Benefits of Influencer Marketing
I don’t know about you,
but anytime I want to purchase something I look up reviews online. This usually leads me down the path of watching influencers talk about why they LOVE the product I am interested in, and that helps me decide if I want to buy it. Influencer marketing happens when a brand reaches out to an influencer/content creator and collaborates with them on selling a product or service. You can see this type of advertising play out on social platforms such as; blog posts, podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and even TikTok.
An “influencer” covers a wide range of definitions, but is basically a person who actively engages with their audience on social media. They could have anywhere from a few hundred to a few million followers. This type of marketing strategy is a beneficial collaboration for both the brand and the influencer. It can help brands tap into a new target market, while providing a new revenue stream and engagement for the influencer.
But how does this all work? Why don’t brands simply stick with conventional ways of advertising? It has to do with a few key factors. Read along to find out why partnering with the right influencer can help grow YOUR brand!
It builds trust.
The first step in selling something is to lay down a foundation of trust with your target audience. Can’t you do that simply by having a polished website, effortless ad on facebook or an on point storefront? Absolutely! But the fact is that people are more likely to buy your product if they trust the source advertising to them. This is where influencers come into play. By default their followers already have some level of trust with them, and if they see their favourite instagrammer recommending your lip gloss for example, they are more likely to purchase your brand if they are in the market for one. Trust is key for establishing a purchasing history with your clients. And it also builds social proof, aka copying the action of others.
It builds emotional connection.
I have been following influencers for a long time, and it’s so interesting how I actually feel INVESTED in their lives and what they do! There is definitely a level of emotional connection there. Some of the first influencers I followed back when I was around 14 years old were Estée Lalonde and Chriselle Lim. I am obsessed with their style! Victoria Magrath from In the Frow, and Jenny Mustard are also influencers I admire for a variety of reasons. The way they have organically grown their audience over the years is inspiring, and they bring so much personality to the brands they advertise on their platforms. The emotional connection they have built with their audience, coupled with that established trust previously mentioned, creates that RELATABILITY needed to sell me the brands they recommend.
It creates long term relationships.
When doing research on this topic I reached out to a fellow instagram consumer, and she shed some insight into how influencers help to create loyal brand customers.
“I have always admired seeing what products others use and how it works for them. When I see an influencer use a certain lip colour, foundation, clothing item, etc—if I admire it on them, I wonder how it would work for me. I think that finding products for yourself can be hard, especially trying to find the right ones (beauty or wellness products) that will give you the results you want. I think if I see someone using a product and I see that they are getting the results I want, why would I try another brand when I know that this product in this specific brand, is working for them?”
It’s so true, putting a face behind a brand, is genuinely what helps sell a product. Users want to see REAL people using it! Seeing an influencer use and recommend brands, getting specific and personal about their actual routine and how that product works for them, establishes that long term relationship every brand wants with their clients.
It connects brands to people.
Remember when it seemed like every influencer in the beauty industry was talking about Milk Makeup and Glossier? Those brands utilized the established connections influencers had with their audience to market their fresh new products! Obviously this strategy worked really well because many of these products are now cult favourites. Using influencer marketing in YOUR brand’s advertising strategy is an integral way of connecting your product to your newest favourite customer.
Any questions on this topic? Feel free to reach out!
