Influencer marketing is a contemporary marketing strategy that uses endorsements and product mentions from key leaders in a given industry. Influencers are individuals that have a significant, loyal following on social media. They are called “influencers” because — whether they’re celebrities or just regular people — they have the ability to convince their followers to buy a product or service.
This marketing strategy is powerful because an influencer’s recommendations serve as proof to their followers that your brand, or product, can be trusted. Think of it like this: if your friend raved to you about a new, life-changing pair of shoes, would you want them too? Probably. Your friend’s recommendations are likely to sway your decision-making, just like the influencers you respect and trust online.
There’s data that backs this up, too. According to a survey administered to determine the scope at which influencers are driving consumer behavior, 82% of respondents said they were highly likely to follow a micro-influencers’ recommendation.
In order to stand out from the competition and grow as a startup, you need to attract people in an engaging way and turn them into loyal customers. It turns out that one of the best ways to do this in todays’ digital era is to leverage influencer marketing.
According to a Nielsen study with TapInfluence, B2B influencer marketing leads to eleven times the ROI of traditional advertising. This checks out — online content consumption is soaring globally, and according to the State of Social Media Benchmark Report, active social media users rose by 12.3%, with the average person spending nearly two and a half hours a day on social media in 2020.
Influencers exist on social media — where everyone is spending their time. They have large audiences full of people who trust them. They can get those followers to trust your product too.
Google worked with the DIY-focused micro-influencers, @thesorrygirls, to promote its Pixelbook laptop. The Sorry Girls account, with 276K followers, focuses on DIY, sustainability, and interior design. Together, Google and The Sorry Girls teamed up to launch an Instagram giveaway contest with one sponsored post that instructed their audience to like the image and leave a comment stating how they would use the Pixelbook if they won.
The single sponsored post generated over 10K likes and an engagement rate of 59.4%. This is a rate higher than many macro-influencers receive on their posts.
Brands that focus their influencer strategy on micro-influencers, meaning one with a smaller, more niche following, often reaps the rewards of higher engagement, lower costs, and better ROI.
Source: Instagram
GoPro
Influencers come in many forms, including furry ones! GoPro teamed up with @loki the Wolfdog, who boasts nearly 2 million followers, to promote their brand. With Loki’s help, GoPro organized an Instagram meet up with prizes. The get together allowed the action camera company to reach an audience it may not have otherwise been able to reach through posts on its own profile. Loki the Wolfdog with GoPro on YouTube has received over 3 million views.
Source: YouTube
Microsoft
Microsoft partnered with National Geographic for its “Make What’s Next” campaign. This campaign encouraged young girls to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
The campaign launched on International Women’s Day in 2017, showcasing a total of 30 photos on National Geographic’s Instagram channels and 10 posts across National Geographic’s Facebook channels. The photos featured prominent female explorers with inspirational messages and an invitation to attend upcoming workshops in Microsoft Stores across the U.S.
The images themselves were taken by micro-influencers in the photography space, including @NickZaneMiller and @KrystleJWright.
The results? The campaign earned more than 150 million social and digital impressions on National Geographic distribution channels, 4 million social engagements, and 6.4 million video views.
Source: Instagram
As you can see, influencer marketing is highly effective for increasing sales and growing your business if it’s done well. Plus, it can be a refreshing change of pace from standard marketing strategies, providing a chance to come up with creative ways to tell your brand’s story and connect more authentically with consumers.
If you’re interested in learning how influencers could fit into your marketing strategy, drop us a line — we’d love to hear from you.
