What’s next on the horizon of marketing? Influencer marketing, that’s what! Check out these 4 reasons influencer marketing is the next big thing that marketing professionals need to keep their pulse on. As consumers continue adopting to social media one thing has become very clear, real-time brand engagement is the pathway to success.
Snapchatting, and Periscoping, and Instagraming… oh my!
As consumers continue adopting to social media one thing has become very clear, real-time brand engagement is the pathway to success.
But any corporate marketer knows that it’s not always a quick and easy process to make real-time engagement happen. Long lead editorial calendars, legal approvals, and dozens of roadblocks get in the way of connecting with consumers on a deeper level quickly.
But influencer marketing is starting to change the game. By allowing influencers to share their message, marketers can tap into a network of influence that would normally be beyond their reach. In addition, they gain extra wiggle room for creativity as they are no longer the owner and publisher of the content for the message they want to share. This, among many other things, leads many to believe that influencer marketing will be the next big thing and a key component for successful marketing strategy.
1. Influencer Marketing Is Efficient
One of my favorite quotes is “If you have to tell people you are cool, you aren’t cool”. Nothing rings more true for brands today and traditional media buys are typically just that. A brand has their “we’re cool” message and they buy a canvas of ads on TV channels, radio stations, and publications to share it.
With influencer marketing, the brand isn’t buying a canvas of space in which to tell their story. Other people are naturally telling the story for them. With that, some of the influencers credibility rubs off on the brand. The message of the brands proposition or value is shared through a third-party which makes the claim more believable.
In short, influencer marketing can accomplish everything a brand would like to achieve in a much shorter period of time.
2. Influencer Marketing is Timely
Anyone who’s ever spent weeks trying to explain their marketing content to a lawyer knows that the struggle for brands to post timely and relevant content is real. Latching on to hot pop culture trends is a great way to elevate a brands profile. However, it can be a pain to get through the waves of legal approval that plague modern marketers.
With influencer marketing, brands can relax (just a little bit) because the content is no longer theirs. Brands should make sure their influencers stay aligned with FTC disclosure guidelines. But many lawyers will allow softer rules and guidelines on content that isn’t being posted directly from company channels, allowing the brand to more quickly jump into relevant conversations.
3. Influencer Marketing is Creative
What happened when a popular retailer commissioned 50 fashion influencers on Instagram to wear the same dress but pair it with their own style? The dress sold out in one week. Why? Because influencer marketing is creative. It allows consumers to see how your brand or product can relate to their life or the life they aspire to have.
Influencer marketing is a chance to let your brand belong to the people and be integrated in a way that is likely outside of your normal box. Sure, you can mix a few rules into your influencer marketing program to keep the sharing of your message within a specific sandbox. But the creativity in letting influencers collide their own style with your brand can be priceless.
4. Influencer Marketing is Fun
Image that a Grammy Award-Winning artist is going to take over Twitter handle for an hour. Imagine that a hilarious comedian with over 2 million followers on YouTube is going to share how your brand is incorporated into their life. That’s kind of a big deal and worth getting excited about.
Influencer marketing can be great fuel to your branding fire. It’s something the consumers and brand employees get excited about as well. The potential to execute fun and innovative influencer marketing strategies is endless.
Do you have an influencer marketing strategy in your mix? Tell us why or why not in the comments below.
