Using Social Influencers to Sell Your Brand
Influencer marketing is predicted to be one of the biggest marketing trends of 2017, according to Social Media Explorer.
What is Influencer Marketing?
Influencer marketing uses ‘influential’ people, like celebrities, bloggers and industry experts, to sell your products. These relationships are beneficial for both parties. The company gets positive word-of-mouth, while the social influencer gets compensation or free products from the company.
Influencer marketing is already popular on social media as many clothing retailers partner with popular fashion bloggers to market their product. This is a more effective method than traditional marketing, as the advertising is subtle and the message is more authentic. Ninety-two percent of people say they trust a stranger to tell them about a product more so than a brand.
A great example of influencer marketing is TD Ameritrade’s Human Finance Project. In this campaign, the company featured stories of real registered investment advisors on their site, giving the finance industry a face and deeming the company as more approachable. The company used ‘regular’ people, showing that influencer marketing does not require celebrities to be successful-rather just social influencers that are relevant to your target audience.
What Will Change in 2017?
In 2017, we will see a lot of changes in influencer marketing. Changes will include relationships between companies and social influencers morphing into partnerships. Influencers will begin to have a say in the creation of the content they promote. Another change predicted for 2017 is that marketers will be less focused on the numbers and sales of products, and will begin focusing on the audience and the message that is being delivered to consumers. Both of these factors will result in more authentic content and a more trustworthy partnership between brand and social influencers.
Influencer marketing can benefit any industry, including manufacturing, non-profits and local businesses. Wondering how influencers can help grow your brand?