16 Jun The Importance Of Social Influencers
From friendly referrals to recommendations from family members, word-of-mouth has always been one of the best influencers in consumer marketing. An opinion grounded in trust and sincerity is effectual and much more likely to prompt action when coming from a familiar source. Companies exercise numerous resources to market their products and services to the masses but word-of-mouth often has to be naturally cultivated from the consumers themselves. In the digital age, influencer marketing has expounded upon this concept and changed the idea of word-of-mouth marketing as we know it.
Influencer marketing is, “a type of marketing that focuses on using key leaders to drive your brand’s message to the larger market. Rather than marketing directly to a large group of consumers, you instead inspire / hire / pay influencers to get out the word for you.” These “key leaders” have been dubbed social influencers and they range far and wide across the “celebrity” spectrum. From actors, musicians, and athletes, to Youtube and Twitter personalities, the crux of a successful social influencer is their reach and perceived authenticity.
After having a great experience with a product or service, you may jump at the chance to tell your friends about it. They trust your opinion and thus will be more likely to buy or consider the product for themselves. As a social influencer, this scenario is more like telling a stadium full of people about a great experience with a product or service and having all forty-thousand of them consider you a friend with a trusted opinion. Thus, they’ll consider purchasing the product for themselves. In a recent study conducted by Twitter, 49% of users said they relied on influencers for product recommendations. When it came to actually purchasing a product, 40% of Twitter users said they’ve bought a product as a direct result of a Tweet from a social influencer.
As more consumers do product research online, they’re also blocking out as many paid traditional ads as they can, seeking out authentic recommendations instead. Social influencers have a keen understating of the digital landscape and can seamlessly integrate a brand, product, or campaign into their standard content, thus circumventing ad blockers. An even better perk for an organization is stumbling upon an organic social influencer. Influencers can be paid to promote products but companies can also scope out an influencer already using their product and incentivize them with free merchandise, shout outs, and more.
As the marking and digital worlds evolve, the way we communicate with consumers must evolve as well. Purchasing and research patterns are changing and as more resources become available, users are eager to find authentic content and recommendations. Social Media influencers have become your best friend with a megaphone and in many cases, their endorsement is a company’s best advertisement.
