When consumers can easily find anything that they’re looking for with just a simple search, it’s time to step back and think about the type of approach to marketing that offers consumers something of value that they also feel a personal connection with. There’s one tool that fits this description—we call it influencer marketing.
Influencer has become a buzzword in digital marketing. Huge companies are not strangers to tapping into star power to build their brand’s reputation. But you’re not a huge company and don’t have a budget that someone with real “star power” would even consider looking at. So how is it possible to leverage influencer marketing as part of your own strategy?
This is an all too common mindset of small businesses. What many of them don’t realize is that influencer marketing isn’t built on the principle of “go big or go home.” Instead, it’s about connecting with a recognized, respectable partner to build brand awareness and image. Believe it or not, small businesses actually have a big advantage when it comes to influencer marketing.
To succeed, it’s all about finding your niche. Consumers today aren’t necessarily interested in what the most famous personalities have to say. Sure, they might capture attention if someone is a fan, but how many adults are actually interested in a product just because someone with a star on the walk of fame is promoting it? Today, it’s more about value and experience, and that’s something that comes from tapping into your niche.
The question that a small business should ask isn’t who can get them noticed but who can take them the furthest. Your customers today are looking for real value, not just entertainment. By partnering with local experts and niche bloggers, you help build an interconnected community of valuable small businesses helping each other out while providing value and an exceptional service to a shared audience. This exponentially increases your brand awareness to people who are likely to be interested in what you’re offering.
Here is the problem that many small businesses encounter with influencer marketing. There’s practically an unlimited possibility of influencers, so where in the world do you even begin? Then, once you’ve connected, there’s the question of which platform to use. To be honest, the whole process can be intimidating, especially to the small business owner who just wants to focus on the customers that are already in front of them.
There are so many incredible opportunities that can be unlocked with the right influencer, but sometimes you need a little help in making the connection. This is where a digital marketing team that’s experienced with influencer marketing can become your strongest business ally.
As digital marketing specialists, we understand the opportunities for your business that are just waiting to be unlocked by partnering with the right influencer. However, it takes a strategic approach to make this happen and maximize the potential of these relationships in the process.
A marketing professional will be there from the first steps of strategic campaign design through the execution and beyond. You should expect your digital marketing team to find and recruit the best influencers for building your brand image, developing those relationships, and managing the partnerships.
But the work doesn’t stop there. Once the relationship is established, there should be great attention paid to tracking and reporting, along with a deep, detailed analysis that goes far beyond the basics of social media marketing to look at the level of engagement across the entire customer journey. The more we know about the success of your influencer relationships, the more your business profits.
Today, we know that influencers who have the highest rate of engagement are usually not the big names. Micro-influencers, personalities with a smaller following, show an 8% like rate versus the 2.5% like rate of celebrity influencers. This wasn’t always the case, but it also isn’t surprising given how consumer behaviors are complex and ever-changing.
It’s shifts like this that have us wondering what’s next in the realm of influencer marketing. What will the future look like, and how can businesses start proactively adapting today?
While we don’t have a magic crystal ball, we see some pretty strong evidence of the direction that we’re heading with influencer marketing. For example, the ways that social media marketing will need to adapt to appeal to platforms that prioritize great content over brand promotion or how marketers will need to become more resourceful and creative with a multi-channel approach to optimize influencer relationships.
One thing is certain however, influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere. In fact, as an industry, we’re looking at how to adapt it to emerging technologies and prepare for new marketing tools designed to simplify the interactions between brands and influencers.
Influencer relationships can be complex, and you want the absolute most out of your investment. We understand this, but we also understand how to connect with the influencers that will do the most to elevate your brand, build awareness, and get customers to pour through your door. There’s no reason for you to spend valuable time working on building, monitoring, and maintaining influencer relationships when we could be doing it for you.
Now is the time to contact Prestige Pro Media to discuss digital marketing for your business, including an influencer strategy that does the heavy lifting of brand growth. It’s time to turn your goals into reality, so connect with us today.
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