who sees their campaigns—and how many people see them! With this kind of detail available when creating sponsored posts or campaigns through individual Bloggers/influencers, it’s easier than ever for companies seeking out this form of advertising to reach exactly those audiences they want at scale without ever needing to spend big bucks on traditional ads again!
Niche Specificity
Niche specificity is important because it increases trust and engagement. The more specific an influencer is about their niche, the more likely they are to be trusted by their followers, who know exactly what they’re getting when they follow them and what kind of content they’ll see from them in future.
Niche-specificity also makes your campaign much more memorable. Your audience will be able to recall the specifics of your message and its context in a way that’s difficult for generic campaigns. This can lead to higher levels of engagement and conversion rates overall.
Finally, the greater specificity gives you a better chance at targeting specific audiences with your campaign because niche influencers tend towards smaller audiences than broad ones (e.g., only people who like cooking versus everyone).
Most Effective Industries for Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing can be effective in a variety of industries, but it tends to be particularly effective in industries that are focused on consumer products and services, such as:
Fashion and beauty: Influencers in these industries often have large followings on social media and can help promote products and services to a targeted audience.
Food and beverage: Influencers who focus on food and beverage can help promote new products or restaurants to a large and engaged audience.
Home and lifestyle: Influencers who focus on home and lifestyle topics can help promote products and services related to home improvement, decor, and other related topics.
Health and wellness: Influencers who focus on health and wellness can help promote products and services related to fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being.
Travel and tourism: Influencers who focus on travel and tourism can help promote destinations, hotels, and other travel-related products and services.
Conclusion
Influencer marketing is effective because of audience trust, brand exposure, and conversions. It’s the best way to reach your audience and drive sales through influencer content that resonates with them.
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