Social media influencer content has increasingly become a staple of modern communication strategies. Influencer content appeals to consumers looking for a more personal branded experience. This personalized approach seems to be effective too! Americans are indicating that they are buying products and engaging with brand influencers recommendations at an impressive rate. In fact, 4media group’s in-house team of influencer marketing experts at Dynamik Influence found over one-third (35%) of Americans who use social media have bought a product, used a service, or engaged with a brand that an influencer recommended at least once within the past month.
THE EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS:
There’s somewhat of a misconception that influencer campaigns require an A-list celebrity endorsement or an Instagram superstar shout–out on social media to boost awareness and sales among intended target audiences. This is simply untrue. You don’t need to sink an entire budget into an influencer with tens of millions of followers to promote your brand. Instead, a better strategy lies in diversifying your portfolio across multiple types of social media influencers. They may only have ten-to–twenty thousand followers, but they tend to have strong engagement rates and, most importantly, they won’t devour your entire campaign budget. The influencer industry refers to these smaller influencers as micro and macro-influencers. The benefit is that this more niche audience increases the potential for more authentic interactions with a brand’s message but poses a relatively high number of followers.
On a side note for those looking to market to a predominantly male audience: Dynamik Influence’s recent research study found men to be more receptive to influencer marketing. The study’s findings suggest that men more often than women indicate interacting with social media influencers. This research follows current figures, that have already found a correlation between male consumers and the power of micro-influencer marketing when reaching a male audience.
AUTHENTICITY IS KEY:
Despite what some may think, influencers are more than wannabe celebrity jet-setters. People are drawn to micro-influencers because they are relatable and approachable. Many consumers look to these thought leaders as a credible source of information. Influencers can even engage in dialogue with their followers looking for advice or wanting to learn more about the products they promote. Dialogue in comments shared experiences and direct messages make for a more genuine consumer experience.
“Consumers are tired of being marketed to. Influencer allows them to be a part of the discussion as they engage and interact with influencer content,” says Bill Stanton. Stanton is the Vice President of Partnerships at 4media groups as well as the acting department head of Dynamik Influence— a division here at 4media group that specializes in social media influencer marketing.
BEWARE OF BOTS:
The influencer marketing industry is an ever-evolving industry that is a bit too rocky to navigate alone. When choosing to utilize the power of influencer marketing, working with an agency that has specialized capabilities is a MUST for any serious communications campaign. As much as you’d like to create opportunities for authentic content and experiences with your brand, you need to ensure your influencers have an authentic audience as well.
There have been several cases of companies and organizations have shelled out thousands of dollars to influencers in the hopes of driving up their awareness only to realize that the bulk of their influencer’s audience were “bots”. These bots are just a series of code that is programmed to generate likes and comments on the so called influencer’s posts. These artificial reactions inflate engagement and audience metrics to make the account seem more marketable.
Luckily, we have measures to weed out the wannabees. Dynamik Influence will not only build a proposal of the best social media influencers suited for your needs, we will thoroughly vet all influencer before including them in a proposal.
WE’RE HERE TO HELP:
4media group offers influencer marketing solutions to organizations and brands looking to expand their reach with a more personal approach. Dynamik Influence benefits from its ability to integrate services from across the 4media group family of offerings. Contact us to learn more about our insight driven influencer solutions.